Quick Fire: 601 Black Label

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After a pretty long day, and with a full moon out here in Georgia, I decided to fire up a United Tobacco Series 601 Black Label blended by Don Pepin Garcia. My partner in crime here on the blog gifted me this smoke and I had been thinking about it for awhile. The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper is very deceiving as this is a very full flavored and medium to full bodied smoke. This Robusto has a classic DPG flavor profile with pepper throughout coupled with a great tobacco taste. The cigar burned well, the ash held fairly well, and it was a very relaxing smoke. I am rarely disappointed with a Pepin blend, so this was no exception. It was a great way to end an evening as things finally start cooling down here in the South.

Single Worthy: YES
Box Worthy: YES
Grade: A

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Cigar.com Corojo Label

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Size: Churchill, 7×50

Wrapper: Corojo

Filler: Mixed Nicaraguan

Strength: Full

Price: 20 for $45.95 at Cigar.com

Score: 8.5

While vacationing in Florida this week, I decided to review the Corojo Label sent to us by the great folks at Cigar.com. The Corojo blend debuted in 2007. Produced in Nicaragua under the watchful eye of Don Pepin Garcia, and in the same factory responsible for such brands as Tatuaje and Padilla, this house blend should be a treat!

Appearance, 1.6:

The first thing I noticed about this smoke was the wrapper; with a light to medium brown color it was very smooth and eye catching. The pre-light aroma was an earthy tobacco with a little spice towards the foot. The smoke cut clean and the cold draw produced hints of spice with peat on the end. The deduction in points is a result of the construction. The cigar was very spongy and extremely loose to the touch, especially towards the head; this unfortunately made the stick feel very fragile.

Burn, 1.7:

This cigar burned well throughout the entire smoke. Even though this cigar is a “sandwich” style smoke made with mixed filler, I did not notice this at all during the smoke—other than the loose draw. The smoke was cool throughout and did not require any touch up or re-lights.

Flavor, 2.4:

This is going to be a short profile of the flavor of this smoke as there was not any transition in the smoke at all. The cigar produced notes of earth, leaning towards a peat type finish that was dry and not very long; mixed in these notes were hints of sweetness and leather. There was some spice and harshness in parts of the smoke, even though the smoke was cool. This, coupled with the lack of complexity, reduced the point score. The smoke was closer in my opinion to a medium bodied smoke than to a full-bodied smoke.

Overall, 2.8:

The cost of this smoke really gives it a boost in the overall category; at around 2 bucks a stick it is a good medium bodied smoke. The easy draw, coupled with the coolness of the smoke, really made it an enjoyable experience even with the lack of complexity. You can tell Cigar.com has worked on this blend with Don Pepin to get the most they can for the money and it translates into a good smoke at a very appealing price.

(Total: 8.5)

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Don Pepin Garcia, Blue

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Size: Generosos, 6X50

Wrapper: Corojo Oscuro

Filler: Nicaraguan

Strength: Medium-Full

Price: Box of  25, $175

Grade: 9.0

I was extremely excited to have the opportunity to review this smoke from Don Pepin Garcia.  As one of the premier cigar makers in the boutique arena, Don Pepin’s smokes are very well respected and, as a guy who loves a good hearty smoke, I was pumped about getting this one fired up!

Appearance, 1.8:

The first thing I noticed was the Cuban style triple cap that was perfectly constructed and the Don Pepin Garcia label which was a cool blue color with the American flag on it. I know this line is produced in Miami so it was nice to think of this cigar as American in origin. The wrapper was smooth but did show some veins toward the head of the cigar.  The weight of the cigar was good and it was firm but not too tight. The oscuro wrapper was dark and very inviting in appearance. The cigar cut well and the pre-light draw was heavy on spice with a few sweet tobacco notes on the finish.

Burn, 1.7:

This Nicaraguan puro toasted and lit very evenly and the first draw produced a mouthful of tasty smoke.  The draw was just right but did tighten up towards the end of the smoke. The medium grey ash held at 1 inch intervals and could have possibly gone longer, but I myself do not enjoy having ashes all over my shirt. The smoke burned well through the first 2/3 and only required a slight touch up at the beginning of the 3/3. The actual smoke was very aromatic but kind of yellowish in color.

Flavor, 2.8:

In my opinion, this is where Don Pepin’s blends really excel. The flavor of this smoke was excellent.  The first draw was heavy on spice, namely pepper, with some leather on the back. As I made my way through the first 1/3, this trend continued but I also picked up some sweetness and hints of cocoa. The cigar transitioned nicely into the 2/3 and, instead of strengthening, it instead mellowed out and became somewhat creamy. The flavor profile was a sweet tobacco and leather blend with some spice on the long finish. Once we hit 3/3 the smoke heated up and the flavor profile of the 1/3 seemed to return, but with less pepper than before. I was a little surprised by this smoke—I was expecting it to be a full bodied smoke but it was not as heavy as I anticipated, which is not a bad thing but just surprising in the way it developed.

Overall, 2.7:

I really enjoyed this smoke.  The flavor profile was excellent and kept me on my toes in anticipation of the next draw. The highlight for me is the consistency of Don Pepin Garcia’s product. If you pick one of these up you can almost be assured it will be a good smoke and, at around seven bucks a stick, that is not a bad deal. Whether it be his own brand or a stick he has produced for another maker, I look forward to my next Don Pepin Garcia smoke.

(Total: 9.0)

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