Perez-Carrillo
A family-led Dominican house founded by Cuban American blender Ernesto Perez-Carrillo
- Founded by
- Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr.
- Family
- The Carrillo family, including Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr., Lissette Perez-Carrillo and Ernesto Perez-Carrillo III
- Made in
- Dominican Republic
- Factory
- La Tabacalera Alianza, Dominican Republic
- Lines here
- 2
Shop this brandBoxes from $186
The house
The story of Perez-Carrillo
Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. learned the cigar trade from his father. Before entering the family business, he pursued jazz drumming and moved to New York City at age 25, hoping to work with Stan Getz and his band. He later returned to Miami, took over his father’s El Credito cigar company and worked to improve its cigars.
Perez-Carrillo became closely associated with La Gloria Cubana, which gained popularity during the cigar boom of the early 1990s. In 1999, Swedish Match purchased El Credito from the Perez-Carrillo family. Perez-Carrillo continued working for Swedish Match and General Cigar until March 2009.
After his departure, his children proposed that he create a new cigar. E.P. Carrillo brought Ernesto together with his daughter, Lissette, and his son, Ernesto III. Production is centered at La Tabacalera Alianza in the Dominican Republic.
The house subsequently earned Cigar Aficionado recognition for three cigars: La Historia EIII was named the magazine’s No. 2 Cigar of the Year for 2014, Encore Majestic received its No. 1 Cigar of the Year honor for 2018, and Pledge received the No. 1 position for 2020.
Milestones
Moments that made the house
- 1999
El Credito sold
Swedish Match purchased El Credito from the Perez-Carrillo family for an undisclosed price.
- 2009
A new family chapter
After working for Swedish Match and General Cigar until March, Perez-Carrillo began E.P. Carrillo with Lissette and Ernesto III.
- 2014
La Historia recognized
Cigar Aficionado named La Historia EIII its No. 2 Cigar of the Year.
- 2018
Encore takes No. 1
Encore Majestic received Cigar Aficionado’s No. 1 Cigar of the Year honor.
- 2020
Pledge takes No. 1
Pledge received Cigar Aficionado’s No. 1 Cigar of the Year honor.
Recognition
Awards & honours
No. 2 Cigar of the Year — La Historia EIII
Cigar Aficionado · 2014
No. 1 Cigar of the Year — Encore Majestic
Cigar Aficionado · 2018
No. 1 Cigar of the Year — Pledge
Cigar Aficionado · 2020
Craft
How they make them
E.P. Carrillo cigars are represented in the sources as hand-rolled, long-filler cigars blended by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo. La Historia combines a San Andres maduro wrapper, an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Pledge uses a Connecticut Havana-seed wrapper, an Ecuadorian binder and Nicaraguan fillers; Ernesto tested blends for more than six months before selecting it. The Honduras Robusto is made by Plasencia Tabacos de Oriente with a Honduran Olancho San Agustín wrapper, Honduran binder and fillers from Honduras and Nicaragua.
Details
Things most people don't know
- First ambition
- Before making cigars, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo pursued a career as a jazz drummer in New York City.
- Family proposal
- After Perez-Carrillo left Swedish Match and General Cigar, his children proposed that he craft a new cigar.
- First box press
- La Historia was the first box-pressed cigar in the company’s portfolio.
- Pledge development
- Ernesto Perez-Carrillo spent more than six months testing blends before selecting the Pledge blend.
- Professional backgrounds
- Before joining the cigar company, Ernesto III worked for Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and McKinsey & Company, while Lissette worked for Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.
In the humidor
Perez-Carrillo up close
Shop this brand