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EPC Short Run 2011 4.8 x 50 "Bombones" (Robusto)

In its heyday, La Gloria Cubana was at the front of the full-bodied assault on cigar smokers. Now it seems that LGC has occupied a niche in the medium-strength crowd after being usurped by the “true” full-strength cigars. I honestly don’t see how cigars can get much fuller/stronger.

Anyway, I digress. The man behind the LGC blends was Ernesto Perez Carrillo who founded the El Credito Cigar Company in Miami. I say was, because he’s gone his own way after selling the business to Swedish Match. Now he, his daughter, and his son are producing cigars under the EPC brand.

Last year’s EPC Short run was pretty good, however we’re going to burn the 2011 version today. But just how short is a short run? Just 1500 boxes of each size was produced, so yea, I'd say that's a short run.

Today’s smoke is a 4.8 x 50 Robusto that is stuffed full of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobacco wrapped up in a caramel colored Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper. The wrapper is almost seamless and is virtually vein-free.

The pre-light sniff is leathery and spicy. After firing it up, the initial flavors are straight from Nicaragua. Leathery and earthy with lots of pepper, especially through the nose.

About a third of the way in and the cigar seems to settle down with creamy coffee and dry-roasted peanuts adding their influence. At this point the cigar doesn’t get much stronger than medium.

The burn is straight and the draw is lush with each puff producing a huge volume of smoke.

Halfway through and the cigar’s flavors seem to explode (sort of like when you don’t stir Kraft macaroni and Cheese well enough and you have those “flavor bursts of cheese”), intensifying in both flavors and strength. Every puff is an adventure. I can feel the strength behind my eyeballs and in my gut.

Towards the band, the smoke settles down again completing an eventful, flavorful cigar experience.

Available for around $5 a stick. Yea, I'd buy more.

One added note: this size is called the BOMBONES, which translated into Spanish is CHOCOLATES. I must be missing something here, because I don't get it.

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Permalink Reply by Doctor Cigaro on August 25, 2011 at 11:22am

Nice review. Dig the "flavor-bursts"!

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Permalink Reply by Just JoeEd.™ on August 25, 2011 at 6:48pm

Ernesto is really coming out with some really great smokes. Though I wasn't overly impressed with the Inaugural 2009 release (my opinion way too young & overpriced at $13 a stick) the rest of what he has been putting out has been pretty close to "Stellar". I am really looking forward to the release he has come up with for Jon Huber's Crowned Heads Cigar company the "Four Kicks" and the New Wave Connecticut has become my favorite Connecticut wrapped cigar presently. Great review Steve!