The long awaited Carillo cigar,the Encore, is finally here. The smoke is a toro size,it is very firm and heavy in the hand,consisting of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos with 2 to 5 years of age. The wrapper is Ecuadoran, grown in limited quantities. The wrapper is light brown,very smooth and slightly shiny,with almost invisible seams. The bunching is excellent,the cap is clean and cuts evenly.This is not a cheap cigar,but I think it will be worth the price.

The pre light is full of nuances of rich mature tobacco with aromas of honey and cedar. The flavors are of sweet tobaco and a clean taste of light earth,the draw is medium firm. I spent several minutes just experiencing it,there were such good flavors.


The first third begins with a blast of cedar,pepper and earth,smooth rich tobacco flavor and a totally delightful aroma of nutty,almost cashew essence,toasted oak and gentle fine leather. I am instantly reminded of the smell of the old La Gloria Cubana from the late 80's and early 90's. WOW! What a treat! My mouth is watering.

The second third stays very rich and full tasting,more fine leather,toasted oak, cedar, and that delightful nutty aroma. The finish is very clean,with a lightly lingering taste of mature tobacco,with almost a velvet mouth feel. The ash is light gray,almost white,and firm.I am astonished by the depth of flavor in this smoke,it is a very young cigar.

The final third gets a bit creamy,the intensity builds slightly,and the aromas are very compelling. The taste is almost chewy,the finish is still surprisingly clean,absolutely no bitterness or ashy taste at all. The burn is very even all the way to the end. It is sad when I have to put this down,the whole experience has been excellent.

I am convinced this cigar will improve with a little age.It is terrific now,but I will not revisit it for several months,it will be awesome in 6 months to a year. I hope you have the patience to wait,it will be worth it. I recently smoked a 14 year old La Gloria I had saved from 1995,it was incredible.Trust Ernesto to deliver a top notch product.He and his family can be very proud.

Appearance-9,Aroma-10,Burn-9,Balance-9,Construction-9,Draw-8,Flavor-9 :-) :-)
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Encore?! Where are you hearing or seeing it called that?
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Encore is the name inside the box......top right side........
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Thanks for the review.
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Nice review. I'd like to get my hands on one of these.
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Nice I seen your post about you receiving them and I was interested in how these would turn out. Thanks for the review.
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Sounds good! :-). I'd like to get a hold of one of these as well. Hopefully a retailer will offer singles at some point - I have seen boxes for sale only. Thanks for the review.
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Smoked this thing today. I thought the first inch or so was so so and I was a bit let down. But after that, it picked up and became very enjoyable. The nice leathery cream taste began to pick up. For the price... maybe, but only for a certain occasion.

Yes, I agree with you, a bit of age, this cigar could be very good.
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I like what I am reading! I can't wait until a rep brings a sample my way...if not soon..I am buying a box or two....GREAT REVIEW!
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Robert Mabona bombed me one, gonna smoke it soon.
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I'd love to smoke one too, but im not going to buy 10 just to get to one, anyone want to trade?
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Sounds to me like "I do not want to invest in 10 at the box price so I can try one so did anyone invest in 10 at the box price and want to let me try one without any risk or single surcharge" Cigar Smokers and members are great guys but think about what you are suggesting.
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Apparently I didnt know these were such a high profile stick. I'd gladly pay the MSRP of 1 stick for 1 stick.

All i am suggesting is that if anyone has one they want to spare, we could make a trade, or i could pay with dolla dolla bills. (i forgot to mention that I would gladly pay for one as well.
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I'd suggest posting up a WTT/WTB thread for this. More people would notice and we wouldn't be jackin' Garbands review thread. :-)
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Great Review! This is a Fantastic cigar! I'm wrestling with the idea of buying a box. I have always enjoyed E.P.C. smokes and want to get my hands these beauties!

-NES
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Found these recently on Egars for $11. and change..........Less $$$ and a bit older.....
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These are excellent cigars . If you liked E.P. Carrillo's La Gloria's Serie R naturals , you will love these . The construction is incredible . Worth every penny to me . Nice review , very rich and smooth .
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Nice review...have a few resting as we speak. :-)
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I am a big fan of Ernesto; he is a great guy. I smoked one several weeks ago and was disappointed. I will have to revisit and put some on rest. Thanks for the info.
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