Camacho Check Six

At the 2016 IPCPR Convention and Trade Show, Camacho showed off the second release in the Brotherhood Series: the Camacho Check Six.

The cigar is inspired by the military phrase check your six, meaning to watch your back, following the military theme of the series. Also like the first release, the Shellback, it only comes in one size: a 6 x 50 toro. And the Shellback’s working compass on the lid, the Check Six lid is emblazoned with a challenge coin, lending a collectible nature to the limited release.

Here’s what Dylan Austin, vp of marketing for Davidoff of Geneva USA, had to say about the Check Six:

We are very excited about this second release under our Brotherhood Series. While the concept was inspired by a common bond shared amongst the military brotherhood, it is also aspirational for many. We all have those people in our lives that we know have our back. By extension, it is also understood that you have theirs as well. This is the cigar to share with those special individuals.

• Cigar Reviewed: Camacho Check Six
• Country of Origin: Honduras
• Factory: Agroindustria LAEPE S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habana 2000
• Binder: Nicaraguan Criollo 98
• Filler: Dominican Republic (San Vicente), Honduran Corojo & Nicaragua
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Vitola: Toro
• MSRP: $12.50 (Boxes of 20, $250)
• Release Date: August 2016
• Number of Cigars Released: 4,000 Boxes of 20 Cigars (80,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

The Check Six has a beautifully smooth and soft wrapper, and when squeezed shows a nice amount of uniform give across the entire length. The aroma coming off the cigar is sweet, with notes of cinnamon, light leather and a sprinkle of cocoa powder. Cutting the cap off, the cold draw reveals a delicate fruit note up front, with a general sweetness and a unique underlying flavor of root beer.

Starting into the first third, there is a gentle spice, some light black pepper, a touch of the previously mentioned root beer and a sweet dried fruit note trailing the pack. The burn starting out is quite even, just falling short of sharp with a couple of very small edges not conforming to the rest. The ash is nice and dense, easily holding to around an inch and only coming off when I force it. As the cigar continues, a light cedar note and a general earthiness has joined the black pepper and sweet dried fruit note, while the root beer has faded away and the gentle spice note has grown more bold.

Moving into the second third of the Camacho Check Six, the profile continues to develop, with the bolder spice up front, followed by pepper, dried fruits and cedar. New to the mix is a bit of cocoa and roasted almonds, while the earthiness has turned into more of a leather note. Unfortunately the wonderful burn from the first third has gone slightly astray in the second third, requiring a bit of a touch up to keep things moving. Thankfully, the ash continues to be dense and steadfast, keeping together instead of flaking all over the place. The nuanced profile has started to get a little muddy, with the spice still leading up front, followed by pepper, some charred wood, and a touch of earth. Most noticeably missing is the sweet dried fruit, leaving the profile with a bit to be desired.

The final third continues with the slightly muddled profile, with the most distinct flavors being the spice and pepper up front. Still sticking around is the wood and earth, but it seems impossible to pick up much else. While the burn has still behaved for the most part, another touch-up is needed, though the ash continues to perform nicely. As the Check Six wraps up, the profile stays mostly the same, thankfully not getting harsh or bitter.

Final Notes

• Every time I review a Camacho, it bothers me that the way we take pictures and the way they position their bands makes the logo upside down.
• Despite the “upside down” bands though, the overall packaging for the Check Six is really neat, tying itself into the military theme without going overboard or obnoxiously obvious.
• The Shellback release’s motto was “Crossing the line since 1962,” while the Check Six motto is “Watching your back since 1962.”
• With the FDA rules now in effect, I’m wondering if we’ll get another release in the Brotherhood Series this year. It has a great theme and one I would like to see what they come up with next.
• Camacho advertises on halfwheel.
• Cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time averaged a little under an hour and 45 minutes.
• Site sponsor Atlantic Cigar Co. has the Camacho Check Six in stock.