Casa Carrillo’s Battleborn Heroes Returns for Veterans Day With a New Cameroon Blend
Casa Carrillo is bringing Battleborn back for Veterans Day, and this year’s cigar is a whole new animal. The 2026 edition, called Battleborn Heroes, swaps last year’s Connecticut Broadleaf toro gordo for a 6 x 52 toro with an African Cameroon wrapper. It’s a limited run of 2,000 numbered boxes, and it debuts this week at two launch events in Virginia before rolling out to select shops nationwide ahead of November 11.
Here’s everything we’ve confirmed about the blend, the box, the launch dates and the cause behind it.
Battleborn Heroes at a Glance
According to Casa Carrillo’s press release and coverage from Cigar Dojo, halfwheel and Cigar Coop, here are the specs:
- Name: Battleborn Heroes (2026 edition)
- Size: 6 x 52 toro
- Wrapper: African Cameroon
- Binders: Dominican Republic and Nicaragua
- Filler: Aged Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos
- Factory: Casa Carrillo, Dominican Republic
- Production: 2,000 numbered boxes of 21 (42,000 cigars)
- Suggested retail: $21 per cigar ($441 per box, per halfwheel)
- Extras: Each box includes a collectible Battleborn logo dog tag
A New Blend, Not a Re-Release
If you smoked Battleborn last year, don’t expect the same cigar. The 2025 release, Battleborn Warriors, was a 6 x 56 toro gordo built on a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper with Mexican and Nicaraguan binders and Nicaraguan filler, and Casa Carrillo described it as full-bodied and full-strength. It came in 2,500 numbered boxes of 20.
For 2026, the company started over. Cameroon is a thin, delicate wrapper leaf that’s prized for its natural sweetness and spice, and it’s a very different starting point than a dark, toothy Broadleaf. Casa Carrillo’s release describes the new cigar as “a rich, complex smoking experience defined by depth and character.” The company hasn’t published an official strength rating, so we’ll wait until we’ve smoked a few before we call it. If you want to get the most out of a new blend like this, our guide on how to taste cigar flavor notes is a good place to start.
The look changed too. halfwheel notes that last year’s packaging was camo green, while this year’s box is mostly orange. The dog tag carries over from year one.
Why 21 Cigars in a Box?
This is our favorite detail of the release. The box count of 21 is a nod to the 21-gun salute, the military tradition used to honor distinguished people and mark significant occasions. As halfwheel points out, the thinner 52 ring gauge also makes room for that 21st cigar, up from 20 last year.
Who Battleborn Honors
Battleborn is dedicated to military personnel, veterans, police officers, firefighters and first responders.
“Battleborn is about honoring the people who show up when others need them most,” Ernesto Perez-Carrillo III said in the release. “Whether you serve in the military, protect your community as a police officer or firefighter, or respond when someone is having the worst day of their life, that commitment deserves our respect.”
The project started close to home. When Casa Carrillo launched the original Battleborn, the company said it was inspired by Lionel H. McKoy, a U.S. Navy veteran who served for two decades, reaching petty officer second class and deploying aboard the USS Midway, USS Forrestal and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower during the Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm. He joined Casa Carrillo as its shipping manager in 2017.
The Giving Side
Casa Carrillo says it will support organizations that serve veterans, military families and first responders through retailer partnerships and its Carrillo Cares initiative.
“Giving back has always been an important part of who we are as a company,” said Lissette Perez-Carrillo. “Through Carrillo Cares, we have worked to support causes that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.”
One thing to know: as halfwheel reports, the company hasn’t named specific charities or donation amounts for the 2026 release. For context, Cigar Dojo reports that last year’s launch at Finck’s Lone Star Cigar Bash in San Antonio the company donated $6,000 from box sales to the Fisher House Foundation. We’ll update this post if Casa Carrillo shares where this year’s money is going.
Where and When to Find It
Battleborn Heroes makes its first retail appearance at two launch events hosted by Old Virginia Tobacco, with Ernesto Perez-Carrillo scheduled to attend both:
- Kingstowne, Virginia: Thursday, October 22, 5 to 8 p.m.
- Woodbridge, Virginia: Friday, October 23, 5 to 8 p.m.
After that, Casa Carrillo expects the cigars to reach select retailers nationwide before Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11. With only 2,000 boxes, this one probably won’t sit on shelves long, so if you want some, ask your local shop now whether they’re getting it.
The Cigar Guys Take
We like everything about how this release is built. Commemorative cigars can feel like a new band slapped on an old blend, but Casa Carrillo went the other way: new wrapper, new binders, new size, new box. Keeping the same name and the same mission while changing the cigar is a smart way to turn a one-time tribute into a yearly tradition that smokers look forward to.
The Cameroon choice stands out, too. It’s not Casa Carrillo’s only wrapper story this fall, either. We covered its decade-aged wrapper in our look at the aged-tobacco releases defining fall 2026. A Cameroon toro from the Perez-Carrillo family is a cigar we’re genuinely curious to sit down with.
Our one wish is a little more detail on the giving. “Supporting organizations” is a good start, but naming the charities, the way last year’s Fisher House donation was reported, helps smokers feel good about the cigars they pick up. We’ll be watching for that.
Most of all, we love the reminder behind it. Plenty of us have a veteran, a cop, a firefighter or a paramedic in our lives. A numbered box with a dog tag is a great excuse to sit down with one of them this Veterans Day, light up and say thanks.
Sources: Casa Carrillo press release, “Battleborn Heroes: A Veterans Day Tribute to America’s Heroes” (October 2026) · Cigar Dojo: Casa Carrillo Brings Back Battleborn with New Blend · halfwheel: Perez-Carrillo Battleborn Gets New Blend for 2026 · Cigar Coop: Casa Carrillo Battleborn 2026 Set for Release · Casa Carrillo: Battleborn
