E.P. Carrillo New Wave Brillantes (Robusto)

[Zeede]

Here we have the E.P. Carrillo New Wave Brillantes (Robusto). I had heard that this was an excellent mild-medium cigar in that while being mild in the nicotine department, it was full of flavor. Was it? Let's find out!

5" x 50 rg



The Wrapper

A nice russet potato color, with no visible seams and only a few prominent veins. I punch it, and find a nice touch of resistance. I light it up with a cedar spill (the remains of which you can see in the picture).

First Third

Immediately I am greeted with several flavors: Cream, nut, wood, a hint of vanilla and a touch of spiciness. On the retrohale I detect only a light amount of spice. I also taste a hint of smokiness or charred flavor. The smoke output is good.

Now 1" in the spiciness on the retrohale has increased to a solid Medium, but the spiciness in my mouth has only increased a smidge.

Second Third

At the start of this third I note an earthiness, which is third place behind the dominant cream and sweet flavors. Then, at the halfway point, the creaminess has been joined with tobacco notes, and the two of them are the most dominant flavors.

Final Third

The ash is gray and very flakey.

Final Notes

Total burn time = 90 minutes

This was a nice, tasty stick. I didn't find it to be amazing, but it was definitely a bit more complex than many of the mild-medium cigars you find. Anyone who is a Connecticut-wrapped mild-medium fan should definitely try this!

[tmoran]

I am a fan of these in the Stella (Corona) vitola. I bought a box, but I feel like about half of them are excellent, and the other half are just so-so. Maybe it just depends on my mood. Even so, they are pretty inexpensive, so I think they still represent a solid value.

[Zeede]

Could be! I've read that the time of day can affect one's enjoyment of a cigar, like mild cigars are best in the morning, full ones after dinner. Maybe there's a correlation?

[Cardinal]

Good review, thanks! I find about the same flavors as you, and I agree that these are a nice mild-medium choice and they don't seem to get much press around here or other cigar sites.