E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2012

The E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2012 marks the fourth entry into what has become an annual limited edition release by Ernesto Perez Carrillo’s cigar company.  The Edicion Limitada series has been released each year since 2009.  The blend changes from year to year – and the cigar is done in one size.   For the Edicion Limitada 2012, this marks the first cigar in this series to use a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.   I have recently had an opportunity to sample this cigar.  While this might sound repetitive, this is yet another fine cigar to join the E.P. Carrillo cigar family.

As mentioned the Edicion Limitada 2012 is a limited edition cigar.  For this release, there have been 1500 boxes of ten produced.  For the most part, this series has been a one time release and once the cigars are gone, they are gone.  The only exception has been the Edicion Limitada 2010 – which had been incorporated into the E.P. Carrillo portfolio as the E.P. Carrillo Elencos.

Let’s break down the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2012 and see what this cigar brings to the table.


Blend Profile

The blend for the 2012 again features an oscuro colored wrapper.  In 2011, the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2011 “Dark Rituals” also featured an oscuro wrapper.

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Oscuro Maduro
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Nicaraguan: Jalapa (Corojo), Esteli (Criollo)

Vitolas Available

As mentioned above, the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2012 will be available in one size, a 6 1/2 x 56 Gordo.

Appearance

The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper of the Edicion Limitada 2012 gives the cigar a coffee bean color.  There are also some darker spots on the wrapper.   The wrapper itself has a slight amount of oil on it.  The surface of the wrapper is smooth.  The wrapper’s seams are well hidden and it is pretty much void of any visible veins.

There are two bands on the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2012.  The first is the standard E.P. Carrillo red, yellow, black, white, and gold band that is found on the core line of the E.P. Carrillo bearing the company’s logo and name.  Below that band is a secondary band that is black with gold striping across the top and bottom.  In the middle of the band it says “Edicion Limitada” in gold font.  Below that text is “2012” – also in gold font.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

Before starting my smoking experience of the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2012, I placed a straight cut into the cap of the cigar.  Once the cap was removed, I proceeded to start the pre-light draw.  The dry draw notes provided a combination of pepper and coffee.   The pepper notes were definitely stronger than the coffee.  While it wasn’t an overly complex dry draw, I did find it a satisfying one.  At this time, it was time to toast the foot and see what the rest of the cigar experience would bring to the table.

Flavor Profile

The cigars for this assessment were smoked out of the box.  While the cigars provided excellent flavor, I am curious to see how some additional age develops the flavor profile even more.

The start to the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2012 continued with the pepper and coffee notes from the pre-light draw.  These notes were definitely bolder than the pre-light.  In the early stages of the first third, the pepper and coffee did alternate as to which flavor was the primary one.

Later in the first third, I detected some citrus notes and cream in the flavor profile.  The flavor pattern evolved with the pepper and citrus notes present on the draw, and the coffee notes present on the retro-hale.  The cream notes played more of a background role.

The middle third to the Edicion Limitada 2012 was where this cigar shined.  The beginning of the second third saw some dark chocolate notes emerge.  At first, these were more of a background note I detected on the draw – and it complemented the flavor profile very nicely.  By the middle of the cigar experience, the coffee notes became present on the full draw.  Together with the chocolate notes, they would become the primary flavor.  The citrus and pepper notes became secondary.

The last third of the cigar saw the citrus and pepper return and eventually displace the chocolate and pepper.  Toward the very end of the cigar, there was a little harshness, but overall the Edicion Limitada 2012 had delivered a solid smoke.  The resulting nub was cool in temperature and soft to the touch.

Burn and Draw

The burn to the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2012 performed well throughout the smoking experience.  The burn line was relatively straight throughout the smoking experience.   The resulting ash was a salt and pepper color with some occasional flaking.   The burn rate was ideal.  The burn temperature actually seemed a little cooler than most cigars I’ve smoked lately – although I didn’t have any significant re-lights until the end.

For the most part, the draw to the Edicion Limitada 2012 was solid.  I did have some problems as I was approaching a point where I was reaching the nub as the draw tightened up.  If there was any “youngness” to this cigar,  this is where it surfaced.  I believe this was why I had some harshness toward the end of the cigar.

Strength and Body

A few weeks prior to this assessment, E.P. Carrillo released its E.P. Carrillo Cardinal line.  The Cardinal line is being positioned as a “fuller” offering in the E.P. Carrillo portfolio.  With the case of the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2012,  I would also place that cigar right up there.  In terms of strength, the Edicion Limitada 2012 is going to have some real pop.  This is a full strength cigar right out of the gate and remains that way from start to finish.   The flavors are bold and deep.   This cigar easily qualifies as a full-bodied smoke.

I do believe time may mellow the strength and body somewhat, but I would still expect this to be a full strength/full-bodied smoke.  The strength and body balance each other very well.  I found myself able to enjoy both the power of this smoke and the robustness of the flavors.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I thought the Edicion Limitada 2012 delivered an outstanding smoking experience.  As mentioned these cigars were smoked out of the box.   While I had a little problem with the draw toward the end, I still found this to deliver a very good cigar experience.   I enjoyed the boldness from both a strength and flavor profile this cigar had to offer.  I would even give this smoke a slight nod over the Edicion Limitada 2011 Dark Rituals.   Given the boldness of this cigar, this is a cigar I would recommend to a more experienced cigar enthusiast.  As for myself, this is a cigar I will smoke again – and even one out of the box.

Summary

Burn: Good
Draw: Good
Complexity: High
Strength: Full
Body: Full
Finish: Good
Assessment: Nice to Have
Score: 91

Source: The cigars for this assessment were purchased from Outland Cigars in Charlotte, North Carolina.