E.P. Carrillo Platinum Bash

For the vast majority of cigars that hit the market, consumers are not involved in the blending process, let alone the selection of the final blend once any number of recipes have been sampled, tweaked, and sampled again.

But for the cigar that would celebrate Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr.’s 70th birthday, E.P. Carrillo invited consumers to share their opinion on three cigars that were in consideration for a cigar that would come to be known as the E.P. Carrillo Platinum Bash.

In September 2022, the company released the Platinum Bash Pack, a trio of cigars that were primarily available at E.P. Carrillo events held at cigar shops, though the company would send a pack to consumers unable to attend an event provided they had proof of purchase of a box of the company’s cigars. Inside each pack were three 6 x 52 toros, which were being considered for a release in 2023. The company did not disclose any details about the blends, which came with different colored ribbons around their feet and some visual differences amongst the wrappers.

A total of 2,000 packs were produced, with the promotion scheduled to last through November.

After the votes were tallied, the winning cigar—the one with a platinum-colored foot ribbon—was released and shipped to stores in early May 2023. As part of the release, it was announced that the blend used a Mexican-grown wrapper, a binder from Ecuador, and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. Like the cigar in the event packs, it was a 6 x 52 toro, though it now came with an MSRP of $15 per cigar. It was also a very limited release, with just 500 boxes of 10 cigars produced.

• Cigar Reviewed: E.P. Carrillo Platinum Bash
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Tabacalera La Alianza S.A.
• Wrapper: Mexico
• Binder: Ecuador
• Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Vitola: Toro
• MSRP: $15 (Box of 10, $150)
• Release Date: May 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: 500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (5,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

There is a lot of visual contrast between the very dark wrapper and the platinum-colored band and foot ribbon that the cigar, something that makes the bands pop while giving the dark brown wrapper some depth. The wrapper has a good bit of texture, enough to snag some threads of the foot ribbon when I slide it off the first cigar. That texture is due to a bit of tooth and sizable vein structure, as well as some spots where the seam isn’t flat and creates a bit of a ridge. Each cigar is rolled to a very firm density, with just a touch of give noticeable, and most of it is found toward the feet of the three cigars. The foot of the cigar has the aroma of a dry brownie but with a bit of black pepper, a combination that can easily convey some earthiness as well, reminiscent of standing near a freshly tilled plot of land. One cigar has a more pronounced chocolate syrup aroma, which I enjoy, while there’s just a bit of pepper and spice on the finish, making for the most complex and engaging aroma. The cold draw ranges from good to quite firm, while the flavor is rather subdued. It’s a fairly soft profile with a bit of chocolate milk creaminess as well, some more traditional chocolate and just a faint trace of black pepper.

The E.P. Carrillo Platinum Bash starts with a decently robust profile that has some pepper and rough edges that are a bit sour and metallic, which leads me to think this is a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper as it reminds me of the same problems I’ve had other blends that use that leaf. Retrohales have a bit of pepper and heat, with a light smokiness to the finish that is quite enjoyable, especially because the funkiness in the flavor does not translate to the nose. All things considered, it’s a dry, medium-full start and one that has me a bit concerned about what’s in store before I even think of tapping off any ash. It’s also pretty clear that this isn’t going to be a quick-burning cigar, as every time I look at where the burn line is in the first inch, I’m surprised it’s not further along despite regularly puffing on the cigar. The metallic twinge dissipates once the first clump of ash drops off, leaving a fairly earthy profile with touches of chocolate and coffee behind, while most of the pepper has moved up to the nose via retrohales. The change does a good job to right the profile and get me a bit more optimistic about what the cigar has in store, even though I still feel like I’m rinsing off my taste buds. Some chocolate-tinged creaminess comes into further right things, while a dry pepper shines on the finish, and the further those initial puffs get into the rearview mirror, the easier it is to enjoy what the cigar now offers. While they have been good thus far, retrohales are now cleaner and more peppery at the end of this section, providing a welcoming accent to the flavor and some optimism about the second third. Flavor is medium-plus, body is medium and strength is mild. Construction is a bit of a mixed bag, as the burn line and smoke production are both good, while the draw and combustion rate are a bit more varied and leave me wanting improvement.

