The first third was the only highlight of the cigar. The fullness of the meatiness/gaminess paired with milk creaminess and trailing star anise was a combination worthwhile to sit with. But the majority of the cigar showed a mediocre flavor profile of charred oak wood and cream, which became a bit monotonous. This is an overall pass for me.
The E.P. Carrillo Connecticut Robusto had a mellow, approachable profile with creamy tobacco, soft wood and some enjoyable retrohale complexity early on. While the second third showed the best balance with sweet tobacco and spices, the final third leaned more towards dryness and tannic wood. There wasn't enough here of a standout for the flavor profile to make me want to seek these out in the future.
The La Gloria Cubana Gloriosos Toro provided an average smoking experience with a profile focused on dry wood, musty sweet tobacco, earth and occasional sweet or chocolate accents. The retrohale offered some complexity with creamy sweet tobacco early on, later bringing milk chocolate, herbal notes and pepper. This is a cigar where the flawless mechanics outshined the flavor performance.
I thought the E.P. Carrillo Endure Robusto delivered nuanced and layered flavor combinations through the first third. The remainder of the cigar was still pleasant, but not quite to the same level of engagement as it started out. I'm a bit on the fence with this offering. I think if the second third had delivered flavors at the same level as it started out, this would be an easy choice to return.
The E.P. Carrillo 15 Year Anniversary delivered rich, interesting and engaging flavor combinations through the first third. By the second third, the cigar had become unbalanced with the flavor components not delivering a balanced and engaging profile. That continued for the remainder of the review. Unfortunately, the cigar wasn't able to deliver beyond the first third, and with a $20 price tag, this one is an easy pass for me.
The Ozgener Firsat F52 started out with an interesting and engaging first third, and while still pleasant for the second and last thirds, did not maintain the same level of complexity for me. I found the overall flavor offering to be above average, and the price point is reasonable given the current market pricing in 2024. I might be inclined to try the Firsat in one of the other three vitola offerings to see how they compare.
The E.P. Carrillo Sumatra Robusto was a pleasant enough cigar to review, but I didn't find any of the thirds jumping out at me for flavor combinations or complexity. I don't think there's any question that the price point is attractive in 2024, where the average new cigar is pushing over $14. I think there is a long list of other E.P. Carrillo offerings I would reach for before the Sumatra.
The E.P. Carrillo Pledge Firecracker had an average flavor profile throughout, just focused around the toasted cedar, earth and baking spice/black pepper. I find this format polarizing, as some blends are a quick flavor bomb and others are just linear mediocrity. This blend falls into the latter category and I wouldn't see myself coming back to it.
The E.P. Carrillo Encore Black had a nice start with a good balance of flavors, but the profile took a step down from the second third on as the earth steadily increased and the pepper fluctuated in fullness. Overall, not a cigar I'd really see myself coming back to as the profile wasn't all that intriguing.
The E.P. Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance started out well enough with interesting flavor combinations. Some of those flavors were still present in the second third but didn't engage me in the same way as the first third. By the last third, the profile did not have interesting or enjoyable flavor combinations and I found it fairly flat. When you combine the flavor performance with the higher price point, this cigar is a pass for me and I would rather seek out another one of their core offerings which performs well.