Looking for a Connecticut-wrapped cigar that doesn't pull its punches? The EP Carrillo New Wave Connecticut Stellas delivers a smooth-talking Nicaraguan core wrapped in peachy Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf. This 5 1/8" x42 parejo burns like it's got something to prove - starts with casual pepper banter before settling into serious conversations about cinnamon toast and roasted cashews. Newbies dig its "training wheels" mildness while veterans keep a box around for those I-don't-want-to-think-about-work smokes.
The cold draw whispers sweet nothings about graham crackers. Initial puffs bring white pepper confetti parade that'll wake up your tongue without the spice guilt. Watch that razor-sharp burn line as it transitions into creamy macadamia territory by the inch mark. Retrohale? Just a tickle.
Pepper steps back like a decent wingman letting the cedar and honeydew notes shine. Halfway through, the Nicaraguan filler starts flexing - not with brute strength but through well-defined baking spice muscles. Ash holds strong through three taps, proving Ernesto's roll team didn't phone this one in.
Enters the home stretch with espresso foam sophistication. The last inch gets chatty with unsweetened cocoa powder banter and a sneaky cashew butter finish. No tar buildup to gag on, just warm biscuits fading out like credits rolling on a good indie film.
Born in Tabacalera La Alianza's Dominican Republic workshops, this cigar's DNA test would show: Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper's golden-hour complexion, Nicaraguan binder's coffee-stained fingers, and filler leaves from Esteli's night-shift soil. The blend's secret sauce? Aging the guts longer than most millennials keep relationships.
