Cigar Review: E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2011 Cañonazos
17 Apr 2013
When the man who made La Gloria Cubana a household name started his new family-run company in 2009, few in the cigar industry doubted he would be successful in his new venture. To date, by seemingly every measure, he has been.
One undertaking that has helped solidify Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s post-General Cigar success has been Short Run. So far, the line has resulted in one release per year (although, when it was first introduced, we were told there might be two Short Run blends per year). The concept is pretty simple: Make a limited run of a blend using tobacco that isn’t available in enough quantities for a full-blown release.
The original Short Run, introduced in 2010, featured an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. The 2012 edition was wrapped in the Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf from the New Wave Connecticut around binder and filler tobaccos from the Core Line Maduro (Ecuadorian binder with Dominican and Nicaraguan filler).
The 2011 Short Run—the subject of today’s review—has an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos. Slightly less than 25,000 were made. I sampled several in the Cañonazos format (5.9 x 52), which is marked with an intricate roadmap of thin veins. The pre-light aroma is light, sweet, and a little musty, and the cold draw is moderately tight, though not burdensome.
That draw opens considerably once the foot is lit. Each puff is easy and the smoke production is voluminous—enough so to make a comparison to many Drew Estate sticks. This isn’t surprising. Jonathan Drew told me that, back in the day, Perez-Carrillo helped Drew Estate perfect its trademark draw.
The flavor can best be described as café au lait, cedar, and white pepper. The finish has a lingering spice yet hardly any nicotine kick. On the retrohale, the smoke is a little sweeter, though this cigar lacks the sweetness and creaminess that was a staple of the 2010 Short Run.
But don’t get me wrong. The E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2011 Cañonazos is a fine specimen at a very reasonable price point ($6 at my local tobacconist here in Chicago). Construction is superb and the medium-bodied profile is more than pleasing to my palate. All this results in a solid rating of four stogies out of five.
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photo credit: Stogie Guys
Patrick Ashby
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief
Patrick Semmens
Co-Founder & Publisher
George Edmonson
Tampa Bureau Chief
Patrick – Is there any way to distinguish the 2010, 2011 and 2012 Short Run lines by the band or the box?
The 2012 Short Run band looks different because it's set on a white background, as opposed to the 2010 and 2011, which are black. If you can hold the 2010 and 2011 side by side, you'll be able to see the 2011 is significantly darker. Otherwise, I believe the actual boxes of the cigars indicate the years.
Great! Thanks.
Also, just FYI, the 2013 that just hit the shelves actually has the year on the label.