The Circle of Life is a collaborative project between Rick Rodriguez of West Tampa Tobacco Company and Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, bringing together two well known cigar blenders. Unlike the regular West Tampa lines produced in Nicaragua, this cigar is produced at Casa Carrillo in the Dominican Republic, the factory owned by Perez-Carrillo. The blend is intentionally somewhat undisclosed, though it is known to feature a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over Nicaraguan tobaccos. The cigar tends to open with earthy and leathery notes accompanied by pepper on the retrohale. As the smoke develops, flavors such as cocoa, cinnamon, herbs, and bread emerge while pepper remains present in the background. The final third often shifts toward deeper roasted notes such as coffee and charred meat along with earth and spice. The body stays around medium while flavor intensity builds as the cigar progresses. The collaboration between Rodriguez and Perez-Carrillo gives the cigar a different feel from the core West Tampa lineup, blending West Tampa’s flavor philosophy with the construction style and experience of the Carrillo factory.
West Tampa Tobacco Co. Circle of Life
The Circle of Life is a collaborative project between Rick Rodriguez of West Tampa Tobacco Company and Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, bringing together two well known cigar blenders. Unlike the regular West Tampa lines produced in Nicaragua, this cigar is produced at Casa Carrillo in the Dominican Republic, the factory owned by Perez-Carrillo. The blend is intentionally somewhat undisclosed, though it is known to feature a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over Nicaraguan tobaccos. The cigar tends to open with earthy and leathery notes accompanied by pepper on the retrohale. As the smoke develops, flavors such as cocoa, cinnamon, herbs, and bread emerge while pepper remains present in the background. The final third often shifts toward deeper roasted notes such as coffee and charred meat along with earth and spice. The body stays around medium while flavor intensity builds as the cigar progresses. The collaboration between Rodriguez and Perez-Carrillo gives the cigar a different feel from the core West Tampa lineup, blending West Tampa’s flavor philosophy with the construction style and experience of the Carrillo factory.