Some of the most wonderful cigars that I have smoked were from E.P. Carrillo and I felt it was about time to start doing some well deserved reviews on their lines.  I initially was going to review the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limited Inaugural Release 2009 but decided to grab the 2010 instead.  This release did well enough to get a new line made as a result called the Elencos Series.  E.P. Carrillo makes the Elencos Series in 3 sizes ranging from Acto Mayor (6 1/4 x 52) to Elites (original size of  E.L. 2010 release) and finally Don Rubino (5 1/4 x 50).

E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2010 Review

Wrapper:  Brazilian habano

Binder/Filler:  Dominican Republic/Nicaragua

Size:  6 x 54

MSRP:  $15.00

Smoke Time:  1hr 45min

Drink:  Water

Location:  Federal Cigar

Construction/Appearance:

The  Edicion Limitada 2010 has a medium shade wrapper color and one of the cigars that I smoked for the review had a slightly more toothy texture than the others.  Some of the veins on the cigar were prominent as I could feel them when running my hand over the wrapper.  There isn’t much give when I squeezed the cigar but my concerns aren’t about a cigar being poorly rolled as this is one of their premier lines.  The E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2010 has some weight and I would categorize it as heavy even for the size.  The double band looks very nice and I think choosing a smaller band for the Edicion Limitada 2010 insignia makes a tremendous difference.  Double and triple bands can overwhelm the natural beauty of the cigar but I have no complaints about these.  I think the gold font (Edicion Limitada 2010) on black background with the gold trim looks classy when combined with the classic E.P. Carrillo band.  Lastly, removal of the bands was very easy as I could tell they used the ideal amount of glue while not making the band extremely tight.

Burn/Draw:

The cut across the foot went without any hitch and the cold draw was especially smooth even though this cigar is on the larger ring gauge size for my preference.  Lighting the cigar was even more impressive almost as if the Edicion Limitada 2010 drew the flame from my torch.  An immediate stream of smoke started pouring from the cigar  and the burn was absolutely on point without requiring a touch up or a relight.  Through out the smoke, I was very impressed with the razor edged burn line and even though the ash was slightly flaky, it managed to last about an inch every time before exposing crack lines.  Smoking a cigar with an effortless draw and “perfect” burn always makes the experience better because then my focus can be on the flavors and this one had plenty.  Even though the cigar started to burn slightly hot near the end, it still maintained a cooler profile than most simply because of the larger ring gauge.

Flavor/Aroma:

There were plenty of rich flavors coming off of the foot during the prelight such as cocoa, dark chocolate and it even reminded me of cadbury chocolate with nuts.  The initial draw starts out sweet but finishes with some pepper and a hint of leather.  Cedar and and wood play a strong role in the 1st part while the finish is of black pepper.  I could pick up chocolate and cocoa when doing back to back puffs or double puffs.  Some of these flavors are my favorite and they alternate well in the E.P. Carrillo 2010.

I retrohaled beginning the second and picked up nice strong notes of black pepper which “forced” me to just regroup for moment before continuing.  Dark chocolate, hints of leather and some sweetness is the flavor profile in the second third with another appearance by pepper.  At times, the dark chocolate would disappear while the leather and wood moved to the forefront.  The last third starts out again with some sweetness with transitions through wood and leather followed by the usual pepper finish.  At this point in the cigar, I’m really enjoying the contrasts and sometimes the sweetness reminds me of caramel but it is very subtle.  The pepper certainly isn’t as strong in the last third though it makes a strong comeback in the last inch or so.

Final Thoughts:

• Complex flavor profile that most cigar smokers would enjoy
• I believe these will be good to rest for an extended period of time
• The E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2010 is nicely balanced paired well with very good construction, amazing burn and an effortless draw
• Available in the Elencos Series (Acto Mayor, Elites, Don Rubino)

Rating:  92