Pre-light Experience

Aaron: About 75% of the E.P. Carrillo 15 Year Anniversary is covered with packaging that consists of two bands that have a black and gold color combination. The primary band has the traditional design for the brand and the bottom half has an additional area that denotes the line. The foot band also denotes the line and years being celebrated. Between the two bands is a parchment paper type sleeve that has the Carrillo name and logo in gold repeating. With the foot band and sleeve slipped off, you can see more of the dark brown wrapper that has some raised veins and fine tooth. The seams are a bit raised while the tapered head is well finished. The aroma from the wrapper is smoky wood and earth while the foot brings sweet cedar. The pre-light draw brings a dusty, aged cedar.
Seth: The E.P. Carrillo 15 Year Anniversary is firm in hand and finished with a lovely, tapered head that is soft and gradual. There is a solid maduro coloring with the cigar, and it has a dark brown coloring with some softer aspects throughout. There are medium sized veins present, and they are coarse in texture. Rich aromas on the wrapper and foot. Rich earth, spices, tobacco, dark cocoa and wood.
John: The E.P. Carrillo 15 Year Anniversary came in cellophane and had a UPC sticker with the cigar information and an integrated tear space so it remained intact when opened. For artisanal complications, the cigar has a ‘109 style’ cap it. There is a primary E.P. Carrillo Aniversario 15 band with a secondary Edición Limitada Aniversario 15, 2009 to 2024 secondary band. There is also a cellophane sleeve with the EPC logo and Carrillo on it. I weighed the cigar at 20.0 grams, and 19.3 grams with the cellophane sleeve removed. I measured the humidity to 56.5% with the HumidiMeter Pro. I could smell aromas of sweet, syrupy, musty tobacco with bread and mossy wood underneath. From the foot, there was raisin and tobacco with wood.
Jiunn: The E.P. Carrillo 15 Year Anniversary has a near jet black maduro wrapper shade. It looks as if the wrapper was painted. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped. Pre-light aromas consist of meat jerky, cedar and dirt soil.

E.P. Carrillo 15 Year Anniversary

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted oak, baking spice and light earth. At a half inch in, the earth picks up a bit. The retrohale is toasted oak and earth. At an inch and a quarter, the earth picks up a bit more and is now in front of the baking spice that has mellowed a bit. At an inch and three quarters, a light chalkiness joins in and teams up with the earth. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak is a bit ahead of the earth with light chalkiness and the baking spice is just behind the middle of the profile. The strength was slightly below medium.
Seth: The first third starts out with some faint coconut shaving flavors that are paired with some wood, coffee and spices. Bits of mineral are present as well with faint cocoa powder qualities on the finish. Long finish with a strength and body level right around the medium level.
John: My initial flavor impressions are sweet tobacco as mild spices and wood finish and linger into the pots draw. The retrohale is made up of light-plus strength earth and spices. Those components linger into the post draw and are joined by earth. As the first third continues, sweet tobacco mixes with earth on the retrohale. The spices on the post draw begin to build in strength, while at the same time the earth is intensifying to match. Coffee joins the retrohale and provides balance against the already present earth. Mustiness adds to the center of the profile as it continues. Chocolate joins a few minutes later.
Jiunn: The first third gives cocoa, aged cedar, black peppercorns and a slight gritty dirt earthiness. Retrohaling is great, as the cocoa and peppercorn notes are full and deep. The finish shows mainly aged cedar. Strength and body is medium.

