EPC Cigar Co. Bringing Back Short Run
When Ernesto Perez-Carrillo opened EPC Cigar Co. in 2010, one of his first brands was Short Run. The idea was to produce limited batches of cigars utilizing smaller parcels of tobacco, inventories that couldn’t a regular-production brand. He’s bringing back the concept, and he’s going old school by using the original band.
It’s been five years since Short Run has been on the market. “Our last Short Run was in 2016,” said Perez-Carrillo. “We are bringing it back Retro style with the original band from our first Short Run in 2010.”
The Short Run blend, by its nature, changes, so don’t expect the 2021 version to taste like the cigar from 2010. Short Run Retro is made with an Ecuador Habano wrapper, binder from Nicaragua and a mix of Dominican and Nicaraguan filler.
Short Run Retro 2021 consists of three sizes, with names evoking the vinyl records that Perez-Carrillo enjoys, particularly “Spain” by Chick Corea, which he listens to over and over while working on a blend. Short Play, a robusto measuring 5 by 50, is the cigar equivalent of a music single. Extended Play, a 6-by-52 toro, is like a half-length album, and Long Play, the fattest of the trio (6 by 60) is comparable to a standard vinyl LP.
The cigars retail for $7.50, $8.50 and $9.50, respectively. The first run, which is going out next week to 150 cigar stores, will consist of some 40,000 cigars. If production capacity allows, the company will do a second run later in the year, shipping to more stores.
