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Old 09-07-2015, 07:40 AM   #1
spiridon
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IPCPR Review: E. P. Carillo Seleccion Oscuro

First the facts:

Wrapper: Mexico San Andres Oscuro
Binder: Ecuador
Filler: Nicaragua

Now the "Good Stuff"....
Does anyone remember the Villazon product, the tissue wrapped El Ray de Mundo Oscuro? I'm sure they are still being produced, but I haven't seen or smoked one in ages.....they used to be one of my "go to" cigars......well, I have finally found it's replacement for me. The EPC Seleccion takes me back to that flavor profile, but with a higher octane rating.

The vitola for this review is the "Small Churchill" @ 5 1/2x50
It is wrapped with a double band in a simple but classic style, black & gold with red & white highlights.
The wrapper has a rather rustic appearance and of course being Oscuro, is rather dark brown. Overall a nice looking cigar with a nice heft, with no soft spots or noticeable imperfections.

Holding the foot close to my nose, I am greeted with a combination of sweetness and leather, a very intoxicating blend.
I decide to use a guillotine cut for this one and the cap cuts cleanly. Lighting up ......well let me stop here for a moment....

Before lighting up this cigar I had sampled two other cigars, both containing my flavor profile of preference, ones with lots of spice and pepper. These two cigars were both nice, but for some reason they just weren't satisfying my craving for the day. For some reason I was in the mood for something heavy and rich.

......to continue, as I put a flame to this seleccion I was happy to discover I had found exactly what I was craving on this day. On the very first draw I was greeted with a taste of deep, rich, chocolate along with a hit of black pepper, not so much pepper as to be overwhelming but not really a background player either......simply a perfect balance and combination.
As I am sitting here enjoying this cigar, reveling in the moment, I detect a little more of an espresso taste creeping in which tones down the spice and pepper just a bit.....afterall, there is only room enough for just so many players on this stage.

I continue my trip into the mid portion of this smoke and I have yet had to do any corrections to the burn. The ash is firm with a mottled grey and white appearance. The draw from the start has been very pleasing, allowing for a large volume of smoke.
I take notice that the flavors of this cigar continue to subtly change during the journey, never any wild swings, but instead I seem to detect that the pepper, chocolate, and the espresso take turns showing off their attributes, with none overpowering the other at any time.

So far I would peg this cigar at med/full strength, full body/flavor.
I am now midway thru this stick and I detect yet another player to the show, one of creaminess. There seems to be a lot going on here, a good bit of complexity, and I find it hard to distinguish each of the flavors being revealed. All I know at this point is, I am enjoying the hell out of this smoke!

As I enter the final third, I have still had no need for burn corrections and I find the strength to be escalating a bit......to the point of being what I consider full strength. The body and flavor has remained rich and full throughout. Nearing the end now, the cigar loses a little of it's complexity and leans slightly toward a straightforward sweet tobacco taste, the creaminess has faded, but the espresso and chocolate flavors remain.
I finally let the stogie die a quiet death as I let out a sigh of contentment as I have found what I was looking for on this day.

Parting thoughts....I think I am like most in the fact that I do have a favorite strength/flavor profile when it comes to cigars. Most of the time I favor a fuller bodied, spicy, peppery smoke, with a layer of creaminess and bitter chocolate. With that being said, I also enjoy stepping out of that box from time to time, looking for a change of pace....this cigar filled those needs perfectly for me today. It had a good dose of spice and pepper as well as a balanced helping of espresso. The major "change" for me with this "Seleccion" was the hefty shot of RICH dark chocolate, giving the smoke an enjoyable hit of sweetness which I was definitely in the mood for.
Would I buy a box of these? Most Definitely!
At the end of the day I would give the EPC Seleccion Oscuro 4.75 out of 5 stars and highly recommend you give it a try.
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Last edited by TommyBB; 09-07-2015 at 07:30 PM.
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