Casa Carrillo Expands Encore Black Line with New Bulwarks Vitola
Casa Carrillo Expands Encore Black Line by adding a bold new size. The large-format Bulwarks perfecto debuts this July, offering a fuller expression of the blend’s rich, maduro profile.
Following the successful launch of Encore Black last spring, Casa Carrillo Cigars is expanding the line with a new vitola: Encore Black Bulwarks. This latest addition will debut on 26 July 2025 at a special cigar event in Pontiac, Michigan, with initial shipments to retailers shortly thereafter. Quantities will be limited at first, with broader availability expected later in the year.
The Bulwarks is a 6 x 58 perfecto, delivering a longer and more immersive experience of the Encore Black blend. Like the original 5 x 52 parejo, this cigar features a dark and oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, paired with a San Andrés viso binder from Mexico and filler tobaccos from Estelí, Condega, and Jalapa in Nicaragua. It is designed to be a full-bodied smoke with rich complexity and bold transitions.
Each box contains 10 cigars, priced at $21 each or $210 per box. Unlike the first Encore Black release, the Bulwarks will ship without the extended black footband, a design adjustment due to the cigar’s tapered shape.
Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, founder of Casa Carrillo, described the new vitola as a natural evolution:
“Following the success of the first Encore Black vitola, we knew we wanted to expand the line with something that delivered a fuller, more immersive expression of the blend. The Bulwarks does exactly that.”
He continued:
“We saw how much smokers appreciated the complexity and boldness of the original release, and we wanted to explore how the blend could evolve in a larger format. The Bulwarks offers a slower burn and more pronounced transitions that really showcase what this blend can do.”
With its generous size and refined construction, the Bulwarks is aimed at seasoned smokers who enjoy a deeply nuanced maduro. This expansion reaffirms Casa Carrillo’s commitment to blending excellence and satisfying the growing demand for robust, full-bodied cigars.
