601 La Bomba Warhead VII

Espinosa Premium Cigars

• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: San Lotano Factory
• Wrapper: Nicaragua (Broadleaf)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 7 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Vitola: Churchill
• MSRP: $10 (Box of 10, $100)
• Release Date: Sept. 13, 2021
• Number of Cigars Released: 2,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (20,000 Total Cigars)
• Original Score: 91

Given its name, a person might be inclined to think that the 601 La Bomba Warhead VII is nothing more than a strong cigar designed to drop a pepper bomb onto whoever is adventurous to light one up. While it is a strong cigar—“streaky strength” as I noted in my review—it is so much more than that, which is why it ended up on this list.

In fact, it’s when the blend shows restraint from its strength that it shines brightest, allowing creaminess, dry woods and touches of sweetness to come through and give the cigar its impressive complexity. This is also a cigar that will really reward those who retrohale, punching up the profile with more pepper, giving the blend two complementary ways to be enjoyed. Even with its name and known strength, this is still a cigar that all but the most nicotine-averse cigar smoker should try, as it shows that strength can still be flavorful, complex and enjoyable. — Patrick Lagreid.