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| E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2013 |
The E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2013 marks the fourth consecutive year of an annual release in E.P. Carrillo’s Short Run series. The Short Run series is meant to be exactly what the name implies – a limited production run cigar with a different blend each year. For the most part, these releases have been one and done. As we reported a few weeks ago, the Short Run 2013 returns to its roots – namely bringing back an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. This was the same type of wrapper that was used for the first Short Run – the E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2010. That particular cigar has the bar set high as it was our #15 Cigar for 2010. We recently have had a chance to give the Short Run 2013 a try. Once again, E.P. Carrillo strikes gold – releasing a Short Run that ranks very high and delivers an outstanding smoking experience.
For the Short Run 2013, the cigar is being produced in three sizes. When the announcement of the cigar was made, we the production run was going to be 1500 boxes.
Let’s dive into the particulars of the E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2013 and see what this cigar brings to the table:
Blend Profile
The E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2013 will feature an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. An Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper was used on the first edition of the Short Run – the E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2010. The following were the blend details as reported on the 1/26/13 Cigar Dave show.
Wrapper; Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Piloto Cubano (Dominican)
Filler: Nicaraguan, Ecuadorian
Vitolas Available
As mentioned the Short Run 2013 is available in three sizes. These three sizes (with the same ring gauge and length) have been offered in each of the four Short Run releases. The names of the Short Run 2013 use contemporary (i.e. English names) as opposed to some of the traditional Spanish names used in previous years.
Robusto: 4 7/8 x 50
Corona Gorda: 5 7/8 x 52
Double Robusto: 6 1/4 x 60
Appearance
For this cigar experience, I smoked the E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2013 Corona Gorda (actually closer to a toro size). The wrapper to the E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2013 does look similar to the original Short Run 2010 cigar. It has a medium brown color with some darker marbling on it. I would not categorize the wrapper as oily and there is a slight coarseness to the surface. The wrapper has some visible veins and wrapper seams. There is a nice sweet scent aroma that can be detected from the wrapper.
There are two bands to the E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2013. The first band is the standard E.P. Carrillo red, yellow, black, white, and gold band bearing the E.P. Carrillo name and logo. This is the same band found on the E.P. Carrillo core line as well as the Short Run 2010 and Short Run 2011.
There is a secondary band below the main band. It is a black band with gold trim. On the black background it says “Short Run” in gold letters. To the left and right of that text it says “2013” – also in gold font. It was with the Short Run 2012 that E.P. Carrillo started putting the year on the secondary band.
Preparation for the Cigar Experience
Prior to lighting up my E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2013, I went with a straight cut to remove the cap. Once the cap was removed I proceeded to begin the pre-light draw phase. The dry draw notes provided a mix of orange citrus, wood, and some light pepper spice. Overall, I considered the pre-light draw of this cigar to be very good. At this point, I was ready to fire up the Short Run 2013 and see what this cigar will bring to the table.
Flavor Profile
The start to the E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2013 picked up where the pre-light draw left off. The initial flavors had a mix of pepper, wood, and orange citrus. These notes moved to the forefront and was joined by some notes of caramel in the background. The retro-hale produced a more interesting exotic spice that differed from the classic pepper I was detecting on the tongue. The pepper on the tongue also had a nice lingering effect.
Later in the first third, the wood notes diminished. The pepper notes remained in the forefront. The caramel and orange citrus notes were very dynamic – these notes moved between the forefront and background throughout the smoking experience.
The flavor profile would stay the same for the remainder of the cigar experience, but toward the end the pepper spice played a more prominent role. While the end of the cigar was spicy, there was no harshness whatsoever. The resulting nub was true finger-burner – a nub cool in temperature and firm when touched.
Burn and Draw
E.P. Carrillo cigars consistently have top-notch construction and the Short Run 2013 continues with this tradition. The Short Run 2013 has a razor sharp burn that only required an occasional touch-up. The resulting ash was tight with a nice white color. There was virtually no flaking along the way. The burn temperature was ideal. The burn rate seemed a little on the slower side, but no negative effects on the smoke – it just made a great cigar experience last longer.
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| Burn of the E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2013 |
The draw of the Short Run 2013 was outstanding. This had a touch of resistance to it – making this a truly enjoyable cigar experience.
Strength and Body
The E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2013 does an exceptional job at providing the right amount of strength and right amount of flavor. From a strength perspective, the Short Run 2013 has a nice amount of kick to it. It falls right into the medium to full range from a nicotine perspective. As for the flavors, they have a nice amount of depth – and fall into the medium to full-bodied range. The strength and body counter each other really nicely – with neither attribute overshadowing the other.
Final Thoughts
In 2012, our manufacturer of the year was E.P. Carrillo as they had the highest average score on our web-site (based on a five cigar minimum). E.P. Carrillo continues to take things to the next level as the E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2013 is another home run. When it comes to working with Ecuadorian Sumatra wrappers, Ernesto Perez- Carrillo might be the true master in this area. The E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2013 is right up there with the original Short Run 2010 blend. I’d probably steer this cigar to a more seasoned cigar enthusiast as it does have a little more kick than a novice can handle. As for myself, this is a cigar I would purchase a box of – and one I highly recommend.
Summary
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium to Full
Body: Medium to Full
Finish: Excellent
Assessment: Memorable
Score: 94
Source: The cigars for this assessment were originally purchased from Atlantic Cigar Company.
I love all the EPC's I have smoked but have never had any of the Short Runs. This one sounds like a real treat and a wonderful review.