Match M36 closed Group F with E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel and San Cristobal Revelation both searching for their first tournament victory. Pledge had fallen to My Father Cigars Blue Label and Crowned Heads Mil Días. Revelation entered after losses to the same two advancing cigars.
Advancement was already settled, but third place and a winning finish remained at stake. Pledge used a box-pressed 5 x 50 Prequel made in the Dominican Republic with Connecticut Havana Seed wrapper, Ecuadorian binder and Nicaraguan filler. Revelation brought a box-pressed 6 1/4 x 52 Legend made in Estelí with Ecuadorian Sumatra over Nicaraguan binder and filler.
Draw, burn, flavor complexity, balance and finish all tied at 4.5. The entire decision came from construction, where Pledge earned the scorecard's only perfect 5.0 against Revelation's Outstanding 4.5. That half-point produced the 27.5 to 27.0 Group F finale.
Matchup at a Glance
| Category | E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel | San Cristobal Revelation |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Casa Carrillo / E.P. Carrillo | San Cristobal by Ashton |
| Origin | Dominican Republic | Nicaragua |
| Wrapper | Connecticut Havana Seed | Ecuadorian Sumatra |
| Binder | Ecuadorian | Nicaraguan |
| Filler | Nicaraguan | Nicaraguan |
| Factory | Casa Carrillo, Dominican Republic | My Father Cigars S.A., Estelí |
| Vitola | Box-pressed Prequel, 5 x 50 | Box-pressed Legend, 6 1/4 x 52 |
| Strength | Full | Medium-Full |
| Ashology score | 27.5/30 - Superior | 27.0/30 - Premium |
| M36 result | Winner | Loss |
Pledge began with cocoa, earth, pepper and cedar. Dark chocolate, black pepper and earth created an immediate full-bodied impression. Espresso, leather, toasted walnut and mild molasses deepened the middle before coffee, oak and pepper intensified into a long, dark and warming conclusion.
Revelation opened with cedar, cocoa, hay and mild pepper. Cedar and white pepper led into cocoa and toasted bread. Coffee, almond, earth and mild sweetness added body before oak and pepper strengthened while coffee carried through a woody, smooth close.
The cigars shared cocoa, earth, coffee, oak and pepper but expressed them differently. Pledge concentrated those notes into a darker, stronger profile supported by espresso, leather, walnut and molasses. Revelation remained more restrained, using hay, toasted bread, almond and mild sweetness to support a traditional Nicaraguan progression.
Where the Matchup Was Decided
Draw, burn, flavor complexity, balance and finish all ended 4.5 to 4.5. Revelation matched Pledge in airflow, combustion, flavor development, integration and closing impression, leaving no separation across five-sixths of the scorecard.
Pledge won one category; five categories tied.
Pledge earned a perfect 5.0 for construction against Revelation's Outstanding 4.5. Dense smoke, firm ash and dependable craftsmanship gave the compact box-pressed Prequel the only technical advantage either cigar could establish.
Revelation answered every other quality with an equal score, but the five ties also removed every chance to recover the construction deficit. Pledge gained one half-point, never surrendered it and completed the exact 27.5 to 27.0 decision.
Official Result: E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel Wins Match M36
E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel defeated San Cristobal Revelation and finished Group F at 1-2. The victory secured third place in Modern Masters behind advancing cigars My Father Cigars Blue Label and Crowned Heads Mil Días.
Pledge did not advance, but the finale gave the celebrated Prequel a deserved tournament win after competitive losses to both Group F qualifiers. Its Superior 27.5 evaluation and perfect construction score confirmed its quality within the Official 32.
San Cristobal completed Group F at 0-3 and finished fourth. Revelation's record did not erase its Premium 27.0 evaluation: all six categories scored 4.5, and M36 was decided by only one exceptional mark from its opponent.
Final Ashology Verdict
San Cristobal Revelation delivered consistency without a weak category. Its Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper and Nicaraguan core produced cedar, cocoa, toasted bread, coffee, almond, earth, oak and pepper, while five ties showed how closely it matched Pledge throughout the smoke.
E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel won through the one quality Revelation could not fully equal: exceptional construction. The box-pressed Prequel combined precise craftsmanship with dark chocolate, espresso, leather, walnut, molasses, coffee and pepper, converting a half-point technical edge into the victory.
M36 closed Modern Masters with the group's most evenly divided scorecard. Five categories canceled one another, and one perfect mark settled both the matchup and the final standings. Pledge left Group F with third place and a win; Revelation left with proof that its 0-3 record was much narrower than the standings suggested.
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.