601 Steel Girder (6x52)

A few years ago people in the know about boutique offerings were sucking the 601 cigars up wherever and whenever they could find them.  If you were not in the know then you were out in the cigar wasteland with the rest of the cigar sheeple, blissfully ignorant of the wonderful offering that was put together by Espinosa and Ortega with Don Pepin Garcia.  After some woeful times, there was a relationship with Rocky Patel that led to a horrific gas station cigar rebranding, Espinosa is back and making cigars bearing this frontmark again, and the branding is back to the old way, just the way I like it.  You see, I am one of the ones in the know about boutique offerings, some would even say that I am an acclaimed member of the boutique cognoscenti (self acclimation counts in my world!), and I was actually very happy to see this brand back where it belongs.  I have been hoarding my old 601 Red's and Blue's because they were just that good and they were gone forever.  Now I need not be so parsimonious because I can always get some 601 Steel, so can you by the way, and whether you are in the know or an ignoramus, you can get them here.  It's that simple, anyone can click a link...

The cigar presents with some interesting visuals.  The exterior is ruddy, much like I would envision unfinished steel, there is some roughness to the wrapper (some would call it tooth, they would be wrong).  The band has the old 601 style and a nice steel gray finish that adds oomph to the nomenclature of the smoke.  Visually I would say this resembles more of a knock around cigar than an accomplished premium, but then the 601 name comes back to mind and I realize that I am likely in for taste roller coaster.  The pre light draw shows some signs of dark fruit and pepper and the pre light aroma has some hints of anise and spice.

The cigar opens with all sorts of power up front.  I am actually a bit taken aback by this show of teeth right up front.  The core profile is full of heady blasts of nicotine and the palate tingles from the get go.  The flavors show some wonderful bursts of black pepper and black cherry and I am not sure I have had this combination present itself in a cigar before.  At the back of the palate there is a very satisfying dark wood note that combines with a licorice note that is initially interesting, but then becomes a bit too much.  The draw is superb at this point, delivering big cloudy bursts of smoke.  The burn is slightly wonky, but I don't believe I will need a touch up at this point.

The first half of the smoke proceeds nicely, though the power recedes and I wish it would have hung around for a bit.  The core profile takes on a more fruit laden quality with notes of black cherry and orange peel coming through.  The back of the palate has begun to show some more licorice type notes at this point and I would really like to have more of the dark wood from earlier in the presentation.  The draw continues to perform very well.  The burn has continued to be a touch off, but I am resisting the reapplication of flame, as I so often do, because a fine cigar should correct itself.

The final half of the cigar really comes home strong.  The core profile continues to show measured allowances of black cherry and orange, but there is some very solid black pepper coming back into the mix and taking over the overall impression.  The back of the palate really shortens up and becomes a more solid mix of earth and wood, with a slightly metallic impression that will slightly hinder the score.  The draw was solid all the way through.  The burn did have to be touched up, I hate that, I will score accordingly.

The finish was long and powerful showing pepper and dark cherry notes.

All in all I am very pleased with the return of this frontmark.

Appearance- 88 a bit rustic for me, but still not bad

Taste- 91 a fine experience here, could have used more body in the front half.  Metallic notes late hurt the score

Construction- 87 can't go any higher with a cigar that I have to put flame back to, but the draw was outstanding

Strength- 89 a very nice full bodied and flavorful smoke

Overall- 88.75 worth grabbing some ASAP

601 Green Robusto

This is another Pepin creation, the prolific nature of his recent production is something to behold. I have smoked the Red and Blue lines for review earlier in the year, so it only makes sense to review this darker cousin of those two blends. This cigar presents with an Oscuro wrapper that is not as oily as I would expect, but it has plenty of tooth and very few veins. The body of the cigar is firm, but I detect no areas of concern. The pre light aroma smacks of spice and light tobacco essence. The pre light draw is spicy and has some sweet characteristics that could only be described as floral.

The cigar opens with a core profile of spice, clove and sweet floral notes. I am taken slightly aback by the depth and complexity of the opening moments. At the back of the palate there is a crisp tobacco flavor coupled with some undertones of more spice. The draw is nearly flawless, imparting the perfect amount of smoke with little to no effort. The burn is even and produces a crisp white ash that is a touch flaky.

The first half of the cigar shows some interesting development. The core profile transitions into a mostly sweet floral presentation with bursts of spice, grass and wood. I can't recall ever smoking a cigar with this particular balance of flavors. At the back of the palate the crisp tobacco presentation remains and creates an acceptable offset to the front of the profile which would be too sweet without some balance. The draw remains excellent and reminds me why Pepin is largely considered to be the master these days. The burn stays sharp and even, but is still a bit flaky.

The final half of the cigar slows down a bit, and that is disappointing. The core profile becomes a more straight forward presentation of tobacco and earth, and is somewhat pedestrian when considered against the first half of the cigar. At the back of the palate there are still lingering floral notes, but the other impressions have thinned and flattened out, which is unfortunate. The draw and burn stay solid through the end of the smoke.

The finish is a touch short, but shows notes of spice and tobacco.

Appearance- 91 the cigar appears to be a bit dry, but it is appealing to look at
Taste- 90 an excellent profile in the front half, but the second half is disappointing
Construction- 96 this is about as good as it gets in this category
Strength- 89 a nice medium, but more power is a must
Overall- 92 an excellent smoking experience all around, if the profile had not collapsed this score could have been higher

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

601 Red Churchill

I had not smoked a cigar of this vintage in quite some time. It presents well with a chestnut hued wrapper that has a nice amount of tooth. There are few visual flaws and the cigar seems to be well made. The pre light aroma is of cedar and pepper. The pre light draw also has strong notes of pepper.

The cigar opens with full blasts of pepper and light cedar and tobacco notes. At the back of the palate the cedar essence is even more prominent. The draw is excellent, imparting nice flavors and full blasts of smoke. The burn is solid and even, producing a nice gray ash.

The first third of the cigar shows a lot of depth after the opening inch or so. There is a core profile of cedar, pepper, tobacco and spice. The melange lacks complexity, but still imparts nice flavors across the palate. The draw continues to perform well and the burn is still solid and even. The back of the palate is covered with a cedary sweetness as a nice counter balance to the pepper in the front of the profile.

The middle third of the cigar continues to show nice depth. The profile mellows into a nice mix of cedar, tobacco, spice and a light taste of roasted nuts. At the back of the palate the cedar notes continue to provide a nice balance to the core of the profile. The burn has started to stray somewhat, but I am able to avoid touching up to this point. The draw is still impressive at this point.

The final third of the cigar is actually somewhat disappointing. The construction has collapsed due to a void in the roll in the final quarter of the smoke. The burn was terrible for the last two inches or so. The profile continued to show cedar notes, but there were charred issues due to the burn problems. An irritating finish to what would have been a great cigar

Appearance- 91 a nice looking cigar, but there were some flaws
Taste- 90 a nice taste until the final quarter
Construction- 85 I give it an average score because three quarters performed well
Strength- 88 a nice full profile
Overall- 88.25 an above average smoke that was hurt in the final quarter