Humidor Archeology: EP Carrillo Edición Inaugural 2009

Vitola: Short Toro
Size: 5.375” x 52 ring gauge
Price $13.65
Purchased at Burns Tobacconist

Background

Five years has flown by so quickly. Honestly, when I looked back at everything I had reviewed on the previous blog, I was shocked by the number of reviews, the variety of cigars…everything! It was also five years ago when my wife and I decided to get out of California while the getting was good and move to Tennessee, a decision that continues to pay rewards. And it was five years ago that Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, Jr., came out with the first cigar under his new brand, EP Carrillo Cigars, founded with his son (Ernesto, III) and daughter (Lissette). That first cigar was a bit of a shocker at the time: a fairly mild (maybe bordering on medium-bodied) cigar with a limited run and a steep price.

Edición Inaugural 2009 was a clean break from what Carrillo did before with La Gloria Cubana and General Cigar. It featured Nicaraguan and Dominican binder and filler, along with a unique Ecuadorian wrapper leaf. Great pedigree, quality components, and yet…I simply didn’t find much to like about this smoke when I first had it. Granted, the price tag almost definitely had something to do with it. Especially when just a couple months later, EPC came out with the first “Short Run” cigar; for just over half the price, it delivered a lot more flavor, in my opinion. I heard others who were less than impressed with the Edición Inaugural when they first had it, too, so I know it wasn’t just me

Then there were those who said, “It’s actually smoking really good now!” Which always sounds great, but what isn’t so great is trying to confirm it. How many times have you heard someone say, “Those 1997 Opus X’s were so much better than today’s!” or “The original Skull & Bones release was the best!”? Like I said, the trouble is verifying it. Then I spotted several EI 2009s in the humidor at Burns a few weeks ago. Were they there all along, just never selling out? Could be…I’ve only worked there since May of last year so I can’t say for sure. They might have been hiding in back-stock somewhere and just been found. All I can say for sure is that right now Burns has at least a few left, along with some of every other annual LE from EPC (except the 2011 Dark Rituals LE, which is the one I really want more of!). I figured this would be a good candidate for another installment of “Humidor Gems.”

Thoughts

This “experimental” Ecuadorian wrapper looks very much like a Connecticut Shade leaf, although with more oils than you would normally expect on one. It was still very good-looking and had an aroma that mixed hay with mild earthiness. The foot had a bit riper earthiness. The cold draw was excellent, tasting of grass, earth and dried berries. Once lit, the Edición Inaugural had notes of graham cracker, cedar, and earth on the palate, as well as a decidedly peppery retrohale. It’s been almost five years, so I honestly can’t remember exactly what I thought about this smoke when I first had it, but so far the opening minutes of this sample surprised me because it was so nice.

As I continued smoking, I picked up more earth and even hints of pepper on the palate. The body was solidly medium and construction was excellent. I did note early on in the smoke that there was a crack in the wrapper visible between the primary and secondary bands. For that reason, I held off on removing them as long as possible; I was afraid that the crack would open wide if I gave it a chance. That fear turned out to be unfounded, however. The crack never opened up further.

At the end, I was very pleased with the Edición Inaugural 2009. It was a very flavorful medium-bodied smoke that has really aged well. It’s a sure bet there are few left “in the wild,” so if you can find them…buy them.