Video review HERE.
The Epicurean Carnavale is the newest addition to the Epicurean line-up. Epicurean Cigars are part of House of Emilio. This is the second Epicurean cigar that I have reviewed. The first was the Gonzo Vintage 2007 Trajabador (5 x 56) which I reviewed last April.
This cigar uses a Colorado habano oscuro wrapper grown in Jalapa, Nicaragua, American broadleaf and Honduran binders and three ligero fillers, which include tobaccos from the Jalapa region as well as ASP Estelí ligero, one of the more prized Nicaraguan filler tobaccos at the moment.
Four sizes will be released, each factory-pressed:
Lancero (6 1/2 x 38, $8.60)
Petite Corona (5 1/2 x 48, $9)
Toro (6 x 52, $10) REVIEWED TODAY
Trabajdor (5 x 56, $9.60)
Each size will be limited to 1,000 boxes of 20 cigars annually, double the amount originally planned. In addition, the project was originally known as Carnivale, which is also the name of CAO Brazilia release.
The cigars are made at Plasencia Cigars S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua and distributed by House of Emilio.
The cigar is very well made and box pressed. It has a nice feel in the hand. Here is a shot of the foot.
The test draw after cutting the cap was very good. The cigar had nice sweetness immediately at light up. The first flavors were sweet cedar, cinnamon, boysenberry, dry wood, and coffee. The cigar is very sweet. The pepper seems to be a mix of black and red pepper. I rate the pepper at an 8+.
About one inch in the flavors have settled down into sweet cedar, white chocolate, dry wood, and coffee. The white chocolate gives the cigar a thick sweetness bordering on richness but not quite. I still get red and black pepper but it seems to be settling down into one soon. The cigar is medium bodied. The finish is a toasted cream with nice lingering red pepper.
2 1/2 inches in the burn got a little weird but it shows signs of evening out soon. The flavors are, in order of prominence, sweet cedar, dry wood, cinnamon, white chocolate, and coffee. The finish is a toasted cream with a lot of lingering black pepper. The pepper has settled down into only a black. The cigar is medium to full bodied now. 
With only about 2 inches left the white chocolate has changed to a brown sugar. The other flavor notes are still intact. The cigar is still medium to full bodied and the finish is unchanged.
I have enjoyed this cigar a lot. I like a cigar that has numerous changes. The dry wood played a big part in this cigar. The pepper was very good starting with red and black and settling into black. Look for these anywhere that sells House of Emilio cigars. Very good cigar.
Score: 93
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