EP Carrillo Battleborn Toro

Purchased: Single Toro (6 X 56)
Price: $28.95
Store: West Coast Cigars, San Jose, CA
Buy Again: Yes
Box Worthy: Yes
Experience Rating: 94

I love smoking cigars with a mythology behind them, or at least a great story. It doesn’t necessarily compel me to buy a cigar because of its story, but it does make it interesting. And frankly, I’ve learned that in many cases, cigars with a story aren’t nearly as good as their stories. But that’s not the case with the EPC Battleborn.

The backstory on this cigar is that it is a personal tribute to US Navy veteran, Lionel H. McCoy, a close friend and supporter of the Carrillo family. I tried doing a search on McCoy, but came up empty-handed. So, he wasn’t famous. But according to research I did on the cigar’s story, after he served in the Navy, he was deeply involved with veterans affairs, and it was this work that inspired the creation of this cigar.

This is a limited release. Only 2500 boxes of 20 were produced, and a portion of the proceeds goes to veteran-focused charities, specifically towards those connected to McCoy’s advocacy network. The name of the cigar is a reflection of the “Battleborn” ethos – resilience, discipline, and service. And the cigar’s intent is to reflect that ethos.

So, does it live up to that ethos? It does, and in a big way. First of all, this is a bold and strong cigar, like you’d expect from a warrior. This isn’t a cigar whose true nature hides behind niceties and costumes. It is unapologetic about its identity.

But don’t mistake this cigar for the Hollywood dumb grunt goon of a soldier. This cigar is like a true warrior who, despite their physical prowess, lives a life of discipline, restraint, and honor. I realize that I’m waxing poetically, but this cigar reflects that nature.

It’s strong – very strong – and I can feel its strength as I smoke through it. But that strength is delivered with discipline and restraint. It’s delivered with self-awareness; it knows exactly what it is and shows no shame in that. It’s like when you’re around a warrior, their strength is implicit, but that’s not what draws you to them. They have a certain aura about them – you know they’ve got their shit together.

The blend says it all with this cigar. CT Broadleaf over dual Mexican and Nicaraguan binders with a Nicaraguan core. The result is a cigar that smokes amazingly like the La Aurora Family Creed I smoked yesterday, which immediately establishes a core identity. But unlike the Family Creed, once the core identity is set, that’s what you get.

Here’s the core: Dark cocoa powder, espresso, cream, tannins, hickory, cedar, black pepper, a hint of broadleaf sweetness, and a mineral, slightly spicy undertone on the finish.

And though operating from an apparent simple core like this might seem boring and unimaginative, nothing is boring about this cigar. For me, even though the profile may seem narrow, there’s an it factor about it that I’m loving while I smoke it.

Smoking this reminds me of my good friend and mentor, Dan. If anyone in my life embodied the consummate warrior, it’s him. He is a highly-ranked sensei of Takemusu Aikido, the style attributed to Morihiro Saito, a disciple of Ueshiba Sensei, the founder of Aikido. At an early age, I learned the way of the warrior from Dan. It wasn’t just the martial arts, but it was a way of conducting my life with discipline and honor, living my life like a warrior – or at least doing the best I can. And this cigar embodies that. It’s a fitting tribute to those who serve our country!

Though I think it’s box-worthy, I will probably only buy a fiver going forward. At over $100 for a fiver online, it’s not cheap. But it would be worth it to me to have a few on hand.