Ernesto Carrillo has extended his very successful and extremely well crafted stable of brands to include a Broadleaf Maduro version of his regular production Core Line. I got my hands on the No. 4 Corona  (5 1/8 x 42) this morning and I’m going to give it a whirl.

The cigar has a very dark and rustic Maduro appearance, does not look to be cooked or dyed in any way.  Has some of that classic barnyard, earthy smell to it. Construction is very solid; the cigar is well packed with tobacco.  Pre-light draw has bittersweet cocoa and classic tobacco flavors.  After lighting up this small corona, due to the firmness of the cigar I thought the draw would be tight, but on the contrary, ample smoke is pulling through this mini maduro. Right off the bat I notice the increase in strength in relation to the regular Natural wrapped EP Carrillo Core Line.

Starting off, I’m getting a lot of spice through the nose with an initial blast of spicy cocoa flavors.  The aroma is mostly rich maduro smoke, thick with sweet flavors. Because of the small ring gauge of the Corona size of this E.P. Carrillo Maduro, the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper is dominating the flavor of the cigar. This is not a bad thing, by the way! The ash holds firm for about an inch or so on this small stick showing you the cigar is definitely well packed. As I move into the second third, I’m starting to notice the Sumatra binder is adding a nice spiciness to the finish.  Similar sweet and cocoa rich maduro flavors continue through the rest of the smoke as it continues to build some body. As I smoke my way into the last third, I’m getting more spice on the finish, as the rich maduro flavors continue.

Overall I think the Carrillo family has worked their magic once again. As far as blending is considered, this cigar has everything a maduro lover can ask for. Rich, sweet, cocoa flavors mixed with just the right amount of earthiness and spice. While the Corona offered more wrapper flavor, I can’t wait to try a larger ring to see how Ernesto Carrillo’s filler and binder blend changes the overall flavor. With Carrillo, you can’t miss, especially at the Core Line price point. If you like Maduro, definitely watch out for this one.

Keep your eyes peeled on the Blog, Facebook and Twitter for the latest releases as they come in. For now, you can visit our E.P. Carrillo Core Line Maduro page and put yourself on the list to be notified when they come in.

Keep on smoking!

-GC