601 Habano Oscuro Mini Review

[BadMormon]

Last night, I sat down with an ICRS sheet, and the 601 Habano Oscuro La Punta--perfecto. This was my first one.



Price paid: $6.08, before taxes, at a B&M.

I had a cup of sweetened tea while smoking.

Pre-Smoke: I forgot to do most of the pre-smoke stuff, but the scent of the wrapper was amazing. It reminded me of imported Italian sausage or something--like something that is truly aged. The wrapper wasn't exactly smooth, but there were no holes in it.

Smoke:

Taste:
I got big spicy heat at the beginning and again at the end. In between, there was a distinct leather flavor. Also detected along the way were hints of onion, black coffee, scallops, and peanuts.

Strength:
It surprised me by delivering mild body throughout most of it, and then suddenly building when there were about 2 inches left.

Feeling:
Relaxing.

Scent of Smoke:
I got hints of wintergreen, earth, and juniper in the aroma.

Heat on Fingers and in Mouth:
No problems here.

Draw:
It was severely tight, but luckily the plug was near the cap, so I was able to fix it by poking it with an unfolded paper clip. I found it necessary to do this 4 or 5 times before I had finished it.

Finish:
I didn't pay much attention to the finish, except to notice that it was medium-strong, mellowing out over time, and about average in duration.

Other Aspects/General:
I love a cigar that surprises me and offers complexity. This is my kind of cigar. The rough wrapper does not bother me, because, in my opinion, flavor trumps everything. I am also impressed that a perfecto of this size, with this complexity of flavor and aroma, had such a reasonable price tag.

Final Rating:
7.5. It would have been much higher if not for the draw problem. Hopefully this is not a common problem with 601's.


That's all, folks!

[hayward_tenney]

Too bad you had a draw problem, this has been a really consistent smoke for me in all sizes. The Corona is my personal favorite. Nice review.

[DBCcigar]

Thanks for the review. The bad draw on a 601 is a rarity! Give one another shot....

That is a fabulous stick!