Cigar Review: E.P. Carrillo Generosos Toro (Casa de Montecristo Exclusive)
28 Mar 2016
In February, Casa de Montecristo (CDM)—a successful three-location tobacconist in Chicago—launched a retail website, which notably boasts exclusive releases from brands like My Father Cigars, Tatuaje, Drew Estate, and more. “CDMCigars.com will not only feature a fantastic selection of the finest cigars available, but will bring the consumer interactive features such as wish lists, a virtual lounge, chances to purchase extremely rare cigars, and periodic raffles,†stated a CDM press release. “The newest cigar releases, limited edition products, certified aged vintage cigars, and the finest accessories will also be featured.â€
Included in the list of CDM exclusives is a cigar from E.P. Carrillo that hit the market in 2013: Generosos (Spanish for “generousâ€). This blend sports an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, a Dominican binder, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua. It is marketed as a “fantastically smooth smoke†that’s “medium-bodied†with “smooth, earthy, and nutty†flavors and “a slight hint of spice with a creamy finish.â€
There are three vitolas available at CDMCigars.com: Toro (5.9 x 52, $10.74), Robusto (4.9 x 50, $8.94), and Gordo (6.25 x 60, $11.64). (A box-pressed Torpedo was also previously available, but this format is not listed online.) The E.P. Carrillo Generosos Toro has a lumpy, milk chocolate-colored wrapper with a slight red tint. The surface is criss-crossed with thin white veins, and the feel is consistently moderate from head to foot.
Once lit, the airy cold draw and soft pre-light notes of sweet hay transition to a dry, woodsy profile of cinnamon spice, campfire, tea, and creamy peanut. Hints of sweetness are particularly evident on the retrohale and in the aroma of the resting smoke. The open draw contributes to a somewhat papery texture, yet the Toro does not lack for flavor. Decidedly medium-bodied throughout, the interplay between spice and sweetness over an oak-like base is what I’ll remember most about this experience.
Fortunately, the cigar’s physical properties do not inhibit my enjoyment of the Generosos in the slightest. The white ash holds well off the foot, the burn line stays straight and true from light to nub, and the smoke production is above average.
I’ve come to expect a lot anytime I light up an E.P. Carrillo creation. Since the founding of his second cigar company about six years ago (his first, El Credito, was sold to General Cigar in 1999), Ernesto Perez-Carrillo has impressed my colleagues and I time and again with the impressive quality and craftsmanship he instills in his boutique offerings. The Generosos blend is no exception. Tasty and well-balanced, the E.P. Carrillo Generosos Toro is worthy of four stogies out of five.
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–Patrick A
photo credit: Stogie Guys
Never met an E.P. Carrillo I didn’t like. This one sounds like a winner.
There are lots of good house blends available online (Old Henry from Holt’s, the Microblend stuff from Smoke Inn, the lanceros from Stogies World Class in Houston), etc. I may give this one a try. That said, I can’t help but feeling we pay a markup for house blends moreso than non-house blends b/c both the retailer and manufacturer need to take a cut.