Legacy brand cigar manufacturers are referred to as such for a reason. These are the companies like H. Upmann, Partagas, and Punch Cigars, that were there from the very beginning and were instrumental in creating what is commonly considered to be the modern cigar.

Then, there were those who fled Cuba, and in their own unique ways adapted, and in the process modified what once was and forged a new, hybridized style of cigar blending. These individuals, and their companies, eventually became legacy brands in their own regard, and today are the proverbial pillars of the American cigar industry.

Standing tall, directly in the center of it all is Ernesto Perez-Carrillo. The master of master blenders, and the godfather of the large ring-gauge cigar. A man with numerous Top 25 blends to his name, a handful of #1 Best Cigar of the Year awards, and the current title holder for highest-rated stogie in Cigar Aficionado history: The EP Carrillo Pledge. A cigar that we will be reviewing in the following few paragraphs... 

[Buy 5-Pack]

Unlit Impressions 

I'm a sucker for the color blue. Especially when it is of cobalt kind and encrusted with gold. Both of which this blend has in abundance. On something like a box-pressed robusto though, there isn't much of the wrapper to be seen, especially since this blend is triple-banded from shoulder to foot. Perhaps EPC opted to do that because the Cuban-seed Connecticut Habano Oscuro underneath is so rough and leathery looking. It's one seriously wrinkly-looking, mahogany-colored leaf, and on my review cigar, seemed underfilled near the foot, or perhaps improperly pressed. 

Simple yet pleasant, that obscure oscuro leaf sends you touches of mocha, leather, and cedar, along with little bits of baking spice, but not much else. Nougat, more cedar, velvety vanilla, strong cinnamon spiciness and aromatics, espresso bean, and a sweet and clean underbelly serve a much more meaningful medley from the foot. Unlit, draws taste faintly of mocha, frothy latte cream, uncured cedar, and both black and red peppercorns. Creamy and sweet, each passing cold pull gets better than the last, giving you cause to reach for that torch lighter. 

Initial Smoke

Salty cocoa, puffed rice, bittersweet toffee, black pepper spice, and leather form first. Medium roast in almost every way, this even-keeled, coffee bean-backed engagement continues to impress me every time I encounter its sultriness. Simply stunning.

1st Half   

Chewy granola bars, milky mocha, raw oats, oiled leather, and one spicy-ass retrohale heft you straight into full territory in the first third. The finish is long and upper tier in taste, and with the cigar growing fuller, the sweet and still somewhat resinous cedar tastes from the start steer the senses in a singular direction. 

Retrohales gradually growing smoother with each exhale, the second third starts with a cup or two of crème brûlée. Actually, scratch that. Imagine all the vanilla and caramelized sugars money can buy in a single dessert, and then serve it with a side of roasted walnuts and a double espresso. Tantalizing doesn't even begin to describe this cigar flavor profile in its entirety. 

2nd Half 

As oak tannins and heavier leather scraps start to slide in, a stronger espresso bitterness begins to build beneath the flavors of vanilla bean and caramel. Even more intense is the cedar, and paired with that cacao nib kick, the two offer their own bittersweet touch before things go completely dark. 

All detectable aspects of this premium cigar blend have struck full by this point, and both aromatics and aftertastes are exceptional. Rich, roasty, and creamy are the descriptors that come to mind every time I hit this section of a Pledge, and topped with the mocha magic manifesting it all, I adore every passing puff.

Parting Puffs

Dank soil, strong peppercorn flavors (along with their affiliated heat) the funkiness of extensively fermented sun-grown tobacco leaf, and a knock of nicotine make parting puffs the most imposing portion of this blend. There is nothing here I would consider to be imbalanced or unpleasant, but it can be quite imposing after a retrohale or two. Disclaimer complete. Carry on...

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

I've said it before, but I love it when an ash builds evenly on a cigar and can be discarded one-third at a time. Pledge promises to provide this experience each and every time and does not fail to deliver. Accompanied by the perfect draw, an ideal balance in smoke texture and weight, where it is full and flavorful but not overbearing, and no need for torch touch-ups, it all secures a very high score for this blend.

The only points that were deducted were for the waviness of the burn line on each cigar. Each stick started fine, but into the first half-hour each one would suddenly throw a massive rogue wave, only to self-correct a moment later and dump a little ash on you. My review stick did this a handful of times, leading me to feel a bit uneasy, as I grasped my torch in preparation for the worst each time.

Final Thoughts  

Besides having an unattractive wrapper, some overly intense bitter espresso bean moments, and the random rogue wave in its burn line, this blend scored a near-flawless victory. It's not a cigar I could see myself smoking regularly due to its price point, but on a full stomach and with the appropriate beverage in hand, I feel it would make for a most agreeable companion. 

In closure, I would be curious to see how the larger toro version of this blend burns, as each time I smoked the robusto vitola. Sometimes all it takes is a bit more combustion time for a blend to mellow out and get its combustion under control. I guess I'll just have to smoke another somewhere down the line and let ya'll know how it goes...

 

Flavor, Aroma & Transitions

Depth & Complexity

Construction, Burn & Physical Appeal

Backstory & Branding

Overall Balance & Repeatability

Stogie Specs

Cigar	EP Carrillo "Pledge"
Wrapper	Connecticut Habano Oscuro (USA)
Binder	Ecuador
Filler	Nicaragua
Factory	Dominican Republic
Size	50 x 5" (Robusto)
Strength	Full
Pairing Drink	Homemade Iced Mocha
Rating	4.7/5