Perez-Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance Rockets 2026 Blue

To me, it seemed like most of the near-dozen companies that released limited edition cigars in honor of America’s semiquincentennial used the 250th anniversary as an excuse for another limited edition.

It’s not just this event. From the Chinese zodiac calendar to seemingly any anniversary, including some inaccurate ones, many cigar companies aren’t really inspired to make a special cigar for a specific occasion; rather, it’s about finding something, anything, to brand another limited edition release. Given that it is apparent when companies exert effort on certain releases, my take is that this is mostly a result of too many new cigars.

There are a few companies that clearly put some effort into their cigars, honoring the 250th anniversary of the founding of America. J.C. Newman, for example, secured the official license of America250, the official Congressional commission on the anniversary. Its releases included a humidor that uses wood from all 50 states, something that was not made in a week.

There is a two-horse race for the best packaging of the cigars made for this event. J.C. Newman and Casa Carrillo.

The latter opted to take its Pledge of Allegiance release, which was introduced in 2023 to celebrate the July 4 holiday. Selim Hanono, the company’s coo, is credited with coming up with the idea to combine the names of two existing lines—Pledge and Allegiance—for the concept.

Since 2023, there have been 1,776 boxes of a toro released annually, though each year the blend has changed. In 2024, a salomón was introduced, and, a year later, a different perfecto called Rockets was added. In both instances, the boxes of those vitolas corresponded to years since America’s founding: 248 boxes and 249 boxes, respectively.

For the 250th anniversary, the Rockets vitola returned, but this time in two different, new blends, one called Blue and the other Red. In addition, it comes in some of the coolest boxes I’ve seen this year.

Looking specifically at the three Rockets blends, there are some differences:

• Wrapper:
  • 2025: U.S.A. (Connecticut Broadleaf)
  • 2026 Blue: U.S.A. (Pennsylvania Broadleaf)
  • 2026 Red: U.S.A. (Connecticut Broadleaf)
• Binder:
  • 2025: Ecuador (Habano)
  • 2026 Blue: U.S.A. (Connecticut Habano)
  • 2026 Red: U.S.A. (Pennsylvania 41 Broadleaf)
• Filler:
  • 2025: Nicaragua (Conedga, Jalapa) & U.S.A. (Connecticut, Pennsylvania P41)
  • 2026 Blue:

    U.S.A. (Connecticut & Pennsylvania)

  • 2026 Red:

    U.S.A. (Connecticut & Pennsylvania)

To date, there have been eight Pledge of Allegiance cigars:

• Perez-Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance 2023 (6 x 54) —1,776 Boxes of 10 Cigars (17,760 Total Cigars) — $20 (Box of 10, $200)
• Perez-Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance 2024 (6 x 54) —1,776 Boxes of 10 Cigars (17,760 Total Cigars) — $22 (Box of 10, $220)
• Perez-Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance 2024 Salomon (6 3/4 x 64) — 248 Boxes of 10 Cigars (2,480 Total Cigars) — $35 (Box of 10, $350)
• Perez-Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance 2025 (6 x 54) —1,776 Boxes of 10 Cigars (17,760 Total Cigars) — $22 (Box of 10, $220)
• Perez-Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance 2025 Rockets (6 3/8 x 58) — 249 Boxes of 10 Cigars (2,490 Total Cigars) — $30 (Box of 10, $300)
• Perez-Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance 2026 (6 x 54) —1,776 Boxes of 10 Cigars (17,760 Total Cigars) — $22 (Box of 10, $220)
• Perez-Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance 2026 Rockets (Blue) (6 3/8 x 58) — 2,500 Total Cigars — $50*
• Perez-Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance 2026 Rockets (Red) (6 3/8 x 58) — 2,500 Total Cigars — $50*

*The 2026 Rockets release is limited to 250 boxes that contain 10 of each blend.

• Cigar Reviewed: Perez-Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance Rockets 2026 (Blue)
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Casa Carrillo
• Wrapper: U.S.A. (Pennsylvania Broadleaf)
• Binder: U.S.A. (Connecticut Habano)
• Filler: U.S.A. (Connecticut & Pennsylvania)
• Length: 6 3/8 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 58
• Shape: Round
• MSRP: $50*
• Release Date: Sept. 28, 2026
• Number of Cigars Released: 2,500 Total Cigars*
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

*The 2026 Rockets release is limited to 250 boxes that contain 10 of each blend.

From the four different pieces of paper covering the cigar to the unique cap, a lot is going on visually. The top of the cigar comes to a typical perfecto cone shape, but then with a protruding nipple, itself wrapped in a thin coil of tobacco. With the Casa Carrillo-branded vellum removed, the draker wrapper with all of its texture is visible. It’s still a few shades from the dark brown when purple shows, but it’s a fairly dark wrapper with only a few veins showing some lighter color. I’m alarmed by how dry and hard all three cigars feel. Just based on feel, it wouldn’t take much to convince me these cigars are many years old. They feel rock hard and dried out. The aromas from the wrapper are all over the place: medium-full with barnyard and stone for the first cigar, the second cigar has those two scents but they are overpowered by a much stronger chocolate powder, while the third cigar doesn’t smell like anything. The feet of the first two cigars remind me a kitchen when dinner rolls are in the oven, though the second cigar has a touch of dry cocoa, while the third cigar is more dialed back with a bit of the roll smell. Upon cutting the first cigar, the hardness is quite apparent. The first two cigars have the consistency of a solid object with no give, while the third cigar has a very small amount of give in two different spots. The first cigar has a medium-plus flavor profile of creamy chocolate over some flavors that remind me of a very generic dashi soup broth. I make more aggressive cuts with the other two cigars, though the flavors aren’t all that different: sweet milk chocolate leads some of the soup-like flavors, leather, white pepper and earth, each in the medium-plus and medium-full range.

