Brand: 601 Habano Oscuro
Vitola: Tronco
Length: 5.00 Inches
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano oscuro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
County of Origin: Esteli, Nicaragua
Price Per box: $145.80

Brand:
The 601 Habano Osucro is crafted in Esteli, Nicarguaga by the famed Don Pepin Garcia. The blend is claimed to be the most full bodied blend offered by 601 cigars.

This line is available in 5 sizes and packed in boxes of 20 (with the exception of the corona which is packed in boxes of 40)

Pre Light:
After removing the cigar from its cellophane sleeve the first thing I noticed was its rich, oily wrapper. The color is a deep brown with an attractive sheen. The veins are fairly small and give the stick a smooth appearance.

The texture was smooth when handled and firm when given a gentle pinch between the fingers. The aroma of both the wrapper and foot were rich, much like the aroma of a nice Stoudt or Porter.

After a neat and clean cut I tested the pre light draw and was happy with the result. The draw was open with slight resistance and offered a mild sweet flavor.

First Third:

After a quick toast and light I had my 601 Oscuro evenly lit and producing lots of thick and flavorful smoke. The body starts off in the full spectrum from the second the first puff enters your mouth and continues throughout the first third.

The base flavor goes through some very interesting transitions early on in the smoke. First it has a dominant black pepper flavor then moves to a rich coffee flavor all while delivering a sort of charcoal like aftertaste. While the charcoal seems a bit odd it offers an interesting dynamic to the smoke that I find to be a nice treat. The finish leaves a thick texture the mouth and is smooth and easy on the palate.

The draw is free with a little resistance and pumps out loads of thick smoke with each puff. The ash has bands of dark and light coloring throughout and is a bit flakey. The outside of the ash has a tendency to drift off and create a bit of a mess while the core stays firmly attached

Second Third:

As I made my way deeper into my 601 Oscuro I was continually pleased by the direction it was taking. The body remained full and did not seem to move up or down within the spectrum. The finish remained thick and left me with a heavy texture on the walls of my mouth.

The base flavor changes slowed down a bit at this point. The only major change was an introduction of a cedar flavor that came on suddenly and drifted away after about a dozen puffs. The main focus during this portion of the smoke was a rich semi sweet coffee flavor. This base flavor in combination with the powerful smoke made for an excellent combination.

The burn rate was about average while the burn line was a little finicky and required a few minor touchups. This, along with the flaky ash, made it a little bit of work to keep the cigar in tip top shape but at this point the flavor and complexity make it all worth while.

Final Third:

The final third of my smoke continued to please, just as the first and second third did. The body remained firmly planted in the full spectrum while the finish remained heavy on the palate.

The core of the smoke was a mixture of natural tobacco and rich semi sweet coffee flavors that were deep and complex. Off and on I was picking up flavors of black peppercorn that rounded out the smoke very well. The power of the smoke was still apparent but never approached the point of being overwhelming.

The ash remained a mixture of light and dark colors with a little flaking. The burn line straightened up and no longer required minor touch ups to keep in line.

My Thoughts:
By the time I finished smoking this cigar I was so into it that I was ready to light up another right behind it. The mixture of body, power, flavor, and complexity made this stick a joy to smoke. Aside from the minor touchups and flaking ash this cigar performed very well.

This is one that I’ll definitely be smoking more of and would recommend trying if you are into full bodied, full flavored cigars.