601 Blue Robusto

This is one of the Pepin made cigars that I do not smoke very often, and I had never rated one before. It presents with a dry, toothy, wrapper and has a mottled appearance that is not attractive. There are also some prominent veins that detract from the visual impression. An inspection leads me to believe that the cigar is loosely rolled and I am concerned about that attribute causing heat in the smoke. The pre light aroma has some hints of coffee, cocoa and earth. The pre light draw smacks of pepper and earth.

The cigar opens with a core profile of pepper, earth and some thin wisps of cocoa. There is some bitterness that is distracting, and it is threatening to overwhelm the rest of the profile. At the back of the palate there is some nice earthiness that is complimenting the front of the profile. The draw is exceedingly loose and there is heat in the smoke from the beginning. The burn is acceptable, but with a draw this loose I expect that it will deteriorate.


The first half of the cigar continues to show a profile of pepper and earth, but the underlying bitterness continues to hurt the cigar. At the back of the palate the pleasing earthiness is complimented by dark wood flavors that are interesting. The draw is continuing to produce too much heat and I am attempting to slow down. The burn has turned south, but is continuing to be acceptable.

The second half of the cigar slides into the depths of oblivion. The profile shows bitter, sour notes that are further marred by the heat of the smoke. At the back of the palate there is a scorched flavor of charred wood and my mouth aches for the cigar to end. The draw is so loose that little effort is needed to produce booming clouds of smoke. The burn stays acceptable throughout.

The finish is charred and bitter. I am sorry to say that this was a terrible cigar for me.

Appearance- 83 very unappealing
Taste- 82 not really worth noting what little was positive
Construction- 77 loose draw detracts from the experience
Strength- 85 an average full bodied experience
Overall- 81 below average and not worth the time that was involved