Match M27 gave E.P. Carrillo Encore Majestic the opportunity to finish Group E undefeated. Encore entered at 2-0 after victories over Plasencia El Año del Caballo and Illusione Epernay L'Excellence. HVC Selección No. 1 Maduro opened its tournament against the group leader with a darker, Cuban-inspired profile.
Encore used a 5 3/8 x 52 Majestic Robusto made in the Dominican Republic with Nicaraguan wrapper, binder and filler. HVC used a 6 x 54 Poderosos rolled at Fábrica de Tabacos HVC S.A. in Estelí, pairing a Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper with Nicaraguan Jalapa binder and Estelí-Jalapa filler.
Encore scored 5.0 in construction, draw, burn, flavor complexity and balance against five 4.5 scores from HVC. Finish tied at 4.5, giving Encore five category wins, a 29.5 to 27.0 victory and the perfect 3-0 Group E record.
Matchup at a Glance
| Category | E.P. Carrillo Encore Majestic | HVC Selección No. 1 Maduro |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Casa Carrillo / E.P. Carrillo | HVC Cigars |
| Origin | Dominican Republic | Nicaragua |
| Wrapper | Nicaraguan | Mexican San Andrés Maduro |
| Binder | Nicaraguan | Nicaraguan Jalapa |
| Filler | Nicaraguan | Nicaraguan Estelí and Jalapa |
| Factory | Tabacalera La Alianza S.A. | Fábrica de Tabacos HVC S.A. |
| Vitola | Majestic Robusto, 5 3/8 x 52 | Poderosos, 6 x 54 |
| Strength | Medium-Full | Medium-Full |
| Ashology score | 29.5/30 - Exceptional | 27.0/30 - Premium |
| M27 result | Winner | Loss |
Encore opened with sweet cedar, raisin, cocoa and baking spice. Cedar, cinnamon and natural sweetness moved into cocoa and pepper before caramel, roasted nuts, coffee and dried fruit formed a balanced center. Espresso, oak and baking spice deepened the final third while sweetness remained intact.
HVC began with cedar, grass, pepper and toasted grain. Fresh cedar, white pepper and bread created a bright opening. Coffee, roasted peanuts and earth added body through the middle as a light citrus quality remained, then pepper and oak increased over a firmer coffee foundation.
The cigars shared cedar, coffee, nuts, pepper and oak, but their development followed different paths. Encore emphasized sweetness, cocoa, caramel and dried fruit with seamless transitions. HVC brought a drier and more energetic expression built around grain, earth, citrus and a traditional Cuban-inspired character.
Where the Matchup Was Decided
Encore won construction, draw, burn, flavor complexity and balance by identical 5.0 to 4.5 margins. HVC delivered six Outstanding category scores and a consistent Premium 27.0, but Encore turned five of those direct comparisons into Exceptional advantages.
Encore won five categories; HVC won none; one category tied.
Technical performance supplied three half-points. Encore's excellent draw, steady burn and firm ash earned perfect scores in construction, draw and burn. HVC produced good airflow and smoke output, but occasional minor burn variation kept each technical category at 4.5.
Encore added half-point wins in complexity and balance through deeper transitions and tighter flavor integration. Finish was the only tie: Encore closed long, sweetly spiced and refined, while HVC finished dry, lively and moderately long. Both received 4.5.
Official Result: E.P. Carrillo Encore Majestic Wins Match M27
E.P. Carrillo Encore Majestic defeated HVC Selección No. 1 Maduro and completed Group E at 3-0. The undefeated record secured first place in the Elite Luxury Group and sent Encore to the Top 16 as one of the tournament's strongest performers.
HVC opened at 0-1 and later lost to Plasencia El Año del Caballo and Illusione Epernay L'Excellence, finishing 0-3. The record did not erase the cigar's quality: six Outstanding scores produced a Premium 27.0 in one of the competition's deepest groups.
Encore advanced past Plasencia Alma Fuerte Eduardo I in the Top 16 and Davidoff Millennium in the Grand 8. It ultimately finished #4 overall at 5-2, confirming that its perfect Group E run was the beginning of a Final Four campaign.
Final Ashology Verdict
HVC Selección No. 1 Maduro earned a Premium 27.0 with six Outstanding 4.5 categories. Its cedar, pepper, bread, coffee, peanuts, earth and citrus created a distinctive medium-full profile supported by dependable construction and an appealing traditional influence.
E.P. Carrillo Encore Majestic earned an Exceptional 29.5 with five perfect categories and an Outstanding finish. Its sweeter progression, mechanical precision, greater complexity and superior integration completed a dominant group-stage performance.
M27 followed a precise scoring pattern: five half-point advantages for Encore and one tied finish. That 2.5-point margin produced the win, while the result completed a 3-0 Group E sweep for the eventual fourth-place finisher.
Tasting notes reflect the cigars and vitolas evaluated during the 2026 competition. Flavor, strength and burn performance may vary based on storage, age, vitola and individual palate. Tobacco products are intended only for adults of legal smoking age.