E.P. Carrillo Ascend Ridge Review

For this E.P. Carrillo Ascend Ridge review, I decided to approach things a little differently. Instead of looking up the blend beforehand, I grabbed the cigar, headed outside on a cool afternoon, and went into this one completely blind.

I feel like this approach not only made things more interesting, but it was also pretty fun. Somewhere around mid-cigar, I remember thinking there was something about the flavor that brought Nicaraguan tobacco to mind. I had no idea what was actually in the blend at the time, and I intentionally waited until I was completely finished before looking.

More importantly, I really enjoyed the cigar. The Ascend Ridge landed almost exactly where I want an afternoon cigar to be. It wasn't too mellow, and it certainly wasn't too bold. There was enough flavor and progression throughout to keep things interesting all the way through.

Quick Answer: Is the E.P. Carrillo Ascend Ridge Worth It?

Yes, I really enjoyed the Perez-Carrillo Ascend Ridge. For me, this was a flavorful medium-bodied cigar mainly focused on baking spice, sweet tobacco, and almond, with earth, leather, and some woodiness showing up along the way.

The construction was also excellent. I never had to touch up the burn or relight the cigar; the draw was right where I wanted it to be, and the smoke production only seemed to get better as I worked my way through it.

E.P. Carrillo Ascend Ridge Cigar Details

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Factory: Casa Carrillo Cigar Factory, Santiago, Dominican Republic

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Available Sizes: Saddle (Robusto 5 x 50), Ridge (Toro 6 x 52), Peak (Gordo 6 1/4 x 58)

Size Reviewed: Ridge (6 x 52)

Notable Features: Soft box-pressed cigar blended with flavor progression in mind

Flavor Highlights: Baking spice, anise, sweet tobacco, almond, earth, leather

Price Point: $13.75 MSRP per cigar / $275 per 20-count box

The Story Behind Perez Carrillo and the Casa Carrillo Ascend

The Perez-Carrillo Ascend is a newer regular-production line from Casa Carrillo Cigars that made its debut this year in 2026. The idea behind the series is progression, both in the names of the three vitolas and in how the blend itself is intended to develop as you smoke it.

The line is offered in three vitolas: the 5 x 50 Carrillo Ascend Saddle, 6 x 52 Ridge, and 6 1/4 x 58 Peak. As the names suggest, each represents another stage in the climb. All three are made at the Casa Carrillo factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic, using an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over an Estelí, Nicaragua binder and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos.

What I found interesting after finishing it was learning that Casa Carrillo specifically developed the Perez-Carrillo Ascend around flavor progression. I didn't know that going into the review, but it ended up matching my experience pretty well. The profile definitely changed as I worked my way through it, especially once I reached the second third.

It also made that Nicaraguan character I thought I was picking up make a little more sense once I finally looked at the blend.

Cold Draw & First Impressions

Right off the bat, the first thing I noticed was the softer pressed shape that I've come to expect from Casa Carrillo. The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper had a nice toothy texture with only a couple of really noticeable veins, and the cigar felt evenly packed from end to end with no obvious soft or hard spots.

It has a really good presentation to it. The red accents and gold highlights on the band against the darker wrapper give it a classy look without going overboard.

Off the foot, earth and leather were the first aromas that stood out to me. The cap cut cleanly, and the cold draw had just about the perfect amount of resistance. I picked up sweet tobacco, some earth, and what I thought might have been a little cedar.

Interestingly, I also noticed a baking-spice aroma from the freshly cut cap that I wasn't getting nearly as much from the foot. That ended up being a pretty good preview of where the cigar was headed.

First Third

Once I got the Ascend Ridge lit, sweet tobacco was the first flavor that really stood out to me, along with an earthiness that seemed to be there from the beginning. There was also a nice sweetness on the finish, and even the aroma coming off the cigar was enjoyable right out of the gate.

As I worked further into the first third, an almond note started to develop along with some light woodiness. The smoke itself had a creamy feel in my mouth, and those flavors were working really well together.

Leather became more noticeable on the retrohale, where the sweetness also seemed a little stronger. Overall, sweet tobacco stood out as one of the main flavors for me, but there was already enough happening around it to keep the profile interesting.

The Ascend was sitting pretty comfortably at medium-bodied for me, and the burn was off to an excellent start with a straight burn line and bright white ash.

