In 2010, the recently launched E.P. Carrillo introduced the Short Run 2010, marking the inception of the Short Run series. The initial concept appeared to entail crafting a limited edition blend annually, offering it in various sizes, and repeating the process. If someone had mentioned in 2010 that the 2023 Short Run release would hail from Honduras, one might have speculated that the company had established a factory there. However, it would have been improbable to guess that Oscar Valladares would be the mastermind behind the cigar, especially considering my lack of knowledge about him at the time.
But that’s precisely what unfolded.
The trajectory of the Short Run Series has undeniably taken some unexpected turns. From 2010 to 2016, it stood as a yearly highlight for the company. Subsequently, from 2017 to 2020, there were no Short Run releases, only to make a comeback in 2021, albeit without the usual fanfare surrounding new E.P. Carrillo launches.
Now, for the third consecutive year, the Short Run is back, but with a notable twist—it’s the first to be produced outside Tabacalera La Alianza S.A., the factory owned by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. Instead, production has shifted to Honduras under the expertise of Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co. In terms of blend, it features an Ecuadorian habano binder complemented by Nicaraguan binder and a blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos.
The decision to collaborate with Oscar Valladares stemmed from Perez-Carrillo Jr.’s quest for Honduran filler tobacco from Copán, which Valladares happened to possess, sparking discussions between the two.