Quick Smoke: E.P. Carrillo Encore Valientes

A couple times each week we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

This was the first Encore I’ve seen since the robusto-sized Majestic was named Cigar Aficionado’s top cigar of 2018, thus creating a shelf-clearing demand. I hope it won’t be my last. It’s an excellent smoke. The Valientes is a 6.125-inch torpedo with a ring gauge of 52. It is dark, rich, and robust, a treat from first puff to finish. The flavors are balanced and smooth, with one surprise, given that it is a Nicaraguan puro: There’s little of the pepper that’s often common to those tobaccos. Another point worth noting is that the Encore line follows Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s tradition of producing top-flight cigars without sky-high prices. I paid $12.25 for the Valientes. And while the four-vitola line follows La Historia in what’s called the Perez-Carrillo Series, the cigar itself is second to none.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: E.P. Carrillo