E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel

When Ernesto Perez-Carrillo set out to honor his late father, the result was Pledge, and the Prequel is the soft box-pressed robusto that carried the line to Cigar Aficionado's #1 Cigar of the Year in 2020. It is, simply, one of the most celebrated cigars of the past decade.

What it tastes like

Under a dark, oily Connecticut Havana-seed wrapper sits an Ecuadorian binder and aged Nicaraguan fillers. The smoke opens with zesty spicy oak, licorice, and black cherry, then settles into a richer middle of dark cocoa, espresso beans, and chocolate-covered almonds. The body builds from medium toward medium-full, with a peppery, full-bodied finish that coats the whole palate. It is a complex, layered smoke that rewards slowing down.

Who it's for

This is a cigar for experienced smokers who want flavor with weight behind it. If you are still building toward fuller blends, our cigar strength guide explains where medium-full lands. The Nicaraguan-Dominican filler also makes it a great study in how those tobaccos differ from a pure Cuban blend, which we break down in Cuban vs Nicaraguan cigars.

Want the same blend in a longer format? Try the Pledge Sojourn toro. Log it and rate it in the Casa DNC app.