The first batch of the new E.P. Carrillo 5th Anniversary has arrived on one retailer’s shelves, and it happens to be the store that is the home of the first and only E.P. Carrillo-branded lounge in the world.

Old City & Smokin’ Joe’s Cigar in Alcoa, Tenn. posted to its Facebook page on Friday afternoon that the cigars have arrived, well ahead of the originally announced date of late October or early November, and well ahead of the shipments bound for other retailers.

A spokesman from E.P. Carrillo said that between 1,000 and 1,500 boxes will be leaving the factory sometime next week and will be quickly shipped out to retailers, which should have the cigars on more shelves in about two weeks.

EP Carrillo IPCPR 2014-04

The E.P. Carrillo 5th Anniversary features a modified primary band as well as a new secondary band commemorating the event, the former of which Ernesto Perez-Carrillo told halfwheel could be used for special projects in the future beyond this. The cigar is a single vitola release, a 6 1/2 x 54 toro that uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Ecuadorian corojo ’99 binder and three Nicaraguan varietals in the filler. Only 30,000 cigars are being produced, with 3,000 boxes of ten slated for an October release with an MSRP of $8.50. Like all E.P. Carrillo releases, it is made at Perez-Carrillo Jr.’s Tabacalera La Alianza S.A. in the Dominican Republic.

The store also received a shipment of the new E.P. Carrillo INCH C-99, which has been reported being received by at least one other retailer.

According to a company spokesman, E.P. Carrillo expects the first batch of the E.P. Carrillo Perez-Carrillo La Historia line to leave the factory on August 25, meaning those cigar should be at retail in early September.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.