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June 28, 2026 · 10:34 am

Knuckle Sandwich Avant Garde, ATL La Carousel and Carrillo Ascend Cigars

After a stretch of really having to hunt down new cigars to try, I find myself with a nice variety to choose from. I can tell you that next week’s post will likely have a theme, and it will be consistent with the holiday! I also have a giveaway coming up, so that’s something to look forward to. I have a problem with ending sentences with a preposition, it’s a lifelong struggle. It just seems awkward to say “something which to look forward”, it’s not the way I talk. I hope you can forgive me. Anyway, on with the show. I started off with an Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Avant Garde, generously gifted to me by Dan of Wooden Indian fame. These are $18, which is over my personal threshold. This is a 6″ x 54 toro, with an Ecuadorian Habano oscuro wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers. Oscuro is an odd descriptor, as it has a lighter wrapper. I was told that this cigar sneaks up on you, which runs a bit contrary to the press on it, which says it’s supposed to be more approachable. I found that it started bready and went from a saccharine to a cane sugar sweetness. The second half didn’t ramp up the way I was led to expect, I’d say that, yes, this is a very approachable cigar, and delicious. I really liked it and it’s a cigar that I may pry my wallet open to buy if I’m feeling reckless. Of course, the Knuckle Sandwich line is made by Espinosa for Guy Fieri, who’s fairly well known, and recently partnered with Espinosa to build a factory in the DR. Thank you Dan for allowing my to try this cigar!

I received a couple cigar from the folks at ATL Cigar Co. this week, their latest offering, the La Carousel-1960. You may remember that I talked to them at the TPE show a few years back, for your convenience, here’s a link. Unlike Espinosa, ATL has this cigar listed on their website! I guess it’s a long standing peeve of mine that companies can’t keep their sites up to date! Anyway, the La Carousel was a 6½” x 56 toro, and is also available in a robusto. Of course, I prefer the toro (extra), and I’m glad they sent me that size. Whe cigar is wrapped in dark Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro, with a Jalapa Valley binder and fillers from Jalapa and Estelí, and is named not for a children’s ride, but a jazz club that was known as Atlanta’s jazz Mecca, as well as an early non-segregated nightclub. It opened in 1960. Even though this cigar has a similar wrapper to the Knuckle Sandwich, it tastes nothing like it. OK, some sweetness comes in toward the end, but it starts out leathery with some spice. The burn and draw were perfect. I was not disappointed.

My final cigar for this instalment was given to me by Salim Hanono, the COO of Casa Carrillo, at the Smoke-onos. It’s the latest offering in the Perez-Carrillo line, the Ascend. I smoked the 5″ x 50 Saddle, with the other sizes available being the 6″x52 Ridge and the 6¼” x 58 Peak. These names represent the stages of a climb, mountain, I assume. I didn’t think I was smoking with the theme this week, but apparently I did. The Ascend has an Ecuador Habano wrapper, binder form Esteli and Nicaraguan fillers, all made in the Carrillo factory in the DR. It’s funny how when I think of Dominican cigars, EPC doesn’t really come to mind, although I know Ernesto has been making cigars there since the mid-90s. I honestly don’t care where a cigar is made as long as it works right and tastes good, which this cigar did. It started with some sweet woodiness, and developed some spice. All three of these cigars with Ecuador Habano wrappers had a distinctly different taste. Those people who say that 80% of a cigars flavor comes from the wrapper are full of shit, or my palate sucks.

That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

😃+

The Casa Carrillo Social Media Collector’s Box Cigars

This week I smoked my way through the Casa Carrillo Social Media Three Blend Collectors Box, which was generously provided to me by the company. This is an interesting project. These are only going to be available from the company. They will be having sweepstakes and social media engagements where people will have an opportunity to get this collectors box. I remember when Ernesto first launched the website for what was then E.P. Carrillo, it was basically just a map that popped up tweets that tagged the company. It was pretty cutting edge for a traditional cigar guy. I have been a fan of Ernesto for many years, going back to La Gloria Cubana when one had to fax their order to the factory in Little Havana, and when people would request Miami made Wavells over one’s made in the new Dominican factory. I have also enjoyed the recent stuff. After smoking the three cigars in the Collectors Box, I have some comments.

I started with either number 1 or number 3, I honestly am not sure which. Perhaps it would have been better to differentiate these better. Both are 6″ x 52 toros. To the eye the wrappers are nearly the exact same color. Based on flavor, I’m going to say I smoked the No. 3, which has an Ecuador Habano wrapper, Mexican binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. it starts out with a sweet spice, with the spice picking up quite a bit in the second half. I didn’t get a Ecuador Connecticut vibe at all, which leads me to my conclusion. I quite enjoyed this one.

I went into the second toro, which we’ll assume was No.1, thinking I’d definitely know it was the Ecuador Connecticut wrapped one, but when I lit it, I still had doubts. Maybe the Connecticut broadleaf binder threw it off, I can see the broadleaf overpowering the shade. This also has Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. Like I said, side by side the wrappers were virtually the same color, and vein structure. Before I read the literature, which I almost always smoke things like this before learning about them, I thought maybe they had the same wrapper with different fillers. Naturally, I was wrong. This did have some acidity, which moved more to a distinct citrus. It wasn’t the sort of cigar I gravitate towards, which makes me think even more that this was the no. 1 cigar.

I figured I was saving the best for last, cigar number 2, the dark torpedo, or piramides, In my mind, it might have been a better idea to make the Habano a figurado, and the Mexican and Shade toros, so that yutzes like me can make a clear distinction. I’m neither a cigar maker, nor a marketer, what do I know. I found this guy to be earthy, no doubt about the Mexican wrapper. I would have thought the Habano binder might add some sweetness, but it didn’t really come through. The filler is Nicaraguan and Dominican, one must assume it’s different varietals in the three as there wasn’t much I found similar between them. I had to cut the pointed head a few times to get the draw close to right. I liked the first toro I smoked the best. These are three distinctly different cigars, and it’s a neat idea from a company that’s had a big social media presence since the beginning. Considering Social Media isn’t exactly cigar friendly, this seems to be a reasonably safe promotion, meaning that it isn’t going to cost them a lot and stands to give more positives than anything else. It’s pretty cool. Maybe with some age the cigars would suit my palate more, but I’m never going to know, am I? I will certainly continute to support Ernesto and smoke his cigars whenever I can.

That’s all for today. I’m happy that March is here, I’m looking forward to being able to get out and about a little more after my winter hibernation. I have a brand new scooter that I want to put some miles on! Anyway, until the next time,

CigarCraig