EP Carrillo Edición Limitada 2011 Dark Rituals

This week's review is of the third limited release from EPC, the 2011 Edicion Limitada Dark Rituals. These are currently available and come in boxes of 10. This beefy cigar measures in at 6.5x56 and is composed of a Nicaraguan filler, Sumatran Binder and Broadleaf wrapper. Only around 2,000 boxes of these were made. 

The Dark Rituals is a hefty cigar and is has a very firm feel to it. The broadleaf wrapper is quite dark and a little splotchy. The aroma at the foot is fairly light with some cedar. The prelight draw shows a perfect amount of resistance with flavors of cedar and some barnyard. Once lit the Dark Rituals starts with rich flavors of espresso, leather and bitter chocolate and some pepper spice on the finish. The spice is much more apparent on the retrohale. A solid start! This is putting out huge amounts flavorful smoke. The burn is a little wavy, probably due to the thick broadleaf wrapper, but doesn't seem like it will get out hand. The ash held on strong for about an inch. Through the first third this is a medium strength full bodied/flavored cigar. 

Closing in the halfway point and some woody flavor has crept in, replacing the some of that espresso flavor. The profile is still very rich and dark and the smoke is thick and chewy. The strength is moving into the full range but is nicely balanced. A small pice of wrapper is lifting off but I should be able to burn though it without it causing any problems. In the final third the strength is a solid full and the leather flavor is really present now with the espresso back in full force with some bakers chocolate flavor on the finish.

The EP Carillo Dark Rituals was a damn good cigar! I love the richness of the flavor profile and the dark flavors it offers. A 56 ring gauge is pushing what I am comfortable smoking, but even with the large size I really enjoyed this cigar. These sell for $13-15 a pice and while a bit pricy, I will gladly pick up a few more of these. I would like to lay a few of these down for a year or so to see how much more the flavors will develop. I also think a little more time in the humidor at a slightly lower humidity level would help the burn out on this particular cigar. 

EP Carillo Core Line Maduro

This week's review is of the new EP Carillo Core Line Maduro. This was released at this year's trade show and features a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Nicaraguan Binder, and Nicaraguan and Dominican filler. This is available in 8 sizes and the one I am smoking is the Club 52, which measures in at 5 7/8x52. 

This wrapper on this cigar is dark, but not jet black like a lot of maduros on the market. The coloring is slightly mottled. This isn't an oily cigar, it has a slightly rough, toothy appearance but still feels very supple. There is one softer spot towards the foot of the cigar but overall the construction looks top knotch. The aroma at the foot is strait aged tobacco and barnyard. The cap clips cleanly and the prelight draw is on the looser side with plenty of that barynard flavor coming through. Once lit the EP Carillo Maduro starts out with plenty of dusty cocoa, roasted nuts, espresso and some spicy heat on the tongue without the pepper flavor I often find comes along with that spice. Even from the start this is a full bodied cigar and it produces copious amounts of dense, palate coating smoke. The burn has been a little wavy but hasn't needed any corrections and the dark ash fell at just under an inch. This cigar has that great, classic maduro flavor of rich coffee, chocolate and some leather at this point. 

At the halway point I am really enjoying this cigar. The cocoa has transitioned into a really tasty dark chocolate which is going well with the espresso and leather flavors. I would say at this point this is a solid medium strength cigar and very full flavored. There is a subtle sweetness to this cigar, more like a brown sugar. Entering the final third and yet another flavor transition. All of the previous flavors remain but have been joined by a deep woody flavor. This cigar has a great complexity to it. 

The EP Carillo Core Line Maduro is a great cigar! When I think of the flavors I want in a maduro wrapped cigar, this has everything I am looking for. I would say this is my favorite of all of the EP Carillo cigars I have smoked. At this point I have smoked 5 or 6 of this blend and find them very consistent. At around $6.50-7 a piece these are one of those cigars I will be smoking frequently and will probably end up with a box of very soon.