Do you know what an inch is?
No, I am not talking about giving an inch and taking a foot. I am talking about an inch in cigar talk – that would be a 64 ring gauge. That’s right, 64 equals an inch. There is a lot of 60s out there these days and I don’t normally smoke them because of burn issues. It is the second hardest ring gauge to roll behind the lancero.
Construction
Well, tonight I decided to give the E.P. Carrillo Inch a ride and see how it stands up. It has a glistening roasted coffee bean brown wrapper that has a bit of tooth to it. There are two bands on the E.P. Carrillo Inch. The foot band in red and gold with the notation C-99 E.P. Carrillo that covers a measuring tape and the main band that is made up of two measuring tapes with one stating “Inch” and the other with an upside down E.P. Carrillo. It is closed with a golden finish with the word “Inch”. There was one noticeable vein that ran the length of the barrel but I don’t think it will interfere with the smoking pleasure as it is not thick.
The foot has a nice tea like scent to it and the dry draw gives a taste of dry fruit and nuts. The draw is wide open on this and all I can hope for is an inch by inch smoking pleasure as time eases by tonight. The E.P. Carrillo Inch is heavy in the hand and that is good as I just finished a homemade steak dinner and need a good long smoke. I am listening to the Dropkick Murphy’s channel on Pandora. I guess I am in a Boston mood as my Patriots prepare for another title run.
The E.P. Carrillo Inch C-99 is constructed from:
- Wrapper: Corojo 99
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic
They come in 4 vitolas:
- No. 62 (5×62)
- No. 60 (5 7/8 x 60)
- No. 64 (6 1/8 x 64)
- No. 70 (7xto)
The E.P. Carrillo Inch also comes in 3 other varieties – Maduro, Natural, and Short Run (limited edition)
Today I sampled the C-99 No. 64
I toasted the foot very slowly then fired her up. If you don’t like mouthfuls of smoke than I suggest you find a newbie smoke because she fired right up and the E.P. Carrillo Inch filled my oral cavity with a level 9 dose of rich, creamy, smoke ring style fog.
Burn & Flavor
The dry fruit wa
s right there with a very minimal white pepper background. The retro-hale was easy on the nostrils allowing me to smell the waft of nutty smoke rising off the foot.
The foot got off to a little wave but like a good soldier she fought back and found her equilibrium, settling into a perfect burn. (A sign of a excellent construction).
About an inch into the burn there were some leather notes coming through and the aroma was shifting to more of a floral scent. Any pepper has all but disappeared and the smoke is smooth and ultra creamy and extremely full.
The ash held on strong through the first half then fell. It did require a major touch up at that point. Like I said big ring gauges tend to have burn issues but so far this has been a 8 out 9 on the construction.
The flavors have balanced out nicely. There is a sweetness coming in and earthy aroma. The smoke remains rich and creamy. The Stogie Press smoking lounge is alive with smoke from this smoke monster. So far this is a solid full body flavorful stogie with a medium strength.
The final third continued with sweetness and a sprinkle of pepper entered the profile with a touch of cedar.
I have to say the E.P. Carrillo Inch lived up to its name. Every inch delivered oodles of delectable smoke and aroma. I will add more of these to my humidor.
E.P. Carrillo Inch
-Boston Jimmie
You can get these at many fine shops including The Mancave Cigar Lounge in Fort Lauderdale, FL.