The EP Carrillo INCH Nicaragua No.60 hits like a Nicaraguan flavor tsunami in a 60-ring gauge package. This box-pressed beast measures 5⅞" with all-Nicaraguan tobacco from Plasencia farms, packing enough oomph to make your taste buds stand at attention. Priced around $248 per box of 24, it's that afternoon smoke you save for when you really want to chew on some serious flavor.
The initial puffs come out swinging - black pepper spray to the palate with an earthy undertow. Smoke production's moderate, but there's enough cocoa powder sweetness to keep it from being a total thug. Ash holds tight for about 1.5 inches before the first tap.
Here's where the Nicaraguan terroir flexes. Leathery notes emerge alongside roasted coffee beans, but watch for that sneaky nicotine kick creeping up around the band. Burn line stays razor-straight if you're nursing it slow, which you better be with this gauge.
Last act brings the dark chocolate bitterness we crave, though some find the mineral intensity borders on ashtray territory. Smart move to nub it before the 2-inch mark unless you dig that acrid finish. Retrohale reveals hidden cashew nuances beneath the power.
