Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the E.P. Carrillo Honduras Robusto is dark brown and has a thick vein running down the back of it. The seams are a bit raised and the caps also have some raised edges. There are two bands, with the primary being black, light blue, red, gold and white and denoting the company and line. The foot band is black and gold and carries the company logo. The aroma from the wrapper only provides a faint earth, while the foot brings cedar and bran muffin. The pre-light draw brings a mellow mix of dusty cedar and floral notes along with a very mild spicy tingle on my lips.
Seth: The E.P. Carrillo Honduras Robusto is a nice looking cigar. The bands pop against the wrapper, and it’s a solid maduro wrapper. Few veins throughout with a nice dark chocolate coloring. It is firm in hand with a slightly coarse texture. Rich aromas on the foot of earth, tobacco, barnyard and spices. Leather and herbal notes on the wrapper.
John: The E.P. Carrillo Honduras Robusto came in cellophane and had a UPC sticker with the cigar information which tore in half when opened. There is a primary E.P. Carrillo Honduras band along with an EPC logo’d white on black secondary foot band. I weighed the cigar at 16.2 grams and measured the humidity to 61.9% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included barnyard, wood and tobacco. From the foot, I could detect sweet wood, hay and barnyard.

E.P. Carrillo Honduras Robusto

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with a mix of toasted oak, earth and black pepper. At a half inch in, the earth picks up a bit. The retrohale is a fuller version of the same mix of toasted oak, earth and mild black pepper. At an inch in, the earth is even with the toasted oak up front. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak and earth are even up front with black pepper a bit behind the middle of the profile. The strength was slightly below medium.
Seth: The first third starts out with a dry earth profile. There are some pepper spices present as well along with some oak, tobacco and herbal qualities. It is dry and hearty. I would classify the cigar as medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The first third has a pleasant start with sweet tobacco, musty baking spices and a musty wood to finish into the post draw. Plum sweetness breaks into the retrohale after a few puffs and is drowned out by medium strength spices. The baking spices begin to linger into the post draw as the cigar continues. Over the 20 minute mark, the retrohale takes on fruit sweetness and mustiness in balanced parts. The baking spices have fallen to light strength by this point, almost to the background.

E.P. Carrillo Honduras Robusto

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the black pepper increases a bit. At three quarters of an inch in, the earth takes a slight lead in the profile. The retrohale is now earth with toasted oak and mild black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the earth is a bit ahead of the toasted oak with the black pepper in the middle of the profile. The strength bumped up to medium.
Seth: The second third shows a rise in this herbal spice profile, and it is paired with the oak, tobacco and earth notes. Finish of pepper. Pepper is really present on the retrohale. Like before, medium to medium-full in strength and body. Interesting profile.
John: Creamy tobacco sweetness leads the second third with musty spices in the center and spices and a mildly dry wood teaming up on the post draw. Tannins join the wood on the finish as the second third settles in. I find the creaminess intensifies to medium almost medium-full levels by the halfway point.

E.P. Carrillo Honduras Robusto

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the black pepper mellows a bit. At a half inch in, a light wood bitterness joins the profile. The retrohale is now earth and toasted oak with very mild black pepper. At an inch in, a menthol note joins the profile. As the cigar wraps up, the earth is a bit ahead of the toasted oak, with black pepper and the menthol note a bit behind the middle of the profile and some wood bitterness in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The final third is in line with the second. More mineral notes are present as well. Oak, tobacco, earth and pepper spices. Herbal qualities as well. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: Earth and tannic wood combine to start the last third. Sweet tobacco moves into the middle of the profile after a few puffs. There are notes of chocolate developing on the retrohale as the last third continues. Tannic wood largely defines the post draw as the cigar marches towards the halfway point. By the halfway point, earth has moved up to medium strength.

E.P. Carrillo Honduras Robusto

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy at times, but never needed any intervention. The ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.
Seth: Burn was good from beginning to end.
John: The burn was exceptionally straight through the first and second thirds, with some waviness developing in the last third.

E.P. Carrillo Honduras Robusto

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: Draw was lovely. Nice level of resistance.
John: The draw initially starts 2-1/2 to 3 notches into the resistant spectrum, but opened to 1-1/2 to 2 notches into the resistant spectrum as it settled into the first third.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with a mix of toasted oak, earth and black pepper. The earth eventually became even with the toasted oak up front. The second third saw the earth take a slight lead in the profile. The final third saw some wood bitterness and a menthol note join in. The E.P. Carrillo Honduras Robusto had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around earth and toasted oak. This is one of those times where a Honduran cigar was earth driven and didn’t really shine. The price point is attractive, but the flavor profile isn’t exciting enough for me to want to come back.
Seth: The E.P. Carrillo Honduras Robusto was a decent cigar. I wasn’t crazy about the profile, but it delivered a solid flavor profile throughout. It’s a Honduran heavy blend, so that plays a part in the cigar and desirability with many smokers. I believe if you are not keen on Honduran blends, this will not be to your liking. It’s a departure from E.P. Carrillo, but at the same time the company seems to have departed from that great E.P. Carrillo profile from years back anyways. Not sure I will come back to this cigar in the future; even with the affordable sub $10.00 price.
John: The E.P. Carrillo Honduras Robusto had a pleasant start to it, with engaging flavor combinations through the first third. As the cigar continued, the more complex components fell away for me, and while it was still pleasant, it was a step back from the start. The burn was perfect while the draw started out somewhat resistant and opened up in the first third. I find the price point attractive on these, I might be tempted to light up another although I don’t know whether I would actively seek it out. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 55 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$1.64

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.40

Cost/Point

$1.71

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.95

Cost/Point

$1.55

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: E.P. Carrillo Honduras Robusto