Early in 2012, West Coast Cigars in San Jose, Calif. announced that it was bringing back the 601 Black as its new house cigar called the Evil Clown. Next Sunday, the store will unveil a new limited edition release under the Evil Clown name, as well as the addition of a maduro version, both of which will be made by Erik Espinosa.
The limited edition celebrates the store’s 10th anniversary and is a barber pole that uses Ecuadorian Connecticut and habano oscuro for the wrappers and Nicaraguan fillers to create a medium to medium full profile, according to Bill Davis, owner of West Coast Cigars. It’s a 6 x 50 toro that will come in ten-count, paper-wrapped bundles, priced at $10 per cigar or $100 per bundle.
The Evil Clown Maduro uses an Ecuadorian maduro wrapper with Nicaraguan fillers from Jalapa and Estelí to create what’s being called a medium-bodied, spicy sweet profile. Davis is releasing it in three sizes, Lane Splitter (5 x 52, ) Full Throttle (6 x 50) and a 7 x 70 called the Big Mo, named for his dog Mojo, a 205-pound Mastiff who passed away recently. Davis said he will be making a donation to a local animal shelter for every Big Mo vitola purchased. Pricing is still being finalized, but he expects the two smaller sizes to be just under $10, while the Big Mo will be right around $10.
Like the original Evil Clown, both of the new cigars are made at Espinosa’s La Zona Cigar Factory in Estelí, Nicaragua and will be released during an in-store event with Espinosa on Feb. 7.