A unique collaboration
Oscar Valladares Colaboraciones
By E.P.C.
Vitola: Toro 6×52
Wrapper: USA Broadleaf Connecticut
Origin: Dominican Republic
Pairing: Jeffersons Reserve Pritchard Hill Cabernet Cask
Cabernet Cask Finish – 90.2 Proof
The collaboration cigar is nothing new. AJ Fernandez, My Father Cigars and Aganorsa have collaborated with countless manufacturers, creating amazing and unique blends that have taken the market by storm. But the celebrated and marketed collaboration is something of a more recent trend. The Padron and Fuente Legends LE was an industry high point when announced in 2022 and the Pepin and Pete Johnson La Union series has had 2 variations over the last 4 years.
This year saw the release of another unique collaboration as Oscar Valladares (famous for their Leaf line) teamed up with Casa Carrillo and Oliva’s Tabolisa factory to create 3 different blends highlighting the 3 major growing regions for premium cigars.
For this review, I opted to try out the Casa Carrillo blend out of the Dominican Republic. The cigar is draped in a rich rosado Connecticut Broadleaf from the USA, utilizing a Sumatra binder and a mix of filler from the Dominican and Nicaragua. This particular blend was especially intriguing. Dominican tobacco on its own is not usually too appealing to my palate, but when it is intimately blended with other regions, I find it truly shines, and that holds true with the EPC Colaboraciones.
As a side note, I chose to pair this review tasting with the Jeffersons Reserve Pritchard Hill Cabernet Cask and that proved to be an excellent choice. The tart cherry and apple profile of the bourbon, along with the tannins infused into it from the Cabernet Cask, were a fitting match and I highly recommend picking up a bottle to go with this cigar.
The dry puff of the cigar primes the palate with notes of graham cracker and dark cacao while the nose is full of dried fruit and cinnamon. On first light, I pick up notes of almond and the distinct earthiness that can be present in a lot of Dominican tobacco. But overlaying all of that is a unique, char like barbecue profile that is reminiscent of burnt ends. This was the most interesting aspect of the cigar, and it manages to be present in some form or another throughout the entire smoke.
At this point, I took my first paired sip of the Jeffersons, and I received a blast of cinnamon and spice from the bourbon, while the bourbon in turn amplified the leather and almond aspects of the cigar. As I continued through the first half of the cigar, each sip pulled out more of the cherry profile, which nicely complemented the meaty aspects of the cigar.
As I continued through the first third of the cigar, the grassy earthiness takes a backseat, allowing the barbecue and almond notes to become much more present. As I approach the end of that third a mild baking spice begins to come forward. The body hovers around medium-plus while the strength of the cigar stays firmly in the medium range. The burn line is impeccable, and the ash is slightly flaky and distinctly white.
The second third sees the sweetness and spice growing, reminiscent of baked goods, a pleasant fingerprint of the Dominican origins of the cigar. The charred meat remains present but takes a backseat throughout most of the second third. About halfway through the cigar, the burn line starts to get a bit uneven, so I finally let my ash go in the hopes that it will even out, and by the tail end of the third, it is back to a nice even burn.
By the time I hit the final third of the cigar the dark cacao nib flavor becomes increasingly present, blending in with the berry and almond from the start of the smoke. Once again, the charred meat takes a backseat but never goes away. The burn line once again gets a little wonky but evens out with a little attention. Despite the occasional uneven burn, I never have to touch up the cigar with my lighter. The cigar finishes with a strong dark chocolate and finally sees the charred barbecue profile reside. The total smoke time for this cigar clocked in at 1 hour and 35 minutes.
The E.P.C. Colaboraciones is a very unique and complex cigar that, rather than taking big swings, slowly evolves throughout the experience. While I would have liked to have seen some of that barbecue step back further during the second half of the cigar, I also found it to be the most interesting aspect of the cigar and wasn’t upset at its consistent presence. Whether you are looking for an introduction to a Dominican profile or just want something different out of that region, the E.P.C. Colaboraciones is a fantastic choice!
