Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, or E.P. Carrillo, founded EPC Cigar Company after parting ways with the brand that made him famous—La Gloria Cubana. E.P. Carrillo's Cardinal Impact line is a part of Carrillo's "The Classics Series," a line intended to embody comfortable experiences that are "like your favorite sweater or pair of slippers." The blending is based on heritage blends but revamped for today's smoker.

The Cardinal Impact comes in both Natural and Maduro wrappers for each vitola. Every cigar in the Cardinal Impact line is also box-pressed. The Natural has an Ecuadorian wrapper with both binder and filler tobaccos being from Nicaragua. It is a lighter profile with notes of leather, citrus, cedar, and coffee. Meanwhile, the Maduro has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper with an Ecuadorian binder and a Nicaraguan filler recipe. The Cardinal Impact Maduro showcases an earthy profile, boasting notes of caramel, charred oak, and chocolate.