Last year, at the 2022 Premium Cigar Association trade show, E.P. Carrillo debuted a new project called Platinum Bash to celebrate the iconic blender’s birthday. As soon as the show concluded, a limited quantity of Platinum Bash packs were released across the country. Within each box were 3 different cigars, and a special QR code. Using that code, anyone with a pack of their own could submit proof of purchase and vote for which of the three they liked best. Differentiated by their distinctly different wrappers, each of the three cigars bore a different color foot band – red, gold, and platinum. The only way to obtain these special 3-packs was at an event, or by purchasing a box of E.P. Carrillo cigars.
The winning blend – of which just 500 boxes exist – features a Mexican wrapper, Ecuadorian binder, and a combination of filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Coincidentally, this is also the blend that was wearing the platinum band in the voting pack. While the final version of the Platinum Bash has begun shipping to retailers nationwide, not all 500 boxes have left Perez-Carrillo’s factory in the the Dominican Republic, Tabacalera La Alianza.
“Shipping begins to stores this week and will continue thru May as we get additional inventory from the factory,” shares the company. This means that even if you don’t see the new Platinum Rush in your favorite shop soon, it could still be on it’s way. Ask around next time you’re in, but just know that every single box sold out in advance last year at PCA. So, if your local shop doesn’t already have an order in, you’re not going to see these cigars on their shelves. The brand has just released a video related to the launch of Platinum Bash, which you can check out below:
Select E.P. Carrillo offerings, as well as other projects produced at Tabacalera La Alianza, are available at Privada Cigar Club.