E.P Carrillo: Perez Carrillo Endure Toro Cigar Review - An Unforgettable Moment

It’s the last of the good Dubai weather these days. Calling it good is stretching, I’m already sweating just from setting up my smoking zone in my patio. There is no wind, which I prefer when smoking outdoors, but the temperature is a balmy 26 degrees Celcius, which is just under 80 degrees Fahrenheit for you Americans. You guys are currently bombing four countries at the same time. Keep it up. My neighbor’s a Brit that has a MAGA hat. Go figure.

Anyways, it’s been a shit week, mainly because of Omar, and next week is gonna be shittier, also because of Omar. Adham’s been on my ass wanting me to review a cigar for ‘SEO’ purposes. I think he gets off on our numbers. He told me to review one of the Jose L. Piedras I snagged in Dubai Duty Free last week. BUT my kid and wife have been sick all weekend, and I’m sitting here in a T-shirt that I’ve been using to wipe my kid’s nose all day, and I am gonna review this stick, because I need a fucking break. Anyways, rant over, let’s DO THIS THING (Ratatouille reference)

Appearance, Aroma & Texture

Already took off the bottom wrapper before I took the picture, oops. This is a medium dark brown, with an interesting nose. The wrapper is veiny, and has a slight sheen to it. On the nose, I’m getting spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, cherry,  and also straight up tobacco on the foot. Meerapfel wrapper is interesting. I went to the launch of the Meerapfel cigar around a year ago. Interesting smoke, not so memorable to be honest. But let’s see how this turns out. I got it for free when I went to the Perez Carrillo launch a couple weeks ago, and apparently it pairs well with aged Scotch, robust coffee and ‘unforgettable moments’. I got this off the product page, and I really don’t know what to say. I made a cheap espresso from my Nespresso machine to pair with this. They need to have a word with their marketing people.. Unforgettable moments. It gets better, scroll down and it changes the pairing recommendation to ‘Quiet Moments of Reflection’. What the actual fuck. 
Cold draw feels loose, this might be a delicate smoke, makes sense given the pretentiousness of its product page. Getting the same notes on the cold draw as the nose. 

Initial Light

Spice, Spice and more spice. But not pepper. Very interesting. Herbal notes as well. The finish is long, and it lingers, notes of cinnamon, nutmeg. 

This will be the last review I do outdoors for the next few months. These mosquitoes are eating me alive, but you get used to it; living in the Dubai suburbs. I started reading Brandon Sanderson a few months back, and just started the second book in the Mistborn Trilogy a few weeks ago. Enjoyable read so far. Between work and family life, I try to mash all the things I like doing into the few free hours I have during the week. 

Omar’s at Vintage with friend of the pod, Humza. He asked me to come, but the wife and I watched the season finale of Severance, season 2. Great show, if you haven’t watched it. Mal binged it all last week. Don’t worry, no spoilers here. 

First Third - 15 minutes

OK - 15 minutes in, and we are getting comfortable with this baby. It is a delicate smoke, draw is on the acceptable side of ‘loose’. Very smooth smoke. Flavor profile is mostly on the front and top of my palette, if that makes any sense. Same spice notes are there, the cinnamon, the nutmeg, but herbal notes are gone. Baking spices play around for a few seconds then they vanish as well. So far, very…meh. 

Second Third - 40 minutes

Gotta say, this is burning great. No touch ups needed, leaving it for minutes at a time while reading my book. I expected the construction to be good. Sadly, that’s where the good points end. Notes are so light, fleeting. The notes of baking spices are fading, and the finish is….first word that comes to mind is - limp. Unforgettable Moments. Hahahahaha. Adham probably helped them write that. Just kidding Cuz. Well not really; after all,  he’s in charge of a blog telling people to invest in Dubai real estate…. Anyways back to my book, right now that is more interesting than this stick.

Last Third - 1 hour 25 minutes

God this is a slow burn. Usually I wouldn’t mind, but the mosquitoes have already messed up my ankles. Why do they go for the fucking ankles? 

The strength at the last third picked up a bit, I was hoping for a bit more action here. Flavors are muddled, light earth tones with a weird, peppery aftertaste. Not very pleasant I must say. Eh, what the hell, it was a free stick. I remember being similarly underwhelmed at the Meerapfel launch. That stick is now being sold at 500 dirhams a pop. If this is similarly priced, don’t waste your money here.

Final Thoughts

Let’s have a ‘Moment of Quiet Reflection’….. Unforgettable moment my arse.

Cigar Breakdown – The Nerdy Stats

• Cigar: E.P Carrillo: Perez Carrillo Endure
• Size: 6 × 52
• Wrapper: Meerapfel Cameroon
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Strength: Medium
• Body: Medium
• Cold Draw Notes: Loose draw with cinnamon, nutmeg, cherry, and tobacco.
• First Third: Smooth with cinnamon and nutmeg, but herbal notes fade quickly.
• Second Third: Great burn and construction, but flavors are faint and fleeting.
• Final Third: Strength picks up slightly, but muddled earth tones and peppery aftertaste disappoint.
• Burn Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Smoke Output: Medium

Overall Experience

This cigar is like getting excited for a Michelin-star meal and ending up with dry toast and a side of lukewarm regret. The Perez Carrillo Endure teases you with a rich, spicy cold draw—cinnamon, nutmeg, cherry, tobacco—basically promising a nostalgic walk through a Christmas spice market. But then it ghosts you harder than your Dubai Tinder date after she finds out you actually drive a civic.

The “Unforgettable Moment” this cigar gave me? Mosquito bites on both ankles, a half-finished book, and the realization I should’ve smoked literally anything else. And don’t even get me started on the marketing copy. Pairs well with Quiet Moments of Reflection? Bro, this stick was so quiet it might as well have been a silent film from 1920.

Free stick or not, the Endure is aptly named—you really do have to endure it.

#HabanoDelPodcasto #CigarPodcastDubai #DubaiCigarReviews #E.PCarrillo #Endure #PerezCarrillo #CigarReviews #NewWorldCigars #SmokeAndTalk