Despite the smaller foot opening, the cigars take longer than normal to get lit. Each sees the draw tighten up and the smoke volume to my mouth is below average. Flavor-wise, it’s dry with burnt flour, dry chocolate, and woodiness leading each start, in order of appearance. Secondary notes include minerals, salt, white pepper and leather. While the first third of the Perez-Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance Rockets 2026 Blue has full flavor intensity-wise, the flavors aren’t as descriptive as many other cigars. There’s a taste, but it’s difficult to discern. The best expression is the second cigar, when Ritz crackers and dry chocolate—reminding me of the muted flavor of an expired chocolate bar—lead to toasted earth, black pepper and some caramel. However, in the third cigar, it’s difficult for me to get much more than earth and tobacco as far as specific notes, often, the cigar tastes like different combinations of dryness, salt and pepper. The finish gets toastier with the pepper, acidity and harshness increased. Retrohaling tends to be just a smoother version of the flavor in the mouth, with the dryness and harshness greatly reduced. In terms of unique flavors, the only things that make the list are yellow mustard or a more isolated vinegar, though both are pretty mild. During the finish, I find that a thinner nuttiness is the first real sign of change—peanut in the first two cigars, sweet hazelnut in the third—though it’s a mild and short-lived experience. Flavor is full, body is medium-plus or medium-full, while strength is more solidly in the medium-full category. The draw of the first cigar is tighter than I’d like, though the slightly more aggressive cuts on the other two cigars fix that issue.

During the second third, each of the Blue Rockets gets toastier. There’s still quite a bit of earth, though fortunately joined by secondary notes of hard pretzel sticks, oak, plain rice and some mild creaminess. However, while the finish doesn’t get any toastier, it is more bitter. There’s a new charcoal flavor in the second cigar and dry nuttiness in the third. While the first third had smooth retrohales, the second third’s retrohales are a lot spicier thanks to an uptick in both black and red pepper. For the first two cigars, there’s some sweetness—generic fruits in the first, a more defined sweet lime in the second—though the third cigar has leather and saltiness, less of a contrast. Outside of a reduction in toastiness, the finish of the first two cigars doesn’t provide much change, but underneath the spicy earth, the third cigar has some pecans, some chemical flavors and a gingerbread flavor. Flavor is full, body of the first and third cigars is close to full, though more medium-plus in the second, while strength is full. The draw of the first cigar remains tight, though not bad enough to warrant a deduction, but both the first and second cigars have declines in combustion that require me to use my lighter.

By the start of the final third, I’m having three different experiences. The first Perez-Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance Rockets 2026 Blue has neared the hard top of the cigar and the draw has tightened significantly. I’m fairly convinced that is why that cigar is significantly stronger and why I feel unwell. Strength-wise, the second cigar is medium-full and the third cigar is full, but not making me ill. Flavor-wise, there’s less of a difference. The first cigar is much sharper with the peppers and toastiness drowning out much of anything, the second cigar has those flavors but they are held in check by some dry creaminess. The third cigar has lots of earth, black pepper and toastiness, but it’s not tasting burnt like the first cigar. In addition, there’s some saltiness and then a touch of caramel on the transition to the finish. But there aren’t many new flavors during the finish, everything tastes drier. Similarly, I’m unable to come up with any new flavors during the retrohale. Despite the differences in strength, flavor is consistently full and the body is medium-full for each cigar. The first cigar’s tight draw isn’t helping the combustion and I need to make two more touch-ups on that cigar. Fortunately, the other two cigars don’t have any construction issues for the final third.

Final Notes

• I believe sharpness is an overrated cigar cutter attribute. These cigars might make me reconsider that. I used the Fox Knives 749. I don’t know how many cigars I’ve cut in my life, but I do know they aren’t supposed to feel like this.
• My understanding is that we got the box the same day it was delivered to a local shop. More than just about any cigar we review, I know how these cigars were stored, and I am quite convinced that whatever caused the hardness issue is on Casa Carrillo.
• The box had a chemical smell on the outside, so, just a few days after we got the box, I had to take all of the cigars out of the box. If you have cigars in the box, I would see if your box also has a smell. Unfortunately, this is the second time this year we’ve had this issue with a cool-looking Casa Carrillo box.

• Enough complaining. I’ve liked the previous Pledge of Allegiance packaging, but this is a completely different level. The packaging is fantastic. I nominated it to get considered for our 2026 Packaging Awards. I love the unique shape of the bottom of the box, a truly unique design.

• Casa Carrillo wants to call these boxes humidors, and there are some parts of the box that function like a humidor, including a bottom section under the cigars that is designed for humidification packs. My rule about calling a cigar box a humidor is that there needs to be at least one element of the humidor beyond the box itself: a hygrometer, a humidifier, a lock and key. In this case, none of those are present.
• The red secondary band is attached to the paper sleeve. For aesthetic reasons, I removed it and then put it back on the cigar.

• We got box 064/250.
• I have not yet smoked the Red version. Looking back on it, I probably should have used the foot band.

• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Casa Carrillo lists the Perez-Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance Rockets 2026 as 6 3/8 x 58 perfectos. Above are the dimensions I found for the three cigars I smoked for this review.
• Final smoking time was all over the place: two hours for the first cigar, two hours and 20 minutes for the second and three hours for the third. I smoked a bit more of the final cigar than the other two, but two hours in, I hadn’t finished the second third.

Casa Carrillo (Company)
Casa Carrillo (Factory)
Dominican Republic
Perez-Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance
Perez-Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance 2026 Rockets
Perez-Carrillo Pledge of Allegiance Rockets 2026 (Blue)
Perfecto