E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012 Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Filler: Nicaragua and Panama
Price: $7.00

A couple weeks ago this cigar was sent to me by a friend to see what my take on it was. I haven't smoked many cigars by E.P. Carrillo, so I was excited when I saw this cigar in the package. I have heard several people rave about this cigar, and have heard that it is a great morning cigar. So, Saturday morning I got up early, and lit this cigar up.

The Connecticut wrapper isn't the same shade as the others I have smoked. This one was more golden than light brown. There were literally no veins running through this cigar, leaving it to be very smooth. The cap was made up of four separate layers that were all perfectly flush.

The cigar itself was solid throughout. From cap to foot there wasn't one spot that softer than any other. The only flaw in this cigar was a small chip out of the wrapper on the underside, just above the band. Since this probably happened in transit, I wont hold that against the cigar. The smell that came off of this cigar was very sweet and had a slight cinnamon hint to it.

 Once I lit this cigar up, it was much smoother and mellower than I thought it would be. I was pleasantly surprised. There were some nice notes of earth and oak that came out quickly. After about a dozen puffs or so, the flavor profile became very creamy. After about the half-inch mark, the flavors really started to pick up.
An inch into this cigar some light pepper tones started to form. The spice wasn't all pepper, there was actually some cinnamon notes that formed as well. The heavy oak flavor really seemed to pick up as well. The combination of the earthiness and oak flavors stayed very strong throughout the first third.

As you can see in the second pic, the wrapper started to slightly peel right as I moved into the second third. The peppery spice seemed to build up a little bit more, and the pepper and oak really started to work perfectly together. Even now, the flavors all seem to still be building up.

Once I smoked through the first half of the cigar, the flavor profile really smooths out. All of the rough edges of the flavor profile are gone. Some coffee flavors come out and add a nice accent to the earth and oak flavors. The creaminess really starts to take over and the spice moves to the background.

The last third of this cigar perfectly balanced. There was pretty much no spice left in the last part of this cigar. The earthiness mellowed out and let the oak and coffee flavors take over. The finish was very smooth and flavorful. Once the cigar is finished, the creaminess is left on the palate.

The ash on this cigar is a light to medium gray with some brown marbled throughout it. The burn was pretty even all the way through. The draw was very easy and produced a thick white smoke. The smoke also gave off a very earthy aroma with no harshness to it at all.

This cigar was mild to medium in body, but full of flavor. This really is a great early morning cigar. I definitely think its a good cigar to keep around. I think I may be searching for some soon. I give this cigar a 8.5 out of 10.

Thanks for reading,

Zack the Stogie Man