When Casa Carrillo decided to mark the fifth anniversary of their beloved Pledge Prequel, they didn't just slap a new band on an old cigar. They went back to the drawing board and came up with something that feels genuinely special — and the details back that up.
The new release is called Pledge Purple, and it sits inside the brand's Premier Collection lineup, which already tells you something about how seriously they're taking this one. The wrapper alone is worth talking about. It's a Havana-seed Connecticut leaf grown right in the Connecticut River Valley, sourced from Dunn & Foster — a name that carries real weight in the premium tobacco world. These are growers who have built their reputation on knowing Connecticut tobacco better than just about anyone, and the leaf they're producing has been long-aged before it ever gets rolled into anything.
The cigar is built in a Toro format, measuring 6 by 54, which gives the smoker a full, satisfying ring gauge that tends to smoke cooler and more evenly than thinner options. Paired with the Connecticut wrapper is a Mexican binder, and the filler blend draws from three distinct regions of Nicaragua — Estelí, Condega, and Ometepe. Each of those regions brings something different to the table. Estelí is known for producing bold, spicy tobacco. Condega tends to contribute a smoother, more refined character. Ometepe, sitting on a volcanic island in the middle of Lake Nicaragua, gives a unique earthiness that's hard to find anywhere else. Putting all three together under a Mexican binder and a Connecticut wrapper creates a cigar that is likely to hit in a way that's complex without being overwhelming.
Production numbers tell you just as much about a cigar as the blend does, and with Pledge Purple, Casa Carrillo made a deliberate choice to keep things tight. Only 3,500 boxes are being produced. That's not a massive number by any stretch, and the company is releasing them in multiple installments across the year rather than flooding the market all at once. That kind of measured rollout suggests they want retailers and smokers to actually experience the cigar rather than watch it disappear into the secondary market overnight.
Each box holds 10 cigars, and the suggested retail price comes in at $18 per stick. That puts it firmly in the premium category — this isn't an everyday smoke for most people, but it's not so far out of reach that it becomes purely a collector's item either. At that price point, it occupies the kind of space where a guy can justify picking up a box for a milestone moment, or simply set one aside for a Friday evening when the week finally winds down.
Pledge Purple is expected to begin shipping to select retailers in early March, which means it should be hitting shelves right around the time the weather starts to turn and porch season begins to look like a real possibility again. Given the limited production run and the reputation Casa Carrillo has built with the Pledge line over the past five years, finding this one on a retail shelf may take some legwork. Calling ahead to a trusted local shop or checking in with an online retailer that carries the Premier Collection would be the smart move.
The original Pledge Prequel built a loyal following for good reason — it delivered a smoking experience that stood out from the noise. Pledge Purple looks like Casa Carrillo's way of honoring that legacy while pushing things forward. Five years in, they clearly haven't run out of ideas.
