E.P. Carrillo

Essence

Born in Cuba, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo mastered the art of cigar making and is considered an industry legend. After having found the successful El Credito Cigar Co. in Miami, Florida in 1992, which was sold in 1999 and under his supervision until 2009. He then launched his first E.P. Carrillo line after setting up shop in Santiago, Dominican Republic in 2010 and the rest is history filled with high regards, accolades and top ratings. More recently, the legendary Ernesto Perez-Carrillo has been up to big things over the last decade and by taking a look at his portfolio you'll see that he and his seasoned team at E.P. Carrillo believe in the true artistry of cigar making as one will find many EPC winners on Cigar Aficionado's Top 25 list. This is a clear testament to the passion and elite cigar making skills Carillo and his Dominican factory possess, which brings us to his latest endeavor, also slated to be another successful hit. Introducing the Essence Series. This new core line of cigars will delve into the importance of a wrapper, its pivotal role within a cigar blend and how it shapes the overall smoking experience. The series plans to release an additional five more lines over the next two to three years promising significant exploration of cigar craftsmanship with each focusing on a different type of wrapper all at price point the cigar community can appreciate. Setting a strong tone of what’s to come is the first of two lines from the Essence Series, Sumatra and Maduro. They are hand crafted in the Dominican Republic at Casa Carrillo. The Sumatra line spotlights a signature ingredient for Hall-of-Fame blender Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, a silky, reddish-hued Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. Lying beneath are dual binder leaves—one from Nicaragua and the other from Honduras. At the core is a mix of long-fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. This carefully curated combination produces a medium strength smoke steeped in dynamic flavor notes including cedar, coffee, almond, white pepper and raisins with root beer finishing the blend with a sweetness that leaves a lasting impression on the palate. The Maduro line is also a medium bodied smoke but is dressed in a well-aged Mexican San Andrés wrapper around choice Honduran binder, and Nicaraguan fillers. The smoke provides a wondrous smoking event lively and hearty delivering the essence of dark chocolate, strong espresso and a hint of spice rounding out its complex yet balanced flavor profile.Available for purchase are 24 count boxes with both lines formatted in the same three Vitolas and price points: Robusto, measuring 5 inches by 50 ring gauge; Toro, 6 by 52; and Gordo, 6 by 60. Well thought out and standing true to their word, each box will include a QR code bringing you to an informational webpage on the cigar, along with a questionnaire set to curate and personalize a cigar shopping experience pairing consumers with a cigar in the E.P. Carrillo’s portfolio. Don’t miss out on your chance to do a vertical cigar tasting, perhaps with a strong drink or a cup of coffee and experience their latest outstanding creation. Shop JR Cigars now and score this incredible deal.