Okay, so this is the latest release from Eddie Ortega and his boys over at United Tobacco. It’s been out for a good while now and has gotten rave reviews. Of course, like all 601s, this oscuro was blended by Don Pepin and rolled in his factory. I’ve had plenty of them as I crave an in your face smoke every now and then. This smoke definitely gets in your face. The great thing about this 5×52 robusto is that its power is not so overbearing that you can’t taste the flavors.

Appearance: This parejo is magnificently rolled when looking at it. The dark oscuro wrapper is a deep chocolate brown that is highlighted by the familiar 601 gold and green band. This is a classy looking cigar. The triple cap is perfect. Its veins are smooth though the cigar has a little tooth to it.

Taste: You’ll notice below that what you smell is what you get with this cigar. At first light I was bowled over with the pepper that fired my tongue and lips. POW! After a few puffs, the pepper settled into the background and let the wood come forward which was soon joined by some coffee. This cigar starts out really hard but then settles into a blend of the pepper, wood, and coffee intermingling all simultaneously.

Aroma: Holding this to my nose, pre-light, I get wood, pepper and coffee. This is a very odorous cigar. Smelling it before smoking it does not give you any hint of its strength, though it does give you insight into its flavor profile.

Construction: Squeezing it gently, this cigar is consistent. It’s firm but not too solid. Looking at the foot, you see an even, tightly rolled bunch. My last sample had some issues with the burn, but I’ll attribute those to the storage since I was not too careful in transporting it and it was affected by being unprotected from today’s heat. The draw was perfect and I was able to smoke it down to a good nub.

Overall: This is one of the best really full-bodied cigars on the market. You get strength AND flavor and lots of it. It’s not overpowering like some but if you aren’t used to this or haven’t had something to eat before you smoke the 601 Oscuro, you’ll feel it. It took me a good hour and 45 minutes to enjoy this smoke to the fullest.

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This is not a complex cigar by any means. With its size it doesn’t have the time to develop into much as it’s a quick 20-30 minute smoke. One that I don’t mind having twice in a row if time allows. It produces plenty of smoke, burns wonderfully, and has a medium finish that doesn’t offend your tastebuds like so many others do. I happen to know that this is Eddie Ortega’s favorite out of all 601s too. He loves and smokes them all, but more often than not you’ll see him puffing away on one of these. They come in a box of 100 and at just a little over $2 a cigar it means a little bit of an investment upfront, but if you’ve had these, you probably already know it’s worth it. If you haven’t, you’ll come to know it.

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Origin: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Wrapper: Maduro

This cigar is distributed by United Tobacco and is currently one of my favorites. The box press on this gives it an elegant look, but don’t let it fool you, it’s a hefty cigar. The dark wrapper glistens and the band is a great presentation. It’s a fine looking cigar. Of course, being made by the lastest greatest, Pepin Garcia, doesn’t hurt this cigar one bit. He’s definitely hit the mark with this cigar.

It gives a rich smell of cocoa, and the taste is great. I’m a maduro fan and this one quickly moved up to the forefront of my inventory. Rich maduro flavors coat your palate. Earth and leathery notes mix in. Not a complex cigar by any means, it provides a great consistency of good flavor that is medium to full-bodied, but not overpowering.

The construction on these are close to perfect as well. One thing to be said about the construction is consistency. I have yet to have one that burned badly and I’ve easily gone through a box. I find this one in line with other Pepins in that, in my opinion, it’s better stored at 60-65% rH than the ever-popular 70% rH that others tout. Great burn, great ash all the way through. And, if you’re one who likes a lot of smoke…this one delivers.

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