E.P. Carrillo has a pair of new cigars coming out in its Perez-Carrillo Encore line that are being targeted at international markets.

First is the Encore Noir, which bears a resemblance to the recently released Encore Black. This cigar uses an Ecuadorian wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. It is offered in a single robusto vitola that measures 5 3/8 x 52 and is called the Majestic No. 2. Production is limited to 3,000 boxes of 10 cigars per year, with 2,500 shipping to international markets and the remaining 500 being used for in-store retail events in the U.S. when Jorge Fernandez Maique of E.P. Carrillo is in attendance.

Maique, a former executive with Habanos S.A., joined E.P. Carrillo at the end of 2021 as its new general manager.

Another new Encore release, Edición Unica, wears a lighter-colored Nicaraguan wrapper, while the binder is also Nicaraguan and the filler contains Nicaraguan and Dominican tobacco. The tobacco is said to be well-aged, with the wrapper being at least five years old, while the binder and filler are said to be at least 10 years old.

It is debuting in a 6 x 56 toro gordo size that the company calls Solidarios. It is limited to 1,500 boxes of 10 cigars, all of which are destined for retailers outside of the United States.

Both cigars are produced at Casa Carrillo in Santiago, Dominican Republic, and have begun shipping to stores. Lissette Perez-Carrillo told halfwheel that due to the variation in pricing across the countries in which the cigars will be sold in, that a suggested retail price is not being disclosed.

Images courtesy of E.P. Carrillo.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I’m a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.