EP Carrillo Endure Toro Pre-Release

📌 Brand: E.P. Carrillo
📌 Line: Endure (Pre-Release)
📌 Size: Toro (6" × 52)
📌 Weight: 14.9 g
📌 Age: 1 years
📌 Origin: Dominican Republic

Tasting Notes

• Cedar – Faint woody base

• Earth – Muted, hollow undertone

• Metallic Mineral – Sharp, unpleasant edge

• Bitter Spice – Harsh finish with little balance

First Impressions

The Endure Toro has a medium-brown Cameroon wrapper with visible veins and a slightly rough texture. Pre-light aromas are cedar and faint earth. Cold draw is open but lacks flavor complexity.

Smoking Experience

• First Third – Opens with cedar and earth, but an odd metallic taste quickly overshadows. Burn begins uneven.

• Second Third – Tunneling develops, metallic flavor persists. Corrections required repeatedly.

• Final Third – Harsh spice and bitterness dominate, burn remains erratic, and metallic edge lingers unpleasantly.

Pairings

• Alcohol – Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-in-Bond ,bold spice and sweetness to mask the metallic harshness.

• Tea – Moroccan Mint Green Tea, cooling and herbal, refreshing the palate against the cigar’s flaws.

Music Pairing

“Red House” – Jimi Hendrix

Gritty and sharp, echoing the metallic notes.

Final Thoughts

The E.P. Carrillo Endure Toro struggled throughout with burn problems, tunneling, and a dominant metallic taste that muted any enjoyable flavors. Construction issues only amplified the disappointment.

Final Score: 4/10
Why not a 10?
Poor burn, tunneling, and metallic harshness kept it far below its potential.

Only cigars that deliver flawless draw, balance, flavour evolution, construction and satisfaction get a 10.