Today, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo is in the Cigar Aficionado Hall of Fame. But there was a time in his youth when he had almost completely turned his back on cigars and was walking another path.
He was a jazz musician. A drummer, to be specific. A rebel, of a kind.
He left his family’s place in Miami and headed north to work on his career. As you can probably tell, he didn’t get what he was looking for there, and wound up back home, seeking a new direction. The prodigal son had returned to his father, and together the two got back to work on cigar making. But for a brief moment there in time, the cigar world almost lost Ernesto Perez-Carillo completely.
Good thing cigars are alluring. They have a way of bringing you back in, no matter how far you roam.
The E.P. Carillo Original Rebel cigar comes in the Rebellious and Maverick.
E.P. Carillo Original Rebel “Rebellious” version uses a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. Inside, there’s an Ecuadorian binder and Nicaraguan long-filler. The smoke itself is at a medium-full strength, which peaks in the second third of the cigar. You’ll get flavors of earth, wood, chocolate, and toast from this one.
For those familiar with the E.P. Carrillo brand groups, this one is from the Dimension Series, which focuses on bigger ring gauges. While these aren’t as big as the Inch cigars, they’re hefty enough to satisfy those who prefer a nice meaty smoke.