Encore Black by E.P. Carrillo Churchill Review

Overview

When Ernesto Perez-Carrillo set out to create the Encore line, he aimed to honor the legacy of his father while forging a new chapter in the family’s storied history. The result was a cigar that earned near-universal acclaim for its balance and sophistication. But for those who craved a darker, more assertive voice from the same blend, Perez-Carrillo answered with the Encore Black — and in the Churchill vitola, it finds its most commanding expression. Draped in a Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrapper that hovers between Colorado Maduro and near-black, the Encore Black Churchill is a study in controlled power. The wrapper’s lightly oily, slightly toothy texture signals depth before the first cut is made, and at seven inches by a 50-ring gauge, the Churchill format demands both time and attention. This is a cigar built not for haste but for ritual — a smoke that unfolds in distinct chapters, each more compelling than the last.

From the cold draw, with its notes of dark chocolate, dried cherry, and a whisper of cedar, the Encore Black announces its intentions. The first third delivers roasted espresso, dark cocoa, and a firm foundation of earth and leather, punctuated by a black pepper retrohale that sets a bold stage. As the ash forms and holds, the second third reveals a more intricate interplay: dried fig, raisin, toasted oak, and a subtle creaminess that tempers the pepper without diminishing the cigar’s assertive character. By the final third, the profile deepens further — roasted coffee, dark earth, a pronounced cedar note, and a bittersweet dark chocolate finish that lingers long after the last draw. The strength builds steadily, climbing to a medium-full plateau that remains refined, never harsh, a testament to the careful aging of the Nicaraguan long-leaf fillers.

What elevates the Encore Black Churchill beyond its modest price point is the craftsmanship behind it. Rolled at the E.P. Carrillo factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, the construction is exemplary — an effortless draw, a razor-straight burn line, and a firm charcoal-gray ash that holds well past the one-inch mark. This is the kind of precision that has made the Carrillo name synonymous with consistency. Yet the Encore Black also carries a certain under-the-radar appeal. In a landscape where cigar prices have climbed precipitously, the Encore Black Churchill delivers complexity and character that rival cigars costing $25 or more, without the prestige tax.

In the broader canon of E.P. Carrillo’s portfolio, the Encore Black represents the darker, more muscular sibling to the original Encore — a bolder expression of the same genetic code. It is not a cigar for the impatient or the novice, but for the aficionado who understands that great things take time. The Churchill vitola, with its 90-minute-plus smoking session, is an invitation to slow down, to savor the evolution, and to appreciate a blend that punches well above its weight. The Encore Black may not shout for attention, but it commands respect with every draw.