Casa Carrillo Pledge Purple Toro
Vitola: Toro, 6 x 54
Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Casa Carrillo
Wrapper: Aged Havana-seed Connecticut, grown by Dunn & Foster in Connecticut
Binder: Mexican
Filler: Nicaraguan — Estelí, Condega and Ometepe
Strength: Full
Production: Limited to 3,500 boxes of 10
The Story
The Pledge Purple is a fascinating evolution of the original Pledge.
Ernesto Perez-Carrillo set aside tobacco from the same Connecticut Havana-seed crop used for the original Pledge and allowed it to continue aging for years. That wrapper is now nearly a decade old.
But this isn’t simply an aged version of the original Pledge. Underneath that aged Connecticut wrapper is a completely different blend, featuring a Mexican binder and Nicaraguan fillers from Estelí, Condega and Ometepe.
Flavor Profile
First Third
The cigar opens with immediate intensity. Dark cedar, black pepper, earth and baking spice establish the foundation, while the aged Connecticut wrapper brings a layer of creaminess and subtle sweetness. There is already considerable depth for a cigar wearing a Connecticut wrapper.
Second Third
The profile begins to round out. Cocoa, coffee, earth and cedar become more pronounced, with the pepper becoming less aggressive and more integrated into the blend. The aged wrapper starts showing why it was worth waiting years for.
Final Third
The cigar becomes darker and more powerful. Pepper and earth build again while the coffee, cocoa and woody notes remain underneath. The finish is long, savory and spicy, with the cigar maintaining its full-bodied character right through the end.
Construction & Burn
The Toro is a substantial 6 x 54 format and is presented as the only vitola in the Pledge Purple release. The combination of the aged wrapper and the Nicaraguan core gives the cigar a dense, substantial smoking experience.
Overall Experience
Pledge Purple is not simply a commemorative cigar riding on the reputation of the original Pledge.
It takes one of the most important components of the original blend — that Connecticut Havana-seed wrapper — gives it years of additional aging, and then builds an entirely new blend underneath it.
That creates a cigar that feels familiar to Pledge fans but different enough to justify its own place in the lineup.
Burnt Leaf Insight
The real story here is time.
Ernesto Perez-Carrillo had the foresight to put aside tobacco from the original Pledge and let it continue aging. Pledge Purple is essentially an experiment in what happens when you take a legendary wrapper and give it nearly another decade to develop.
Then he pairs it with Mexican and Nicaraguan tobaccos that bring enough strength and character to keep that wrapper from becoming the entire story.
For me, that’s what makes Pledge Purple interesting: it’s not trying to recreate the original Pledge. It’s showing us what the Pledge could become after years of additional patience and a completely different blend underneath it.
Burnt Leaf Rating: 9.1/10
Bottom Line: A limited, full-bodied and highly distinctive Toro that combines an exceptionally aged Connecticut wrapper with a powerful Mexican and Nicaraguan core. A cigar for the experienced smoker who wants complexity, depth and a story behind the smoke.
