Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the E.P. Carrillo Connecticut Robusto is medium tan with a hint of green and there are some lightly raised veins present. The seams are smooth and the caps are well applied. There are two bands, with the primary being black, red, white and gold and carrying the company logo, name and line name. The foot band is black and gold with the company logo. The aroma from the wrapper is a light mix of wood and earth while the foot brings cedar, stone fruit sweetness and some spice. The pre-light draw brings cedar and earth along with and airy cotton candy sweetness and a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The E.P. Carrillo Connecticut Robusto is a lovely cigar. The cigar itself features a Claro colored wrapper, golden hay in coloring, and silky throughout. There are small veins present, a lovely triple cap and the cigar is firm in hand. The aroma on the wrapper is that of hay, tobacco, cedar and cream, and the foot gives off some earthy notes with cedar, cream and cocoa.
John: The E.P. Carrillo Connecticut Robusto comes in cellophane with a UPC sticker that tears when opened. There is a primary Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Connecticut band, along with a foot band featuring the EP logo and a QR code. The cigar weighed 12.8 grams. I measured the humidity at 65.5% with the Humidimeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included sweet bread and tobacco with a faint background note of hay and wood. From the foot, I picked up sweet tobacco, hay and wood.
Jiunn: The E.P. Carrillo Connecticut Robusto has a slight mustard like yellow toned Colorado Claro wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is wrapped and capped neatly. Pre-light aromas present barnyard and roasted nuts.

E.P. Carrillo Connecticut Robusto

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with lightly toasted cedar and some burning paper. At a quarter inch in, some light earth joins the profile. At a half inch in, the burning paper becomes very light. The retrohale is a mellow mix of toasted cedar and earth. At an inch in, a mild creaminess joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is a bit ahead of the earth, with some creaminess and burning paper in the background. The strength was mild-medium.
Seth: The first third of the Connecticut starts with sweet cedar notes. There are some cream and faint coffee qualities present as well, and there are touches of sweet spices and earth on the finish. It is balanced, and a classic Connecticut in many ways. Just under medium in strength and body.
John: The first third begins with creamy tobacco and soft wood, which also define the retrohale. As the third settles, a pleasant cinnamon note moves into the retrohale. Some light cocoa later joins in, adding complexity, while dry wood sits on the finish.
Jiunn: The first third provides overall thin flavors. Flavors of cedar, hay, lemon zest and roasted nuts. The flavors are nice, but I want fuller ones. Retrohaling dials up the flavors, providing minerals and raw spicy cedar. The finish is short, with soft aged cedar and bread. Strength and body is medium.

E.P. Carrillo Connecticut Robusto

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the toasted cedar and earth increase in fullness and the burning paper note also picks up a bit. At a half inch in, some black pepper joins the profile. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth with some burning paper. At an inch in, the cedar gains a light char and the burning paper picks up some more. As the third comes to a close, the charred cedar is a bit ahead of the earth, with burning paper in the middle of the profile and creaminess and black pepper in the background. The strength bumped up to slightly below medium.
Seth: The second third is in line with the first. Sweet cedar and cream notes with some coffee and sweet spices. Touches of earth on the finish with some more sweetness and cedar. Like before, just under medium in strength and body.
John: The second third opens with mildly bitter hay and wood that linger into the finish. Sweet tobacco combines with light-plus strength spices to round out the profile as it progresses.
Jiunn: The second third’s flavor profile reduces to cedar and minerals while at the same time showing some nice tannins, which helps with the mouthfeel. The roasted nuts and lemon zest is so diminished at this point that it’s not really worth calling out. Strength and body remains medium.

E.P. Carrillo Connecticut Robusto

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the burning paper increases a bit more and the earth mellows a bit so that they are now even. At a half inch in, the black pepper increases a bit. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth with some burning paper and black pepper. At an inch in, the cedar drops the char and goes back to a mid-level toast. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar is up front, with the earth and burning paper a fair bit behind. The black pepper is in the back half with some creaminess in the background. The strength remained at slightly below medium.
Seth: The final third is in line with the first and second. Not a lot of transitioning, but a decent flavor profile. Very approachable and it smokes well to the end. Cedar, cream, earth and sweet spices. Like before, just under medium in strength and body.
John: The final third begins with spicy wood at medium strength, transitioning into tannic wood on the finish and evolving to dry wood through the post draw. Creaminess makes a return around the halfway mark of the third, balancing against the dry, tannic wood finish at medium strength.
Jiunn: The final third shows a longer finish but the core flavor profile is still cedar and minerals. Strength and body finish the same medium.

E.P. Carrillo Connecticut Robusto

Burn

Aaron: The burn line was straight throughout, and the ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: The burn was perfect from start to finish.
John: The burn was mildly wavy at times through the first third, but it corrected and was straight for the remainder of the review.
Jiunn: Flawless burn featuring an even burn, tight ashes and cool burning temperatures.

E.P. Carrillo Connecticut Robusto

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was great from beginning to end.
John: I measured the draw at 45 inches of water with the CigarMedics draw tester. Subjectively, I found it at most one notch towards the resistant spectrum, which puts it in the ideal range.
Jiunn: Flawless draw as well, giving the ideal air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with lightly toasted cedar and some burning paper. Some light earth joined in pretty quickly and the burning paper lightened up. Later, a light creaminess joined in. The second third saw the toasted cedar and earth increase in fullness and the burning paper also picked up a bit. Some black pepper later joined in. Then, the cedar gained a light char and the burning paper increased some more. The final third saw the burning paper increase and earth mellow. Then the black pepper increased a bit as the cedar lost the char and went back to a mid-level toast. The construction was absolutely perfect. The E.P. Carrillo Connecticut Robusto started with an average profile as it was pretty mellow. The second third took a step down as the burning paper picked up and the cedar became charred. The profile remained at that level for the remainder of the cigar. The burning paper note really set this cigar off on the wrong track. It was a detriment to a possible good start in the first third, but the profile could never drop it. This is an issue with a fair number of lower priced Connecticut shade offerings, so it was a bummer to see it appear here. Definitely not a cigar I’d return to.
Seth: The E.P. Carrillo Connecticut Robusto is a solid robusto and Connecticut offering. Great price point as well! The flavors were solid from start to finish, and while there was not lot of complexity and transitioning, it was balanced. This is a cigar any smoker will enjoy. I’m about to go to the beach, and this would be a great morning cigar on the beach. Beautiful construction from start to finish.
John: 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. Construction was excellent, but the flavor progression was inconsistent, making for an overall average experience. There wasn’t enough here of a standout for the flavor profile to make me want to seek these out in the future. Total smoking time was quite quick at 1 hour and 7 minutes.
Jiunn: Not bad, but a middle of the pack Connecticut shade offering. The profile of the E.P. Carrillo Connecticut Robusto could use more flavors that are not from the earthy palate. Attractive price point but I won’t be coming back for more for this mediocrity.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

4.68

Cost/Point

$1.98

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.61

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$1.52

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.61

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: E.P. Carrillo Connecticut Robusto