Brand guide
E.P. Carrillo, now Casa Carrillo
E.P. Carrillo is the Perez-Carrillo family's cigar company, renamed Casa Carrillo, with cigars made at its own factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic, and offices in Miami.
Three generations, Havana to Miami
The Perez-Carrillo cigar business began in 1948, when Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Sr. bought a small Havana factory called El Credito.
Ernesto Sr. was born in Cuba in 1904. After the revolution the government took the factory and the family fled to Miami. He bought a new factory in Little Havana and gave it the same name: El Credito.
His son Ernesto wanted to be a jazz drummer. He came home, learned the trade beside his father, and took over El Credito in 1980, at 29. There he created La Gloria Cubana. The maker says Swedish Match bought El Credito from the family in 1999, and Ernesto worked for Swedish Match and General Cigar until March 2009.
E.P. Carrillo becomes Casa Carrillo
Ernesto Perez-Carrillo launched his own company in 2009 with his son, Ernesto III, and his daughter, Lissette.
The first release was the 2009 Inaugural. For years the bands said E.P. Carrillo. The company has since renamed itself Casa Carrillo, saying it wanted its US headquarters, Dominican factory and global presence under one name. It describes itself as family owned. The Miami office is on SW 1st Street.
Where is E.P. Carrillo made?
Production happens in a leased building in Santiago's Zona Franca, the city's free trade zone.
Ernesto leased the 40,000 square foot building in April 2009 and named it Tabacalera La Alianza. It was rebranded as the Casa Carrillo Cigar Factory in 2024. The maker says leaf is fermented, aged, rolled and packed there, and that its rollers finish cigars with a triple cap. Most lines are made in-house. Some are made with partner factories.
Casa Carrillo buys leaf and re-ferments it
Casa Carrillo does not grow its own tobacco: it buys leaf from suppliers and restarts fermentation at its factory.
The maker says fermentation there runs from 6 months to 5 years, in bundles of 10 to 15 leaves. Cigars then rest in an aging room for at least 45 days. Leaf comes from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Mexico and the US, depending on the blend. Fermentation and aging are walked through step by step in how cigars are made.
E.P. Carrillo lines with stated strength
Casa Carrillo sorts its cigars into three series, Perez-Carrillo, Essence and INCH, and publishes a wrapper origin and strength for each line.
| Line | Wrapper (maker) | Maker strength | Notable sizes (in x ring) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pledge | USA | Full | Prequel 5 x 50, Sojourn 6 x 52, Apogee 6 1/4 x 58 |
| La Historia | Mexico | Medium full | El Senador 5 3/8 x 52, E-III 6 7/8 x 54 |
| Encore | Nicaragua | Medium full | Majestic 5 3/8 x 52, El Primero 6 7/8 x 54 |
| INCH Natural | Ecuador | Medium | No. 62 5 x 62 up to No. 70 7 x 70 |
| Essence Connecticut | Ecuadorian Connecticut | Mild-bodied | Listed on the maker site |
| Essence Maduro | Mexican San Andrés | Medium-bodied | Listed on the maker site |
Pledge, La Historia and Encore all use an Ecuadorian binder or a Nicaraguan filler, and all three list the Dominican Republic as origin. La Historia's band shows Ernesto's mother in the fields of Cuba and his daughter in Miami.
E.P. Carrillo milestones
The family line runs from a Havana factory purchase to a renamed Dominican operation.
- 1948: Ernesto Sr. buys El Credito in Havana.
- 1980: Ernesto takes over El Credito in Miami.
- 1999: Swedish Match buys El Credito.
- 2009: Ernesto leaves General Cigar in March, leases the Santiago factory in April, releases the Inaugural.
- 2024: Factory renamed the Casa Carrillo Cigar Factory.
What to know before you buy an E.P. Carrillo
Across the lines in the table, E.P. Carrillo sizes run from the 5 x 50 Pledge Prequel to the 7 x 70 INCH No. 70.
INCH is the outlier. Its name points at ring gauge, and the series stays between 60 and 70 ring. Check what that means in hand with our ring gauge converter. Older boxes say E.P. Carrillo. Newer ones say Casa Carrillo. Same company.
E.P. Carrillo and Casa Carrillo questions
Is E.P. Carrillo now Casa Carrillo?
Yes. The company renamed itself Casa Carrillo to put its US headquarters, Dominican factory and international business under one name, and the factory took the Casa Carrillo name in 2024.
Who is Ernesto Perez-Carrillo?
Ernesto Perez-Carrillo is the master blender behind the brand and the son of Ernesto Sr., who bought the El Credito factory in Havana in 1948. He created La Gloria Cubana in Miami before founding his own company in 2009.
Where are E.P. Carrillo cigars made?
Most are made at the Casa Carrillo factory, a 40,000 square foot building in the free trade zone of Santiago, Dominican Republic. The maker says some lines are produced with partner factories.
What does INCH mean on E.P. Carrillo cigars?
INCH refers to ring gauge: one ring is 1/64 of an inch, and the INCH series is built around large rings from 60 to 70.
Where the Casa Carrillo facts come from
- About Us, Casa Carrillo
- E.P. Carrillo Evolves into Casa Carrillo, Casa Carrillo
- Pledge: blend and sizes, Casa Carrillo