Vitola: Toro- 5-7/8” x 52 ring gauge
- $10.74 single stick / $161.10 box of 15
- Provided by CDMCigars.com
Background
Getting back to my series of reviews of Casa de Montecristo exclusives (which I began with the Tatuaje Jackal, before continuing with the My Father Oro de Nicaragua and Quesada España Bali-Lance), today we come to what is a fairly old entry into the CdM exclusive line: Generosos from E.P. Carrillo Cigars.
I don’t want to go so far as to say it was the first store exclusive for Casa de Montecristo, but it does look like it is the oldest item on the website’s “exclusive” page. Generosos was announced in mid-2013 about the same time that EP Carrillo was getting ready to release the E-Stunner and the Perez-Carrillo (that second stick seems to have disappeared into nothingness…or it was released under a different name).
Generosos was released in 4 sizes and in unspecified quantities. It has Nicaraguan fillers, a Dominican binder, and an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper leaf. It was not noted as being a “store exclusive” at the time, just that Casa de Montecristo and its partner stores would be the first to have it…but it seems to have turned into an exclusive as no one else has ever gotten it.
As with the others in this series, I am reviewing based on a single stick, which was sent to me by CDMCigars, the online store for Casa de Montecristo and their partner B&Ms.
Prelight
This cigar came out at a time when EP Carrillo Cigars was still struggling a bit with identity. I’m talking about the band mostly…the same band that was used on practically every other EPC release since the beginning of the company. Whether Core Line, Short Run, or Limited Edition, they all pretty much shared the same red, black and yellow band. The New Wave Connecticut and Elencos used the exact same design with variations in the coloration, but it was still very much the same. That was finally changed with the INCH, which was clever in it’s art, and the E-Stunner, which was a real head-scratcher (seriously…what is it supposed to be? A cow’s head…with wings? And an alien face overlaid on it?). This cigar is differentiated only by the thin secondary band that reads “Generosos.”
The wrapper leaf is very much a typical Ecuadorian Sumatra, with its woody look and heavy mottling, with lighter colors where the veins are. It had a somewhat dry look, but to the touch there was some oiliness. Giving it a sniff, I picked up on mostly cedar and light cinnamon notes, while the foot had strong wood and earth notes to it. After clipping, I got notes of cedar, graham, and earth on the cold draw.
Flavor
I fired up the EPC Generosos and got a blast of cedar and coppery mineral notes right up front, with a bit of syrupy sweetness as a secondary note and a little bit of pepper on the finish. The retrohale had a stronger, red pepper burn to it, and also carried a note of roasted nuts and cedar.
The nuttiness continued on the retrohale through the second third and also appeared on the palate, along with sweet graham and more cedar flavors. Typically, I am not a big fan of most Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, but this blend was making a believer out of me.
In the final third I got a very nice mix of graham, maple, cedar and earth notes that balanced very well. The peppery notes were mild, but still present on the palate and nose, adding just a touch more complexity and interest.
Construction
The draw on the EPC Generosos was perfect, the ash was solid and the burn line needs just a couple touch-ups.
Value
The price tag is a little higher than typical for EPC releases, but not by much. Considering the store exclusive category this falls into and how good the blend was, I say it’s worth the price.
Conclusions
While the appearance of the cigar is nothing special in terms of the EPC lines, the blend of the Generosos is actually quite nice. I found it better than either the natural Core line or Cardinal, and in fact, it is probably my favorite EPC natural blend, other than perhaps the New Wave Connecticut. If you’re a fan of EPC or a fan of Sumatra-wrapped sticks, this is one to try out…the sooner the better, as they might not be around for long.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 1.5/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10
Sounds like a winner!