Casa Carrillo Ascend Saddle (5×52)

Every great climb starts somewhere. In the Ascend lineup, that starting point is the Saddle — the 5×50 Robusto that introduces the blend with balance and precision before the complexity of the larger vitolas fully takes hold. Ernesto Perez-Carrillo designed the three Ascend sizes to represent distinct stages of an ascent, and the Saddle is where your relationship with this blend begins.

The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper is applied cleanly over a Nicaraguan Estelí binder and a filler of Nicaraguan Criollo ’98 and Corojo 2012 seed tobaccos — the same foundation that runs through the entire line — but in the tighter 5×50 format the smoke is focused and immediate, delivering the core character of the blend in a way that gets right to the point. Cedar, earth, natural Habano sweetness, and a building spice that shows you where this blend is capable of going without overwhelming you on the way there. Made at the Casa Carrillo factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic. If you’ve never smoked a Perez-Carrillo cigar before, this is a great place to find out what the man is about.