E.P. Carrillo Short Run Retro 2022 Long Play

If you know anything about Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr., besides the fact that he makes cigars, it’s likely that he has a background in music and will occasionally incorporate musical terms into the names of his cigars. If you didn’t know that, it should explain the names for the 2022 installment of E.P. Carrillo’s Short Run series.

Perez-Carrillo played drums professionally in the jazz world during his younger years, and when working on the 2021 Short Run Retro, he said he listened to Chick Corea’s “Spain” repeatedly, along with other records. For 2022, the Short Run Retro name returned, as did the music-related names of the vitolas, it was a completely new blend.

The cigar uses a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, an Ecuadorian binder, and a mix of fillers from Nicaraguan, Mexico and Honduras’ Jamastran Valley. While the use of Honduran tobacco might not be immediately notable, this is is said to be the first time in 14 years that Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. has used Honduran tobacco in one of his blends, dating back to the La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami, which was released in 2008. Perez-Carrillo said that the blend was built around Honduran tobacco, specifically two bales that were grown in the Jamastran Valley by Plasencia.

It is being released in the same three sizes as the 2021 edition:

• E.P. Carrillo Short Run Retro 2022 Maduro Short Play (5 x 50) — $8.50 (Box of 24, $204)
• E.P. Carrillo Short Run Retro 2022 Maduro Long Play (6 x 60) — $10.50 (Box of 24, $252)
• E.P. Carrillo Short Run Retro 2022 Maduro Extended Play (6 x 52) — $9.50 (Box of 24, $228)

For those not familiar with vinyl records, the vitola names are references to terms used to describe how much music would be on a particular record. A short play referred to a record with only one song per side, while an extended play record would have a couple of songs and a long play would be a full album. As for the retro word in the name, that’s a nod to the bands that were used in the first Short Run release in 2010. The series had releases every year until 2016, then went on hiatus until 2021.

As the name Short Run would suggest, this is a limited production, as it is reportedly being limited to approximately 40,000 cigars across the three sizes. It will also be limited in distribution, as it is only being offered to 150 retailers.

• Cigar Reviewed: E.P. Carrillo Short Run Retro 2022 Long Play
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Tabacalera La Alianza S.A.
• Wrapper: U.S.A. (Connecticut Broadleaf)
• Binder: Ecuador
• Filler: Honduras (Jamastran Valley), Mexico & Nicaragua
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 60
• Vitola: Gordo
• MSRP: $10.50 (Box of 24, $252)
• Release Date: Feb. 25, 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: Undisclosed
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

Of the three samples sent to me, two of them give me a bit of visual concern. One sample’s foot is a bit smushed out of roundness, while another cigar bows a bit and appears to have some really small holes in the wrapper, though it might be a funky coloration that is just throwing me off. For those wondering, the shipping packaging doesn’t seem to be the culprit, so I’m led to believe that this is how they came out of the box. I’m inclined to think that if I pulled these out of the box at a retailer, I’d probably put them back and search for ones in better condition, though I’m optimistic none will have problems. Each sample has a bit of tooth on its wrapper, while the color is a dark, earthy brown that has a matte finish visually and a fairly dry texture for my fingers. There aren’t a lot of veins on the leaves, usually one decently sized one that is found on the back side of the cigar. This is definitely one of the more rustic-looking wrappers I have seen in a while, and one that doesn’t seem likely to win a beauty contest by current standards. The aroma has a bit of grape jelly sweetness, which is dominant enough to take over the secondary earthiness and a small bit of pepper. It’s not overly sweet, but it is a familiar aroma that I have found in maduro-wrapped cigars over the years. The cold draw has a bit of resistance, in the first and third samples it’s not a problem, but in the second I find myself trying to do something to loosen things up a bit. The flavor has a subtle bit of cedar, a light sweetness and no pepper, a fairly restrained profile.

