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Here now, E P Carillo Encore

Nacho Daddy

Irrepressibly Irreverent Inveterate Ignominy
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The long awaited Carillo cigar,the Encore, is finally here. The smoke is a toro size,it is very firm and heavy in the hand,consisting of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos with 2 to 5 years of age. The wrapper is Ecuadoran, grown in limited quantities. The wrapper is light brown,very smooth and slightly shiny,with almost invisible seams. The bunching is excellent,the cap is clean and cuts evenly.This is not a cheap cigar,but I think it will be worth the price.

The pre light is full of nuances of rich mature tobacco with aromas of honey and cedar. The flavors are of sweet tobaco and a clean taste of light earth,the draw is medium firm. I spent several minutes just experiencing it,there were such good flavors.


The first third begins with a blast of cedar,pepper and earth,smooth rich tobacco flavor and a totally delightful aroma of nutty,almost cashew essence,toasted oak and gentle fine leather. I am instantly reminded of the smell of the old La Gloria Cubana from the late 80's and early 90's. WOW! What a treat! My mouth is watering.

The second third stays very rich and full tasting,more fine leather,toasted oak, cedar, and that delightful nutty aroma. The finish is very clean,with a lightly lingering taste of mature tobacco,with almost a velvet mouth feel. The ash is light gray,almost white,and firm.I am astonished by the depth of flavor in this smoke,it is a very young cigar.

The final third gets a bit creamy,the intensity builds slightly,and the aromas are very compelling. The taste is almost chewy,the finish is still surprisingly clean,absolutely no bitterness or ashy taste at all. The burn is very even all the way to the end. It is sad when I have to put this down,the whole experience has been excellent.

I am convinced this cigar will improve with a little age.It is terrific now,but I will not revisit it for several months,it will be awesome in 6 months to a year. I hope you have the patience to wait,it will be worth it. I recently smoked a 14 year old La Gloria I had saved from 1995,it was incredible.Trust Ernesto to deliver a top notch product.He and his family can be very proud.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 
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Very nice review! I just smoked one of these today also, the B&M got them in yesterday. It is a good cigar especially if it were priced at $6 and under IMHO. I find the $12.99 price tag a bit high for a cigar that is lacking some complexity. I do enjoy the dominican earthiness because I just LOVE dominican tabac.
 

BradMc

<b>Charity Liaison</b><br>BoM September 07
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Great Job.....I've been a LGC Hoe for many years, anything that Ernesto does will be great .....I'm getting me a box tomorrow ......Thanks for the review
 

AlohaStyle

BoM Sept '12 & Aug '13
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Yeah I like the work of Ernesto and am looking forward to trying his new line!

Anyone see these cigars for sale online by the stick, not just the box? Please PM me if you know of a source! :thumbsup:
 
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I tried my first from a box the other day and was underwhelmed. It struck me as relatively simple and one-dimensional. I hope I'm wrong and they just need some time. I am a huge old-time LGC fan, but have not been too impresssed with EPCs latest work (these and the Artesanos).
 

AlohaStyle

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My local was actually selling by the stick so I picked up a few today to try... looking forward to it!
 

Soundwave13

BoM Feb 2010
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Had one the other day & loved it. I found it very complex, just not very strong. Great draw & ash... I too found many of those flavors, but also perceived some honey & tea which reminded me of an aged Cohiba. I would love to grab a box of these, hopefully I can find them on a deal or discount.

Great review, great detail! :tiphat:
 

aquarich

BoM March '11
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Had one the other day & loved it. I found it very complex, just not very strong. Great draw & ash... I too found many of those flavors, but also perceived some honey & tea which reminded me of an aged Cohiba. I would love to grab a box of these, hopefully I can find them on a deal or discount.

Great review, great detail! :tiphat:
+1. I smoked this stick yesterday, and I really liked it. I was a little concerned at first, because of the mildness, but this is a very nice stick. The box is very nice as well.
 

BrooksW

BoM June '09
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As I said before, this is NOT a strong stick...He was going for more flavor, and IMHO he nailed it...

I too love a strong pepper bomb, but it is great to have a change of pace every once in a while, and this will fit the bill nicely...

~brooks
 

dpmrpa

Indiscriminate Bomber
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Pennsylvania
The long awaited Carillo cigar,the Encore, is finally here. The smoke is a toro size,it is very firm and heavy in the hand,consisting of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos with 2 to 5 years of age. The wrapper is Ecuadoran, grown in limited quantities. The wrapper is light brown,very smooth and slightly shiny,with almost invisible seams. The bunching is excellent,the cap is clean and cuts evenly.This is not a cheap cigar,but I think it will be worth the price.

The pre light is full of nuances of rich mature tobacco with aromas of honey and cedar. The flavors are of sweet tobaco and a clean taste of light earth,the draw is medium firm. I spent several minutes just experiencing it,there were such good flavors.


The first third begins with a blast of cedar,pepper and earth,smooth rich tobacco flavor and a totally delightful aroma of nutty,almost cashew essence,toasted oak and gentle fine leather. I am instantly reminded of the smell of the old La Gloria Cubana from the late 80's and early 90's. WOW! What a treat! My mouth is watering.

The second third stays very rich and full tasting,more fine leather,toasted oak, cedar, and that delightful nutty aroma. The finish is very clean,with a lightly lingering taste of mature tobacco,with almost a velvet mouth feel. The ash is light gray,almost white,and firm.I am astonished by the depth of flavor in this smoke,it is a very young cigar.

The final third gets a bit creamy,the intensity builds slightly,and the aromas are very compelling. The taste is almost chewy,the finish is still surprisingly clean,absolutely no bitterness or ashy taste at all. The burn is very even all the way to the end. It is sad when I have to put this down,the whole experience has been excellent.

I am convinced this cigar will improve with a little age.It is terrific now,but I will not revisit it for several months,it will be awesome in 6 months to a year. I hope you have the patience to wait,it will be worth it. I recently smoked a 14 year old La Gloria I had saved from 1995,it was incredible.Trust Ernesto to deliver a top notch product.He and his family can be very proud.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Just put two in the Humi. thanks for the info. Looking forward to trying them.
 
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Joined
May 13, 2009
Messages
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Location
Colorado
Yesterday I had a really difficult surgery go better than I could have hoped. I stopped off to grab a celebratory cigar and grabbed a Carillo and a hand full of WOAM's. I cut the Carillo and when I went to light it it was plugged worse than any cuban I've tried. I found this inexcusable in a $14 cigar. Wrapper was thin and when I removed the band the wrapper came with it. If this is the flagship cigar - its my last.

On a brighter note I had never had a Work of art Maduro - now I understand why these are chased after. A third of the way through and I forgot all about the previus cigar and started plotting to get a box of the Woam.
 

ciggy

"TommyBoy"
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Messages
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Southwest Michigan
Okay, I'll be the bad guy... I think this cigar is very mild and one-dimentional... and still lacks flavor. Add that to the fact that it retails for over 12 bucks a stick and I'm VERY disappointed.
Yea I would say try again. I'm with you on the price being to much but I find this cigar very rich in flavor. I would say if your looking for something cheaper with somewhat the same taste profile try the LFD Air Bender. IMO they taste very much alike.
 
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