Smoked: EP Carrillo Allegiance Sidekick

Smoked at: Sharonville, Ohio

EP Carrillo Allegiance Sidekick is a med-full body, medium strength box pressed robust with a toothy, dark brown Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper. It has my attention already.

Flavor profile: Pepper, cedar, some creaminess, caramel, roasted coffee (or coffee beans), roasted nuts (like the aroma you get from vendors selling them at a carnival), earth, some spice beyond the pepper, perhaps nutmeg. There are a few puffs of oak, maybe charred wood and an unidentifiable dried fruit, particularly during the final third. The sweetness and the spice balance out very nicely.

Retrohale is heavy on the pepper and wood and roasted nuts. In fact, both the wood and nutty notes include a toasted, roasted, burning quality.

The construction on this cigar is excellent - loose, cool draw, even burn, good amount of smoke output and no wrapper issues.

The Allegiance is a terrific smoke. I can see (or taste) why it ended up #5 Cigar of the Year. Well, it was the toro hat took the honors, but this vitola will do just fine.