The E.P. Carrillo Short Run Retro 2022 Long Play starts off with a healthy bit of pepper, though one sample also has a funky twinge that makes it quite sharp on the palate, somewhere between an incredibly dry kindling and a bit of metal that has me thinking of licking a penny or dime. Smoke production is decent but I feel like I’m having to labor a bit to get a mouthful of it in one sample, and another doesn’t seem to deliver what I’d expect given what is coming off the foot. That changes as I hit the foot with a bigger lighter than initially used and smoke production ramps up nicely. That peppery sensation also hits the nostrils pretty heavily in the first inch, giving my olfactory nerves a heavy, earthy, almost volcanic pepper sensation. Through the first inch, it’s a pretty hearty, earthy profile that dries the palate out just a bit and then tingles it with some pepper. In one sample I find a bit of black licorice, which works in the profile, though given how long it has been since I last had it, and my general aversion to the flavor, I may be mislabeling what I’m tasting. The one sample with the funkiness continues to offer that, and when I knock the first clump of ash off at about an inch in length, I find a drop of tar coming out of the head cigar, easily enough to coat my fingertip. I cut it off, which means I’m forced to cut further down on the head than I would like, but it does resolve the issue while also opening up the draw a bit. The first third picks up a bit of chili pepper heat but doesn’t veer too far from its core, other than a bit less black pepper as the burn line progresses. One sample picks up a thick, almost chocolate creaminess towards the end of this section, which thickens up the body of the smoke and provides a new sensation from the smoke. The final puffs of the first third see the flavor’s intensity settle down a bit, to medium, while the body stays closer to medium-plus, and the strength is medium-minus. Flavor is medium-plus, body is medium-plus, and strength is medium-minus. Construction is generally good, though I wouldn’t mind it if the cigar burned a bit quicker as it looks like I’m in for a long smoke.

The second third begins with impressive complexity, almost so complex that I can’t quite pull apart the individual flavors. There’s woodiness, rich earth, a bit of black coffee, some black pepper, and then something thick and slightly sweet that is tying all of the flavors together. The flavor and body is still fairly thick and dense, almost a chewy smoke at times and one that sits on the palate for a bit during each puff. Retrohales have a fairly bright, white pepper and subtle touches of dry wood, which is a lighter expression of the blend than what the palate gets and thus serves as a pleasant accent to the flavor. On occasion, there is a bit of chili pepper heat through the nose as well, which is fine but not quite as in line with what the rest of the profile has to offer. It also stands out as it lingers on the olfactory nerves near the openings to my nose, providing a very distinctive physical sensation. The creaminess that joined the profile at the end of the first third continues to hang around, and the cigar is all the better for it. I keep thinking there is a chocolate flavor joining it, though it doesn’t bring any overt sweetness, leading me to think that it might just be the combination of everything that is giving me the idea of chocolate milk. The flavor stays rich and very enjoyable as the burn line crosses the midway point, almost turning into a bit of a chocolate soufflé, but with the earthiness still grounding the cigar and keeping it from going full dessert. That creaminess begins to loosen its hold on the other flavors as this section comes to a close, allowing the earthiness to slide back into the lead role, though it is a bit lighter on the palate. The pepper still feels a bit buried in the mix, shining more on the finish than in the initial experience of each puff. Flavor is medium-plus, body is full, and strength is medium-minus.

A retrohale at the start of the final third reveals that the pepper is still punchy and prolonged in the nose, tingling the nostrils long after the initial experience. While the creaminess doesn’t return to the profile, the body of the smoke thickens up once again, while the flavor seems to get a bit more delicate. The earth and pepper aren’t quite as bold as they were earlier, that red chili pepper flavor seems to have departed, and the supporting flavors are quite a bit more subdued. Certain puffs make the case for a bit of well-roasted black coffee and a shift to a bit of tree bark. Whatever was giving me the sensation of chocolate is also gone, replaced on retrohales by a quick, fleeting aroma that makes me think of fresh mint for just a moment. The final inch-and-a-half shifts the pepper a bit forward in the profile, swaps the bark for dry lumber, and now leaves a much more pronounced tingle on the tongue, a sensation that isn’t necessarily aggressive on the taste buds but is getting sharper. Flavor finishes medium-full, body is full, and strength is medium. Construction is generally very good, though I could make the case that the draw is a bit tight in spots, but combustion, smoke production and the burn line were all more than fine.

Final Notes

• The first thing I noticed about the first of the three cigars smoked for this review was that the secondary band was off center, skewed to the left quite a bit. When looking at the cigar straight on, I could barely see the S in Short Run.
• One of the projects I’m most looking forward to seeing in the future is Quinquagenario, the cigar being made by RoMa Craft Tobac at E.P. Carrillo’s Tabacalera La Alianza S.A.
• While I’m not usually a fan of multi-jet torch lighters, cigars like this are a reminder why I have some in my desk drawer. Between the tobaccos and size of the cigar, a bigger lighter is helpful in getting this lit properly.
• I have not yet smoked the other vitolas in the line, though I would be open to seeing how a more slender profile affects the profile. Plus, I think I would enjoy this blend a bit more in a bit smaller quantity.
• While I didn’t get a lot of nicotine strength from this cigar, I did find it a bit of a workout to smoke. It’s not the fastest-burning cigar, and the profile does weigh on the taste buds a bit.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was two hours and 30 minutes on average.
• Site sponsor Corona Cigar Co. carries the E.P. Carrillo Short Run Retro 2022 Long Play.