I am sure many of you are very familiar with Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr., the man behind El Credito Cigar Co. and most importantly La Gloria Cuban cigars. La Gloria Cubana experienced many years at the top of the cigar world. Perez-Carrillo jr. has long been known for putting out remarkable cigars. In the late 1990s, he and his business partner, his daughter Lissette McPhillips, sold the cigar business to Swedish Match, though he continued working for the company—which would become General Cigar co.—for a decade.

In early 2009 Ernesto decided to depart from Swedish Match to start his own company along his daughter and his son, Ernesto III.

E.P. Carrillo hit the ground running with the release of its first cigar, the Edición Inaugural 2009. The cigar was a major hit and really captured what Perez-Carrillo Jr. has always been about: beautiful presentation, great construction and full of flavor. Soon to follow was another small batch production cigar, the Short Run. It was made in limited quantities but unlike the Inaugural it was offered in more than a single vitola. Not straying from their tobaccos of choice the cigar was made with tobaccos from Ecuador, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

At the 2010 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, the company released its first core line  as well as a new 2010 Edición Limitada, which is predictably limited to just 1,000 boxes of 10 cigars.

One thing I notice right away is the amazing design and look of the box these are packaged in. The rich color of the wood, the glossy coat and the simple yet elegant look is just perfect. It immediately reminded me of the box for the Cohiba Gran Reserva and looks similarly as nice.

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  • Cigar Reviewed: E.P. Carrillo Edición Limitada 2010
  • Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
  • Factory: Tabacalera La Alianza S.A.
  • Wrapper: Brazilian Habano
  • Binder: Dominican Republic
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Size: 6 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 54
  • Vitola: Toro Extra
  • MSRP: $15 (Boxes of 10, $150)
  • Release Date: November 2010
  • Number of Cigars Released: 1,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (10,000 Total Cigars)
  • Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 3

The look of this cigar really grabs my attention right away and the construction looks to be near perfect. The wrapper has a rich milk chocolate color to it with minimal veins and a smooth yet sort of tacky feel to it. It has a slight oily sheen to it and is packed well, giving it a solid feel. The band is what makes it in my opinion. Up top is simple yet elegant with a tasteful color scheme, while the secondary band has beautiful gold lettering and just creates an eye catching look. The pre light aroma is full of cocoa and coffee and has a very sweet tobacco aroma to it, while the cold draw has a sweet cedar to it with lots of cocoa; all I can taste is a chocolate, very heavy.

Starting off in the first third there is a rush of pepper and spice right away. The profile is quite woody and with a deep earthy tone. Halfway through the first third the cigar gives way to a sweetness that takes over quickly. I start to get hints of chocolate and more of a cedar than a vague wood. The pepper has died down considerably, but there is still a spice through the nose.

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Coming into the second third the cedar has ramped up and the Edición Limitada 2010 has increased in its sweetness. The chocolate is absolutely perfect, very subtle and sweet and just coats my palate perfectly. The finish has a coffee and spice note to it but is very long and dry and leaves my mouth a bit parched at times. The burn and construction are excellent, the ash holds for a few inches and the draw is remarkable, just a slight tug and I am able to get a copious amount of medium-full bodied smoke.

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The smoke becomes chewy and thick while the coffee and cocoa flavors really take over. It’s a deep, rich, earthy profile with a lot of sweetness and a nice spice kick through the nose. The Edición Limitada 2010 is very easy to smoke and provides a very relaxing experience.

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Final Notes

  • This cigar has a great flavor profile and offered incredibly rich tones. Although at times the flavors were a bit dry and the pepper that was present wasn’t quite enough to satisfy me the overall impression is that this is a great smoke.
  • The construction was impeccable. I literally didn’t have to touch it up once and the burn was razor sharp the entire way. Please remember that I smoked three of them for this review and they were all the same.
  • This is a small batch production so get them while you can. If by some chance you miss out on these please check out the rest of the E.P. Carrillo stuff because they are making fabulous cigars.
  • This is a $15 cigar. To some people that is way too much money to pay for a cigar but I can assure you will get what you pay for. This smokes and performs like a $20 smoke to me. It offers such an elegant package and a flavor profile to match that I would spend $15 of this cigar any day.
  • Final smoking time was one hour and 54 minutes on average.
91 Overall Score

Have you ever just looked at a cigar and could tell right away from the look and pre light aromas that it was going to be great? Well this is one of those cigars and it is great. This has flavor, construction, look, feel and aroma. It still shows a lot of youth though and will only get better with age. I will be picking up a box of these to put away for sure.

Steve Valle

Steve Valle wrote for Smoking Stogie, a precursor to halfwheel, from 2010-2011.