E.P. Carrillo

E.P. Carrillo is the eponymous brand of master blender Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr., the legend who created La Gloria Cubana. His cigars have earned the #1 Cigar of the Year title twice, including the highest score ever recorded for a top cigar.

Key Facts

The Story

Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. first gained fame as the blender behind La Gloria Cubana during the 1990s cigar boom, transforming it into one of the most coveted brands in America. After selling La Gloria Cubana to General Cigar in 1999 and spending a decade as their master blender, Perez-Carrillo left in 2009 to create his own brand. With his children Lissette and Ernesto III, he built Tabacalera La Alianza, a 40,000-square-foot factory in Santiago's Zona Franca. The E.P. Carrillo brand quickly established itself with an extraordinary run of critical acclaim: La Historia EIII earned the #2 Cigar of the Year in 2014, E.P. Carrillo Encore scored 96 points and the #1 Cigar of the Year in 2018, and the Pledge Prequel claimed the #1 spot with a record-setting 98-point rating. With over 50 years in the cigar industry and two Cigar of the Year titles — including the highest score ever recorded — Perez-Carrillo is widely regarded as one of the greatest living cigar blenders.