The earthy, chocolate brownie taste continues as the burn line crosses into the second third of the E.P. Carrillo Platinum Bash, and while I was not enthralled with the first third, I find myself enjoying the start of the second third. There’s a bit more of a crispy taste to the chocolate, not too different from the crispy edges of an actual brownie, while the black pepper continues to fill out the retrohale and provides a hearty tingle to the nostrils. Shifting to construction for a moment, the draw brings itself into the conversation, as even in the cigars that start decently in terms of draw, they are now firmed up by the midpoint, leading me to wonder if I should just clip off more of the head as they don’t feel plugged. This section keeps the earthiness while the chocolate has faded a bit, replaced by a bit of black coffee and, more times than not, a cold brew with a touch of acidity to it. It’s certainly a much more enjoyable section on the whole than the first third. My main note is that there aren’t a ton of changes, which helps keep things well-balanced. The finish has a bit more of a rougher texture that carries a lingering pepper that sits on the taste buds long after each puff. Combustion continues to struggle in two of the three cigars, meaning my lighter is getting a lot more work than I would like it to be getting. The burn line is generally even and smoke production is sufficient, with the draw helped by clipping a bit more off the head of the cigar. The flavor is medium to medium-full, body is medium and strength is medium-minus.

In two of the three samples, the same metallic, quasi-funky flavor that I picked up in the first third returns at the start of the final third, while hints of chalk loom in the background before hitting my tongue on the finish. The third cigar picks up some creaminess, shedding off much of the chocolate for a new profile from the E.P. Carrillo Platinum Bash. Across all three samples, the earthiness is a bit fuller and drier in this section, as is the pepper, though it does a solid job of tingling my taste buds. There’s still black pepper in the retrohales, though it now hits my nostrils like wasabi with a much more widespread sensation that begins to encompass anything receptive to its stimulation. I’m quite pleased to find that one cigar manages to dodge the metallic notes that plagued the first third, as two of the cigars don’t get much better, holding onto that metallic taste that has been present for far too much of the cigar. That third cigar picks up a bit of funkiness in the final two inches or so, showing that the flavor issue was a consistent negative in this blend. The flavor finishes somewhere between medium and full, depending on the sample, while body is medium-plus and strength is medium-minus, which I’m thankful for as I don’t think I would have made it through the addition of a nicotine punch. Combustion remains a fairly consistent issue and drags out the smoking time, while the firmer-than-average draw adds to the time spent smoking. The burn line and smoke production are both very good, however.

Final Notes

• Sliding the foot ribbon off the cigar left some threads behind that had snagged onto the wrapper.
• Alternately, you could slice the tape that holds the ribbon in place, or you could peel it off, assuming you can pull it up.
• The tape on one cigar went noticeably off the ribbon, appearing to be adhered to the wrapper. While it didn’t cause any damage, it didn’t look great and was a detail that should have been executed much better.
• As for the primary band, none of the three were glued down flatly, as each had a bit of a lip created the end not being adhered.
• Unlike nearly any cigar I can recall smoking recently, the first cigar struggled with combustion. If I put the cigar in the ashtray to jot down some thoughts, it would almost inevitably be out by the time I got back to it.
• While it wasn’t oozing out of the head of the cigar, there were some spots where I picked up some tar, which aligns with some of the flavors I was getting from the cigar.
• Cutting a bit more off the head of the cigar helped with the draw, but not combustion.
• Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr.’s 70th birthday occurred on Nov. 17, 2021, well before the Platinum Bash project launched.
• None of the three cigars packed much in the way of nicotine by my metrics.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was three hours on average.
• Site sponsors Cigars Direct and Corona Cigar Co. list the E.P. Carrillo Platinum Bash, but both are listed as being out of stock.