It is that time again and with the IPCPR Convention going on there will be a lot of previews of new sticks that will be coming to the market.

I opened my mail last week, and low and behold, there was a package which included a preproduction of the brand new E.P. Carrillo Edición Inaugural 2009 from the EPC Cigar Company.

For those of you who may not know, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. (of La Gloria Cubana fame) has launched a new cigar label by the name of EP Carrillo with his son Ernesto III and daughter Lissette. The E.P. Carrillo Edición Inaugural 2009 is the first stick to be released under the new brand. This will be a limited stick, with about 100,000 produced and sold every year.

The idea is essentially to have one core brand that will be available year-round and that will be more value based. Then every year they will have a limited edition that will be different every single year based on the best tobacco that can be found.

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• Cigar Reviewed: E.P. Carrillo Edición Inaugural 2009
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Tabacalera La Alianza S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuador
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Dominican Republic
• Size: 5 3/8 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Vitola: Edmundo
  Number of Cigars Released: 100,000 Total Cigars

The E.P. Carrillo Edición Inaugural 2009 is a 5 3/8 Inches x 52 cigar, with the binder and filler coming from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The Wrapper is an experimental leaf from Ecuador and this is the first time it has been used on a cigar.

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My first impression of the cigar is that the wrapper is VERY smooth, but not oily at all — more of what I would call silky. It’s very firm to the touch and smells very faintly of tobacco and pepper. After punching the end and taking a pre-light draw, I tasted a VERY distinct flavor of caramel, a flavor that I have not found in many cigars.

After lighting the stick, I got a spice kick right off the bat that lasted about 10 puffs (and made my mouth tingle), then calmed down quite a bit and developed into a nice sweet caramel flavor (which I was impressed with, as it seemed to really compliment the spice).

The sweetness was a recurring theme for the entire stick, coming and going at different strengths, but always present. Other flavors I tasted were cedar, just a touch of pepper and even a little bit of honey … and all the flavors blended extremely well.

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Final smoking time was 1 hour and 35 minutes, and the burn and draw were both perfect for the entire stick.

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The Bottom Line: This is one of the most Balanced cigars I have tasted in quite a while. I was shocked (SHOCKED!) at how much I enjoyed it, waiting for it to get bitter or go south, only to find it was great until the end. The great burn and draw made for a highly enjoyable stick. Having said that, a pepper bomb this is not (it is definitely a mild to medium cigar). We will see if the regular production of this cigar is as good.

Final Score: 92