Initial Thoughts:
Coming out of Erik Espinosa's factory (called La Zona) in Esteli, Nicaragua is today's cigar, the 601 Steel Rod Robusto.
Visually, the 601 Steel is a nice looking cigar. It's got a toothy-looking Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrapper that's quite dark. After punching the end, the draw was great and the cold draw flavors were a little sour and much lighter than the wrapper's dark color would suggest.
Once the cigar was lit, the flavors were a little bit… funky. But the construction seems fantastic, so I'll reserve judgment until after I've only two puffs.
CigarScore:


Brand: Erik Espinosa, 601 Cigars
Line: Steel
Size: 5 x 54
Cut: Punch
Light: Torch
Price: $7.73
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoke Time: 68 minutes
About 30 minutes into the cigar, the funky and sour flavors of disappeared and the 601 Steel began to taste… normal. However, the cigar just won't stay lit. In the first half, I had to relight it twice.
Further into the cigar, I could taste hints of cedar and cocoa, but the funky flavors came in waves, pulling back then showing up again.
Final Thoughts:
My 601 Steel Rod Robusto was plagued with problems. I had to relight it several times and the cigar took work to enjoy. However, when I could taste the flavors of the cigar that were not funky or sour, they were pretty good.
After giving it some serious thought, the 601 Steel Rod Robusto earns a CigarScore 2.
The CigarScore Rating System Explained