At the 2015 IPCPR Trade Show, E.P. Carrillo showcased the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2015. The Edicion Limitada Series was launched in 2010, and each year has featured a different blend in a single size. The Edicion Limitada brought back similar branding that had been seen with the 2010 to 2013 releases of the series. This is because the 2014 release was branded the E.P. Carrillo 5 Year Anniversary Cigar. With the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2015, it also marked the sixth Edicion Limitada release. Recently I’ve had the opportunity to smoke the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2015. Overall I found this to be an excellent offering in the series.

For the fourth time in six years, the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada features a maduro blend. It is also the second time that blender / company founder Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. has incorporated a Connecticut Broadleaf into a Edicion Limitada release. The last time the Edicion Limitada featured this wrapper was on the 2012 release.

Without further ado, let’s break down the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2015 and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Blend Profile and Vitolas Available

In addition to the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, the remainder of the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limtada 2015 features Nicaraguan tobacco used for the binder and filler.

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (Tabacalera La Alianza)
Vitola: 6 x 54 (Toro)
Production: Approximately 15,000 cigars (1,500 boxes of 10)

For historical purposes, here are the other releases of the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada series:

E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2010

Wrapper: Brazilian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (Tabacalera La Alianza)
Vitola: 6 x 54 (*)
Production: Approximately 10,000 cigars (1,000 boxes of 10)
(*) In 2011, Edicion Limitada 2010 blend was re-released as the E.P. Carrillo Elencos line with two additional vitolas added.

E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2011 “Dark Rituals”

Wrapper: Oscuro Maduro
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (Tabacalera La Alianza)
Vitola: 6 1/2 x 56
Production: Approximately 20,000 cigars (2,000 boxes of 10)

E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2012

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Oscuro Maduro
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Nicaraguan: Jalapa (Corojo), Esteli (Criollo)
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (Tabacalera La Alianza)
Vitola: 6 1/2 x 56
Production: Approximately 15,000 cigars (1,500 boxes of 10)

E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2013

Wrapper: San Andres Mexican
Binder: (Double) Nicaraguan, Brazilian
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (Tabacalera La Alianza)
Vitola: 6 1/8 x 54 (Toro)
Production: Approximately 30,000 cigars (1,500 boxes of 20)

E.P. Carrillo 5 Year Anniversary (2014)

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Ecuadorian Corojo ’99
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (Tabacalera La Alianza)
Vitola: 6 1/2 x 54 (Double Robusto)
Production: Approximately 30,000 cigars (3,000 boxes of ten)

Appearance

The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper of the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2015 has an dark espresso bean color. Upon closer examination, there is some darker marbling on the surface of the wrapper. In addition, the wrapper itself has some oil on the surface. The texture of the wrapper has a slight rugged feel to it. There are some visible wrapper seams, but there was very little in the way of visible veins.

The band is similar to the new design that as introduced with the E.P. Carrillo 5th Anniversary cigar. It features the red square containing the gold “E.P.” cursive logo. That square rests on a thick black stripe that also contains several rows of gold pin-striping and dotted lines. Just under the red stripe is the text “CARRILLO” in white font on a black background. Below the thick black stripe is a thick fire engine red stripe. The text “2015” sits on the red tripe and is surrounded by three rows of dotted lines. Below the red stripe is a black stripe trimmed in gold. The text “LIMITED EDITION” sits in white font. There are gold dotted stripes going to the left and right.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

Prior to lighting up the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2015, I placed a straight cut into the cigar to remove the cap. Once the cap was removed, I moved on to the pre-light draw. The dry draw produced notes of espresso, earth, cedar, and some floral notes. Overall I considered this to be a satisfactory pre-light draw. At this point I was ready to light up the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2015 and awaited what the smoking phase would have in store.

Flavor Profile

The start of the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2015 delivered a mix of black pepper, black coffee / espresso, earth and cedar notes. Early on, the coffee and espresso notes became primary. The black pepper and cedar were closer secondary notes and the earth notes were further back. Meanwhile, the black pepper was also prominent on the retro-hale.

The flavor profile continued into the second third. I did find there was an occasional (and slightly sweet) mocha / chocolate note that surfaced in the forefront. I also found the earth notes became more prominent and at times it surfaced in the forefront with the coffee / espresso.

By the last third of the Edicion Limitada 2015, I found the earth joined the coffee / espresso notes in the forefront. The pepper and cedar notes also moved closer to the forefront. This is the way the flavor profile came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn and Draw

I found the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2015 to be a well-constructed cigar and this was reflected nicely on the burn and draw. Overall the burn of the Edicion Limitada 2015 took a straight path. There was a slight curviness on the burn line itself, but this was not a cigar that was in need of excessive touch-ups. The resulting ash was light in color. I also found the ash to be on the firm side – coming off the cigar in nice clean chunks. The combustion for this cigar was excellent as the Edicion Limitada 2015 had an ideal burn rate and ideal burn temperature.

I also found the draw to the Edicion Limitada 2015 to be excellent. It had a touch of resistance to it – which is something I like. This made for an ideal smoking experience

Strength and Body

From a strength perspective, the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2015 stayed on the lower end of medium to full for the duration of the smoking experience. Meanwhile I also found the flavors of the Edicion Limitada 2015 to be toward the upper end of medium to full-bodied. There was a slight increase in body along the way, but the flavors didn’t quite cross the threshold to full-bodied. In terms of strength versus body, I gave a slight edge to the body.

Final Thoughts

As I stated up-front, I found the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2015 to be a nice addition to E.P. Carrillo’s Edicion Limitada series. This is not going to be a cigar that undergoes significant flavor transitions. I also found the Edicion Limitada 2015 to be a cigar with a grittier maduro profile. While normally I don’t go for the grittier profile, I found it worked quite well with this blend. This is a cigar I would probably steer to a more seasoned cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I would definitely reach for again. It’s definitely worthy of a five pack in my book.

Summary

Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Low
Strength: Medium to Full
Body: Medium to Full
Finish: Excellent
Assessment: 3.0-The Fiver
Score: 89

References

News: E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2015
Price: $15.00
Source: Purchased
Stogie Geeks Podcast: Episode 180
Stogie Feed: E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2015