EPC Endure

You hardly need to introduce the man behind these cigars anymore. Every cigar lover and aficionado has likely smoked something from his portfolio. The cigars by Ernesto Perez Carrillo—or simply EPC Cigars—have been available since 2009. That’s when he went independent and founded the company E.P. Carrillo (EPC Cigars) together with his daughter and son. His reputation is rooted in the originally Cuban brand La Gloria Cubana, the rights to which were acquired by his father for the U.S. market. In the 1990s, it became a highly successful Dominican cigar line. He was so successful with it that tobacco giant STG (Scandinavian Tobacco Group) eventually bought the brand and released him after a longer transition period. In Germany, these cigars were known under the name El Credito due to trademark issues—at this point, the name might be ringing a bell for some of you, right?

EPC Encore & Pledge: Two “Cigar of the Year” Titles in Just Three Years

Ernesto is a Cuban-born master from the world-renowned growing region Pinar del Río, where the Carrillo family has cultivated tobacco since 1907. After emigrating from Cuba, he—like many other Cuban exiles—settled in Miami. There, he began producing small batches locally. With the success of the Dominican La Gloria Cubana cigars in the 1990s, he moved production to the Dominican Republic and expanded significantly. He is often referred to as the Godfather of Boutique Cigars. Since 2009, his Tabacalera La Alianza (renamed Casa Carrillo in 2024) in the Dominican Republic has been rolling exceptional, award-winning cigars. The EPC Encore Majestic was named Cigar of the Year by U.S. magazine Cigar Aficionado in 2018. Just two years later, in 2020, another one of his cigars—the EPC Pledge Prequel—received the same honor. This makes Ernesto, alongside Padron cigars (2007 and 2009), the only person to win this title twice within just three years.

Cameroon Meets Nicaragua: The Rare Composition of EPC Endure Cigars

With the EPC Endure cigars, E.P. Carrillo adds a particularly rare combination to his portfolio: a Cameroon wrapper paired with Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. By now, he produces well over ten regular lines, and the ones introduced here belong to his Essence Lines. The other two brand families are those under the Perez Carrillo label and those under the INCH label, known for their very large ring gauges. One interesting detail about the EPC Endure: on the cigar band (anilla) of the U.S. versions, there's a reference to the wrapper’s supplier. None other than the Meerapfel family, known for their prestigious plantations in Central African Cameroon, provides the wrapper leaf.

EPC Cigars: Dominican Masterpieces by Ernesto Perez Carrillo

The Endure Toro was my “companion” test cigar while writing this text. At first glance, I find it a bit unfortunate that the family name is printed in gold on orange—making the brand name hard to read. The rather rustic-looking wrapper only becomes fully visible once you remove the large, semi-transparent piece of paper covering the lower part of the cigar. In the first third, the Toro starts off somewhat “dry” and fairly mild. Gentle notes of wood blend with leather and just a touch of soft pepper. The second third picks up a bit in intensity—these are definitely not mild cigars. That said, the strength is well-balanced and harmoniously “wrapped.”