E.P. Carrillo Encore Majestic

Today we have the E.P. Carrillo Encore Majestic.  This cigar has a medium brown wrapper.  It has invisible veins and seems and looks to be trunk pressed.  It comes in at 5 3/8 X 52.  After lighting, the draw is completely open and producing tons of smoke out put.  The draw has some sweet cedar and black pepper.  The retro-hale has more black pepper and adds in some earth.  The finish has a sweet cedar and leather flavor along with black pepper.  The burn has required a few touch ups to get going during the first inch to inch and a half.  The cigar is at a medium body.  I can tell that the draw is going to be an issue.  Its so open and loose that the cigar appears to "smoke itself" even when sitting in the ashtray.  Its very warm already and I have slowed down how often I am puffing on the cigar.

Two inches down and nothing has changed.  The draw has become a big issue.  Even a small slight puff and the cigar over heats and all the flavors that were there have been mostly washed out by heat.  A leather note is still present as well as the sweet cedar but a chard tobacco flavor is all I am tasting on the finish.  The cigar also required more touch ups and isn't smoking well at all.  I actually prefer a more open draw.  Normally, you can control it by how long of a draw you take and you can keep the smoke cool.  Unfortunately for this cigar it doesn't matter how much I baby the draw it still overheats instantly.

With just over an inch to go I chucked this one in the yard.  For the Cigar Aficionado #1 Cigar of the Year, I expected it to at least smoke well.  The burn, the draw, and the construction were poor and because of that the flavors suffered.  I have a few more of these in my humidor.  I will give them a shot sometime later on but for now I can think of 20 cigars for half the price that I would reach for to smoke first.

Price: $ 11.75

Appearance: 10/10

Draw: 16/20

Burn: 16/20

Flavor: 14/20

Complexity: 14/20

Burn Time: 10/10

Overall Score:  80 / Mediocre Cigar