E.P. Carrillo Pledge

Behold Cigar Aficionado’s ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ for 2020: E.P. Carrillo Pledge. Master cigar-maker Ernesto Perez-Carrillo has scored numerous hits with his eponymous brand. As the man behind the original La Gloria Cubana franchise, Perez-Carrillo has been well known to cigar lovers everywhere for decades. His lengthy list of critical accolades culminates in E.P. Carrillo Pledge, his second cigar to score a coveted ‘Cigar of the Year’ title. What makes it so great? Well, before you smoke one yourself, we can tell you it’s drafted from a premium blend of long-filler tobaccos from Ecuador and Nicaragua finished in a unique Cuban-seed Maduro wrapper grown in Connecticut. Its dark flavor profile is sweet and zesty. Tasting notes of molasses, black cherries, peppers, and hickory commandeer the senses with ample spices in a handful of compact box-pressed shapes that unleash a plethora of hearty and smoky aromas. A medium-bodied, meaty finish completes the package. E.P. Carrillo Pledge is handcrafted in the Dominican Republic at Perez-Carrillo’s factory, Tabacalera La Alianza.