Last year saw another slew of releases in the Federal Cigar Anniversary line, one of which was created by E.P. Carrillo. The cigar’s blend was based on the 2012 Short Run series and then tweaked by adding a little more ligero, while the look of the cigar was modeled after the Bólivar Gold Medal. Bringing all that together and we have the E.P. Carrillo Federal 92nd Anniversary Medalla D’ Oro.

I enjoyed the cigar quite a bit the first go round. Here’s what I had to say about it originally:

Some cigars can meander around a gamut of flavors lending an interesting air to them, others might have just a couple of odd notes and bore you to the point of tears. Some might only have a few interesting notes but they mesh so well that the consistency of them are a blessing. I can easily say that the Medalla D’ Oro falls in the the third category. While there weren’t many flavors to speak of, the nuttiness, vanilla and cedar that were consistent throughout were an absolute enjoyment. The deceptive strength of the cigar is something that caught me off guard with the milder body, but it was an enjoyable aspect of the cigar that I wasn’t expecting. I’ve enjoyed the Short Run blends that EPC has put out in the past and this one is no different, though I’d say I like this blend more than the others. Lastly at $85.00 a box the price point is easy to get into and is something I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a box.

  • Cigar Reviewed: E.P. Carrillo Federal 92nd Anniversary Medalla D’ Oro
  • Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
  • Factory: Tabacalera La Alianza S.A.
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
  • Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
  • Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic
  • Size: 6 1/2 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 44
  • Vitola: Lonsdale
  • MSRP: $8.50 (Boxes of 10, $85)
  • Date Released: March 16, 2013
  • Number of Cigars Released: 500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (5,000 Total Cigars)
  • Number of Cigars Smoked for Redux: 1

I don’t know if it’s the variation between cigars or a year and a half in the humidor, but the wrapper looks a little bumpier – almost like it’s shrink wrapped onto the binder. Despite that, the wrapper is still soft and still has the slightest oily feel. Squeezing it shows that there’s not as much give anymore. The aroma off the wrapper is a mixture of sweet hay and a something akin to the salty ocean air. The cold draw is still as sweet as I remember, with vanilla and cedar at the forefront and a nuttiness in the background.

Starting out there is much more cedar than I remember, with a sweet nuttiness and vanilla much more in the background. The light and almost indistinguishable pepper from before is noticeably missing. The second third of the cigar continues with the light profile. Cedar, the sweet nuttiness and vanilla are pushed a little towards the back while a general sweet tobacco and hay flavor is more at the forefront. It’s an interesting combination, one that I don’t want to say is exactly Cubanesque, but for a bit that’s the thought that ran through my head. The final third of the Medalla D’ Oro is closer to the first third than the second, with the cedar returning in force and the nuttiness and vanilla relegated to the background. There is a bit of strength that ramps up at the end, though the cigar doesn’t really reach more than a medium-full. Unfortunately there is a bit of harshness at the end, nothing terrible but something I would have liked to skip for the final bit.

E P Carrillo Federal 92nd Anniversary Medalla D Oro

The construction of the cigar is just as solid as I remembered it to be. The burn line performed fantastically for the entire cigar without a single touch up needed. Light gray ash didn’t drop until the inch mark consistently, and overall the ash was tight and not a bit flaky. The draw was spot on with each puff easily producing plenty of flavorful smoke.

89 Overall Score

I was excited to do this redux because I remember enjoying this cigar for its nuanced flavors and well meshed profile. Within the last year and a half however, the flavors have shifted a bit to create a similar but different profile. The complete lack of pepper was noticed, and with a much stronger cedar note leading the profile instead of the hazelnut and vanilla from before was a minor disappointment. Overall, I still really enjoyed the cigar and can easily still recommend these. I was surprised to see that according to Federal’s site, these are still available and in stock. There weren’t many boxes of these made, so I’d snatch these up before they’re gone for good.

Original Score (April 2013)
90
Redux Score (August 2014)
89
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Brian Burt

I have been smoking cigars since 2005 and reviewing them as a hobby since 2010. Initially, I started out small with a 50-count humidor and only smoking one or two cigars a month. Not knowing anybody else that smoked cigars, it was only an occasional hobby that I took part in. In March of 2010, I joined Nublive and Cigar Asylum, connecting me with many people who also shared an interest in cigars. Reading what they had to say about brands I had never heard of, I quickly immersed myself in the boutique brands of the industry and it was then that cigars transformed from a hobby into a passion.