PCA 2022: E.P. Carrillo
I don’t remember the last time I covered the E.P. Carrillo booth, so seeing it on my list this year piqued my interest, since the company has certainly been on a run of success.
The booth itself strikes a very nice balance between being impressive but not overwhelming; there are several product displays that reach probably 20 feet in the air, and are finished off by reflective gold logos, which helps the booth be seen from a good distance away. A good number of the company’s cigars are on display on those vertical displays, while smaller display cases helped highlight the new products.
As for new products, the company added a pair of new lines, while adding a vitola to one of its most popular lines. It also updated the look of another line to celebrate its 10th anniversary. While I didn’t see Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. during my time in the booth, both Lissette Perez-Carrillo and Ernesto Perez-Carrillo III (or EP3, as he’s occasionally referred to) were there, and he’s returning to a more active role with the company both in the U.S. and at the factory in the Dominican Republic.
It’s been 10 years since the E.P. Carrillo INCH line debuted, which was centered around the idea of releasing cigars that have a diameter of right around an inch, or as they are referred to in the cigar industry, having a 64 ring gauge. Now, the line gets a new member, the INCH Nicaragua. It is made by Plasencia Cigars S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua, making it the first INCH not to come from E.P. Carrillo’s Tabacalera La Alianza factory in the Dominican Republic. However, it is not the first Nicaraguan puro in the INCH line; that distinction belongs to the INCH Ringmaster from 2018.
- Wrapper: Nicaragua (Jalapa)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- E.P. Carrillo INCH Nicaragua No. 60 (5 7/8 x 60) — $10.95
- E.P. Carrillo INCH Nicaragua No. 62 (5 x 62) — $9.95
- E.P. Carrillo INCH Nicaragua No. 64 (6 1/8 x 64) — $12.50
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: July 2022
The 10-year anniversary of the INCH line not only spurred the creation of the INCH Nicaragua, but also new packaging for the entire line. The goal was to not only give the INCH line a more modern, updated look, but help connect it better to E.P. Carrillo, as the company found that customers didn’t always connect the INCH to the company’s other lines. It has begun rolling out to stores as retailers replenish their shelves.
For the most part, betting that a new E.P. Carrillo release would be produced at Tabacalera La Alianza was about as safe as betting that the sun would come up. But for its latest project, Allegiance, the company is branching out and working with new factories, starting with Oliva Cigar Co. in Estelí, Nicaragua. This first release is a bit of a limited production, with a total of 7,500 boxes being produced, with 5,000 of them headed for the U.S. and the rest destined for the international market. That said, more could be produced if demand warrants it. While no specific plans have been announced yet, the company said that it is exploring other factories to work with for future releases, as the line seeks to reflect the friendships and bonds that the company has formed throughout the industry over the years. The green packaging and 20-count boxes are unique in the company’s portfolio, and while they did not have them at the show, the cigars will wear bands that will be in line with the company’s branding, as opposed to the temporary white bands in the photo.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Sumatra)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Perez-Carrillo Allegiance Robusto (5 x 50) — $12 (Box of 20, $240)
- Perez-Carrillo Allegiance Toro (6 x 52) — $13.10 (Box of 20, $262)
- Perez-Carrillo Allegiance Double Corona (6 7/8 x 54) — $13.50 (Box of 20, $270)
- Perez-Carrillo Allegiance No. 58 (6 1/4 x 58) — $14 (Box of 20, $280)
Production: 7,500 Boxes of 20 Cigars (150,000 Total Cigars)
Release Date: Fall 2022
Perez-Carrillo Pledge Lonsdale Limitada
While E.P. Carrillo is known for its thicker ring gauges, the company has been getting into lonsdales recently. After releasing the La Historia line in October 2021, the vitola is coming to the Pledge line by way of a limited edition release.
- Wrapper: U.S.A. (Connecticut Habano)
- Binder: Ecuador
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Perez-Carrillo Pledge Lonsdale Limitada (6 1/2 x 43) — 1,500 Boxes of 20 Cigars (30,000 Total Cigars)
Production: 1,500 Boxes of 20 Cigars (30,000 Total Cigars)
Release Date: September 2022
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 Major League Baseball, 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.
Related Posts
-
May 10, 2013 -
September 9, 2019