E.P. Carrillo 15 Year Anniversary

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the earth with light chalkiness has inched closer to the toasted oak up front. At a half inch in, the baking spice transitions to black pepper and increases a bit to be at the middle of the profile. The retrohale is now toasted oak, earth and some black pepper. At an inch and three quarters, the black pepper is now just behind the earth. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak is up front with the earth with light chalkiness a bit behind and the black pepper right behind it. The strength bumped up to medium.
Seth: The second third shows more mineral notes, and they are paired with some earth, dark cocoa and wood. Sweet spices are present as well and there are some coffee notes on the finish. More mineral spices are present. Medium in strength and body.
John: Creamy earth takes the cigar into the second third as medium strength earth and wood finishes all the way into the post draw. A cardboard note mixes in with wood on the finish as the second third settles in. The second third continues to evolve when sweet tobacco comes into the beginning of the draw. Approaching the halfway point, medium strength earth joins the center of the profile. Through the bottom half, medium strength earth is defining the profile with darker, loamy earth elements on the post draw.
Jiunn: The second third’s flavor profile is unchanged. Still the same levels of cocoa, aged cedar, black peppercorns and slightly gritty dirt earthiness. The strength and body is unchanged at medium.

E.P. Carrillo 15 Year Anniversary

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, a light creaminess joins the profile. At an inch in, the black pepper is now even with the earth. The retrohale is now an even mix of toasted oak, earth and black pepper. As the cigar wraps up, the profile is toasted oak up front, with earth that carries light chalkiness and the black pepper right behind and some light creaminess in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The final third delivers those mineral notes with rich earth and dark cocoa. Soft spices are present as well with that woody finish. Bits of coffee are present as well on the end. Like before, medium in strength and body.
John: Creamy earth is again the leading flavor component as earth and wood team up on the finish at medium strength. That earth defines the post draw with the wood falling away. Approaching the halfway point, the wood has begun to assert itself, leading the profile. Spices join the retrohale in the bottom half, mixing with earth. The earth has receded back down to light-plus strength as it continues. Some bitterness comes into the finish as it continues to heat up.
Jiunn: The final third feels like a chore as the flavor profile is still unchanged. Still the same flavors of cocoa, aged cedar, black peppercorns and gritty dirt earthiness. Strength and body finish the same medium.

E.P. Carrillo 15 Year Anniversary

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout and the ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: Burn was decent throughout. Not perfect, but no problems.
John: The burn was relatively straight to start, becoming uneven as it continued. I applied a touch-up midway through the first third. The uneven burn continued in the second third, requiring a touch-up to correct. That uneven burn continued in the last third requiring another touch-up.
Jiunn: Flawless burn providing tight ashes, even burn and cool burning temperatures.

E.P. Carrillo 15 Year Anniversary

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was a little snug. Had to cut more of the tapered head than expected.
John: The draw was at most one notch towards the open spectrum, which puts it in the ideal range between open and resistant.
Jiunn: The draw was perfect, giving the ideal balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted oak, baking spice and light earth. The earth built up through the third and some light chalkiness joined in and paired up with the earth. The second third saw the baking spice transition to black pepper and increased in fullness and then continued to increase through the third. The final third saw the pepper become even with the earth and some light creaminess joined in. Construction was perfect. The E.P. Carrillo 15 Year Anniversary had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around the toasted oak, earth and baking spice/black pepper. There was nothing interesting or intriguing about the profile and it’s not a cigar I’d see myself coming back to. Chalk it up to another disappointing anniversary release.
Seth: The E.P. Carrillo 15 Year Anniversary was an average cigar, but I found it to be an improvement over recent EPC release. It was not as harsh and mineral forward. More balanced with some rich qualities. The first third had a nice start, and if it had continued like that throughout, it would have done much better. Burn was an improvement as well when looking at past releases. This isn’t a cigar I would come back to, but it definitely is one of the better recent EPC releases.
John: 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. The draw was perfect while the burn required three touch-ups to correct. I think we’re going to see a lot of Mexican San Andrés wrappers in 2025 with tobacco supply issues. 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. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 27 minutes.
Jiunn: When I read through my notes, this E.P. Carrillo 15 Year Anniversary sounds good. All the flavors I listed are flavors that I consider “good.” But the key differences is, the flavors didn’t pop enough, all the earthy notes were quite dry, and I craved sweetness. When I factor in all these things and have a near three hour smoking time, it lends to an overall average experience.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$3.48

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.10

Cost/Point

$3.92

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.80

Cost/Point

$3.45

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$3.48

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: E.P. Carrillo 15 Year Anniversary