Casa Carrillo Ships Perez-Carrillo Battleborn

The Perez-Carrillo Battleborn, a new a limited edition cigar from Casa Carrillo that pays tribute to veterans of the U.S. armed forces and helps to raise funds for organizations that support veterans, is on its way to stores in time for the Veterans Day holiday.

The line was inspired by Lionel H. McKoy, a U.S. Navy veteran and an individual described as a long-time member of the Casa Carrillo family. McKoy served for two decades, reaching the rank of petty officer 2nd class, with deployments on the USS Midway, USS Forrestal, and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower during the Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm. Following his service, he joined Casa Carrillo as the company’s shipping manager in 2017.

“Lionel is part of our family,” said Ernesto Perez-Carrillo III in a press release. “He served our country for twenty years, carried responsibilities most of us will never know, and then came here to work alongside us. I’ll never forget my first conversation with him about his time in service. At one point, he got emotional and a tear ran down his face. In that moment, I knew I was in the presence of a true hero — and Battleborn was conceived right then.”

The Perez-Carrillo Battleborn comes in a 6 x 56 toro gordo that the company has dubbed Warriors. The blend uses a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper atop two binders, one from Mexico and the other from Nicaragua, while the filler is all Nicaraguan. Casa Carrillo calls Battleborn a rich, full-bodied smoke.

Each of the 2,500 individually numbered boxes of 20 cigars includes a Battleborn-logoed dog tag. Individual cigars are priced at $22, while boxes have an MSRP of $440.

“I’ve been making blends for 55 years, but this one felt different,” said Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. in a press release. “Battleborn is not just about tobacco — it’s about respect rolled into every leaf. It’s our way of saying thank you.”

“Serving on carriers like the Eisenhower, Midway, and Forrestal during Desert Storm and the Gulf War shaped who I am,” said McKoy in a press release. “To see a cigar created in honor of that journey — and to know it will help other veterans — means more than I can put into words.”

In addition to the cigars, Casa Carrillo will host a series of Battleborn events across the country in partnership with retailers, with proceeds donated to charities that support veterans and first responders. The debut event happened Sept. 20 at Finck’s Lone Star Cigar Bash in San Antonio, Texas, where Casa Carrillo hosted an exclusive launch of the cigars and donated $6,000 from box sales to the Fisher House Foundation.

“Through Carrillo Cares, we’ve always believed our company should give back…using our craft not only to honor veterans like Lionel but to support organizations that make a difference in their lives,” said Lissette Perez-Carrillo in a press release, adding that the initiative has generated over $200,000 in donations thus far.

Images courtesy of Casa Carrillo.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the G-League’s Valley Suns. I was previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League, and Goodyear Ballpark, spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I’m a voiceover artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.