Second Third

The second third ended up being my favorite part of the cigar. This was where the baking spice I had picked up from the cap before lighting really started to show itself in the flavor, while the almond became even more noticeable.

Looking back on it, there was also a definite anise-like quality mixed into that baking spice. It reminded me a little of the spice character I remember from the San Cristobal Quintessence Review I did a while back. Sometimes I can recognize a flavor before I can name it, and that was the case here.

The sweetness and nuttiness also had some staying power. Instead of disappearing immediately between draws, both seemed to hang around on the finish.

This was also around the point where something about the cigar made me think of Nicaraguan tobacco. I still hadn't looked at the blend and honestly couldn't have told you exactly why that thought popped into my head. There was just something familiar about the combination of earth, nuttiness, and spice. As it turns out, I wasn't too far off.

Final Third

Moving into the final third, the baking spice had moved completely front and center. At the same time, some of the sweetness that had followed the cigar through the first two-thirds started to back off, allowing more earth and creaminess to come through.

Smoke production had also increased quite a bit by this point. The smoke became noticeably thicker, but what impressed me was that it stayed cool and smooth even as I got further down the cigar.

The overall profile never became overly heavy, either. It stayed right around medium-bodied for me, with the strength landing in roughly the same place. There was enough of a kick to know it was there, but this was nowhere close to what I'd consider a nicotine bomb.

By the end, the Ridge had changed enough from where it started to make the progression noticeable without ever feeling like it became a completely different cigar.

Construction, Burn & Draw Performance

Construction was easily one of the strongest parts of the cigar. The cold draw started with just about the perfect amount of resistance, and that carried over once it was lit.

The burn stayed impressively straight throughout, and I never had to touch it up or relight it. The ash was bright white and a little flaky early on, but it still held together nicely. Smoke production was good from the beginning and became noticeably thicker as I moved into the second half.

What impressed me most was how cool everything remained, even as I worked my way into the final third. From start to finish, there really wasn't anything about the construction, burn, or draw that got in the way of the experience.

Who Is the E.P. Carrillo Ascend Ridge For?

For me, this cigar fits really nicely into that middle ground for someone who wants plenty of flavor without necessarily reaching for something bold and full-bodied.

I smoked mine outside on a cool afternoon, and honestly, that felt like just about the perfect setting for it. The body and strength gave me enough to stay interested, while the combination of baking spice, almond, sweet tobacco, earth, and creaminess never became too heavy.

That's probably when I'd reach for one again. I could also see it working really well in the morning if you wanted something with a little more strength than your typical mild morning cigar, especially alongside a cup of coffee.

If your preference usually falls somewhere around medium-bodied cigars and you enjoy profiles built around warm spice, nuttiness, and some natural sweetness, the Perez-Carrillo Ascend should be an interesting one to try.

Final Verdict

Going into the Perez-Carrillo Ascend Ridge completely blind made this one a little more interesting for me, but even without that part of the experience, I came away really enjoying the cigar.

The combination of baking spice, anise, sweet tobacco, and almond was the highlight for me, with earth, leather, and some creaminess adding more depth as the cigar progressed. The second third was easily my favorite part, especially once the baking spice and almond really started to come through and the smoke production picked up.

Construction was also excellent. I never had to touch up the burn or relight the cigar; the draw was right where I wanted it, and it stayed cool all the way into the final third.

More than anything, though, it just worked for the setting. It's a flavorful medium-bodied cigar with enough strength to keep things interesting without becoming too heavy. I smoked it on a cool afternoon, and that's exactly where I can see myself grabbing another one of these.

Ratings Breakdown

Where To Buy E.P. Carrillo Ascend Cigars Online

I smoked the 6 x 52 Ridge for this E.P. Carrillo Ascend review, but the Perez-Carrillo Ascend line is also available in the smaller 5 x 50 Carrillo Ascend Saddle and larger 6 1/4 x 58 Peak.

We currently carry the EP Carrillo Ascend at After Action Cigars, so if the combination of baking spice, nuttiness, natural sweetness, and a medium-bodied profile sounds like something you'd enjoy, you can check out the available sizes below.

After smoking the Ridge, I'd absolutely smoke this one again. The Ridge feels like a great fit for that afternoon slot, although I'd be interested to see how the blend changes in the smaller Saddle as well.