The E.P. Carrillo Honduras was launched in late 2024 as the third cigar in the Essence line joining the Maduro and Sumatra.
Announced in March, 2024 this new collection of cigars that fall under the Essence Series is scheduled to grow to six lines when all is said and done. In the first 9 months 3 of those six were already on the shelves in the form of Maduro, Sumatra and Honduras. The Honduras is also the first in the line to be rolled outside of Casa Carillo in the Dominican Republic.
The project was led by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo III the son of the legendary Ernesto Perez-Carrillo and is rolled at one of the cigar factories owned by Nestor Plasencia.
The Essence Series is expected to be rounded out with Connecticut, Nicaragua, and Cameroon versions.
Cigar Review: E.P. Carrillo Honduras
Size: 6 x 52 (Toro)
Wrapper: Olancho San Augustin (Honduras)
Binder: Honduras
Fillers: Honduras, Nicaragua
Factory:Tabacos de Oriente
Release Date: September, 2024
Production: Regular
Box Count: 20
The Cigar: The dark wrapper from Honduras has some subtle oils and a gritty looking texture. What really stands out or me is the use of the vibrant blue in the band which stands out on the shelf which is usually a sea of brown. It draws your eye to the cigar and I had a hard time looking past the band to the cigar itself. In the hand the cigar is firm to the touch with a nice weight to it. .
The Taste: Maybe its the fact that the cigar smoked as I write the review is at 7am after an overnight shift and I’ve yet to have breakfast, but it reminds me of a old fashioned donut. More precisely a Cruller which some places such as Dunkin Donuts call a long stick. That taste is duplicated on the aroma from the foot of the cigar.
Once the cigar is toasted and lit notes of charred oak are dominant before being overtaken with damp earth and a touch of leather. The cigar has a dirty flavor profile that feels a bit dated to start. Just before we step outside to take a picture of the cigar it begins to open up with a bit of complexity. While the earth remains the core flavor there are hints of vanilla and raisins that sometimes disappear completely for touches of leather that are enhanced on the retrohale where notes of black pepper join the party.
Moving into the second third the cigar there is a subtle saltiness to the cigar which is mouthwatering. The cigar remains earthy with balsa wood and oak alongside some black pepper. Around the halfway point of the cigar the earthiness pulls back some as some coffee and caramel begin to appear occasionally. As the second third comes a close the cigar become earthy and salty while the retrohale adds some sweetness on the front end before an elongated black pepper finish.
The final third remains earthy with damp wood notes. There isn’t much going on and I am quickly losing interest in this cigar and welcome the conclusion of which sees growing pepper and and lingering dry finish.
Conclusion: There is no doubt that Ernesto Perez-Carrillo is one of the greatest cigar makers of all time. Just like Elvis Presley was one of the greatest singers/performers of all time. When a song by Elvis comes on a playlist I won’t skip the song, but I won’t be typing it into the search bar either to play on demand. The same can be said for E.P. Carrillo. I enjoy his cigars, but rarely walk into the humidor and buy one as I prefer my cigars to have a more modern cigar profile. While the Ernest Perez-Carrillo Honduras isn’t a bad cigar it is a dated cigar that takes me back about 20 years.
Score: 85
Price: $10.00
If you want to take a walk down memory lane Small Batch Cigar has the EPC Honduras in stock and you can use the coupon code BARRELBURNER to save 10% off your order
