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.