Cigar Review: Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 Edición Maduro 2015 by E.P. Carrillo

Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 Edicion 2015 by E.P. Carrillo is a special limited edition collection introduced at the 2015 IPCPR Trade Show. The collection features three distinct blends – each described as being a personal blend of company founder Ernesto Perez-Carrillo. The blends include: Colorado (an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper blend); Connecticut (an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper blend); and Maduro (a Connecticut Broadleaf blend). Ten cigars from each of the three blends are included in the collection and packaged in a commemorative humidor. Today we close out our look at the three blends in this series with a look at Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 Edicion Maduro 2015. Overall, I’ve enjoyed the blends of Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 and the Edicion Maduro delivers another solid offering in this collection.

As mentioned the Edicion Maduro uses an Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. Broadleaf wrapper blends are quite common for E.P. Carrillo Master Blender, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. The following lists the significant blends we have seen in his portfolio with this wrapper.

• E.P. Carrillo Core Line Maduro
• E.P. Carrillo INCH Maduro
• E.P. Carrillo Cardinal Maduro
• E.P, Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2012
• E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2015
• E.P. Carrillo Core Plus
• E.P. Carrillo Cardinal Impact Maduro
• E.P. Carrillo Dusk
• E.P. Carrillo Original Rebel Rebellious
• E.P. Carrillo Noche D’Oro (Exclusive to Federal Cigar)
• E.P. Carrillo Federal 95th Anniversary (Exclusive to Federal Cigar)

Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 Edicion Maduro 2015 and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Blend Profile and Vitolas Available

The three blends making up Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 Edicion 2015 are offered in one size – a 6 x 54 Toro. The three blends are distinct – meaning it is not the same binder and filler with a different wrapper. This is a limited edition series, but there have been some refills available to the brands.

For completeness, we show the three blends making up Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 Edicion 2015:

Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1: Edicion Maduro 2015

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (Tabacalera La Alianza)
Toro: 6 x 54

Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1: Edicion Colorado 2015

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumnatra
Binder: Nicarguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (Tabacalera La Alianza)
Toro: 6 x 54

Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1: Edicion Connecticut 2015

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicarguan
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (Tabacalera La Alianza)
Toro: 6 x 54

Appearance

The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper of Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1: Edicion Maduro 2015 has a dark coffee bean color to it. Upon closer examination some darker marbling can be seen on the surface. This was a more rugged looking Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. There wasn’t much in the way of oil on the surface and texture of the wrapper had a rougher feel. There were several prominent visible veins, but most of the wrapper seams were on the thin side.

While each of the bands of Ernesto’s Humidor No.1 Edicion 2015 are similar, each also are slightly different. The band to the Edicion Maduro blend has a dulled gold colored background with black font. The text “ERNESTO’S” appears on the upper portion of the band. Just below it is the text “HUMIDOR NO. 1” in a smaller font. Just below that text is the text “EDICIÓN MADURO” in a smaller font. Finally below that text is the text “2015” embossed on the band. There is a black pinstripe toward the top and toward the bottom of the band. On the far right is the E.P. Carrillo logo featuring a red rounded square with gold and red trim. On the square are the scripted “EP” initials in gold. Below it is the text “CARRILLO” in small white font.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

Prior to lighting Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 Edicion Maduro, I went with my usual choice of a straight cut to remove the cap of the cigar. After clipping the cap, I moved on to the pre-light draw. The dry draw was classic Connecticut Broadleaf as I detected a mix of coffee, earth, and some maduro sweetness (a cross between natural tobacco and cherry). Overall I considered this to be a satisfactory pre-light draw. At this point I was ready to light up my Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 Edicion Maduro and await what the smoking phase would have in store.

Flavor Profile

Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 Edicion Maduro started out with a mix of wood, coffee, earth, white pepper, and maduro sweetness. Early on, the coffee, earth, and maduro sweetness notes moved into the forefront while the wood and pepper notes moved into the background. Meanwhile the white pepper and maduro sweetness made up the notes on the retro-hale.

During the first third, the coffee, earth, and maduro sweetness alternated in intensity. At times there was a chocolate component mixed in. As the Edicion Maduro moved into the second third, the white pepper changed into more of a black pepper note on both the tongue and retro-hale.

The second third of the Edicion Maduro saw the earth notes remain in the forefront. The coffee and maduro sweetness diminished moving into the background with the wood and black pepper notes. It was during this phase that the wood notes started to increase.

The earth notes remained primary during the last third. The wood notes crept into the forefront from time to time. While there still was some black pepper in the background, the maduro sweetness and coffee had now dissipated. This is the way the cigar experience of Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 Edicion Maduro 2015 came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn and Draw

Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 Edicion Maduro 2015 performs very nice when it came to the burn. The cigar maintained a straight burn path. While there was a slight curvature on the burn line, this was a low maintenance burn that didn’t require frequent touch-ups. The resulting ash was a salt and pepper color. This was a firm ash that came off the cigar in clean chunks. Meanwhile the burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.

The draw to Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 Edicion Maduro 2015 also performed quite well. This cigar seemed to have the ideal amount of resistance – not too tight, not too loose. This made the Edicion Maduro an enjoyable cigar to puff on.

Strength and Body

When it came to strength and body, I found Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 Edicion Maduro 2015 to start out as a medium strength, medium-bodied cigar. Both attributes slightly increased in intensity, however by the end the Edicion Maduro was still in medium territory. Both the strength and body also balanced each other nicely with neither attribute overshadowing the other.

Final Thoughts

As stated up-front, there were a lot of Connecticut Broadleaf releases by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo since he founded E.P. Carrillo. It would be too complex to compare them all. The barometer I use for all of the E.P. Carrillo Broadleaf releases is the original E.P. Carrillo Cardinal Maduro. Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 Edicion Maduro 2015 isn’t quite at that level, but it is still a very good cigar. It’s a little more dialed back than some of Perez-Carrillo’s other offerings, but still a cigar definitely worth checking out. While I would still say the Colorado offering from Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 2015 has the edge, the Maduro is a close second. This is a cigar I could recommend to a novice or experienced cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I would smoke again – and it’s worthy of a box split.

Summary

Key Flavors: Coffee, Earth, Pepper, Wood, and Natural Maduro Sweetness
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Excellent

Rating

Assessment: 3.5-Box Split
Score: 90

References

News: Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 Edicion 2015 by E.P. Carrillo
Price: ~$10.00
Source: Purchased
Stogie Geeks Podcast: Episode 169
Stogie Feed: Ernesto’s Humidor No. 1 Maduro by E.P. Carrillo
Brand Reference: E.P. Carrillo