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Stogie Reviews: EO 601 Serie “Blue” Toro

25 Mar 2008

When I named the EO 601 Serie “Green” one of my Gold Star Smokes back in December, I wasn’t exactly going out on a limb. Since it was introduced at last year’s RTDA trade show, the cigar community has widely embraced it as an outstanding, full-bodied powerhouse, and I haven’t met many who disagree.

EO 601 Serie “Blue” ToroBut the oscuro Green can be a bit overwhelming, even for some seasoned cigar veterans. If you fall into this category, I would highly recommend trying the 601 Serie “Blue,” the second strongest in Erik Espinoza and Eddie Ortega’s popular Pepin-blended line of Nicaraguans.

With an oily, practically vein-free Habano maduro wrapper, the Blue is Pepin’s first box press and also his first maduro. Like the Green, it isn’t hard to find praise on the web or elsewhere for this Estelí-made cigar.

The Toro measures a hearty six and ¼ inches with a 52 ring gauge and sells in the $7.40 to $8.50 range. Without its flashy, detailed band, it bears a striking resemblance to an RP Vintage ’90 of the same size.

The smoke starts with Pepin’s signature burst of pepper followed by savory dark chocolate notes. A natural sweetness is present, along with a taste akin to roasted nuts – not dissimilar to the Green.

The Blue, however, isn’t nearly as strong. You’ll find lots of well-balanced flavor, but little of that “Whoa, I need to sit down” feeling. The rich, bountiful tastes remain fairly consistent through the second third, and the finish sees a small increase in bitterness.

Of the six Toros I smoked for this review, half required some touch-ups to keep the burn even and half did just fine on their own. All sported a firm ash and a clear draw throughout the 70- to 90-minute smoke.

All things considered, I am once again impressed with the performance from United Tobacco’s 601 line. I hesitate to chalk up the Blue as an instant classic, but it is no doubt an excellent alternative for smokers who need something stronger than the Red but lighter than the Green. I give the EO 601 Serie “Blue” Toro four out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

18 Responses to “Stogie Reviews: EO 601 Serie “Blue” Toro”

  1. Chris V Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 4:15 am #

    Thanks Pat, I'll look forward to this one.

    Also, to Jon N. I remember you saying the Vegas A is a go to for you… you might wanna check today's JoeCigar….

  2. Don Carlos Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 4:35 am #

    Excellent review of an excellent cigar. Like you, I've tried the Red, Blue, and Green 601s so far. Looking forward to your review of the Black…

  3. Amanda Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 7:03 am #

    Great pic! So I pretty much have to get my hands on some of these now.

  4. Jon N. Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 9:37 am #

    Patrick, great review. A couple days ago I smoked one of these and had very similar impressions to yours. I’d definitely call it a solid 4-stogie cigar. I may actually prefer it to the RPV ’90, to be honest. I’m not sure yet. It’s not on par with the ’92, but it’s as good as the ’90, in my opinion.

    Chris: Thanks for the heads up! Wow. 20 of those Series As for $40 is a pretty sweet deal. I’d definitely buy at that price.

  5. Chris V Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 11:00 am #

    Sorry guys… I know both you and Pat A like those 5 Vegas As… but I busted one out just now… and I had to put it out after less than an inch. The taste was fine, but I got the distinct feeling that my mouth was almost "coated" in something when I smoked it. Very strange.

  6. Cigar Jack Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 5:29 pm #

    I've yet to meet a 601 I don't like. I just picked up a box of the Red Label Toro's for around $85. If I have up reviewing and only smoked a select few cigars the entire 601 Line would probably fill up most of my inventory.

  7. Peter Brown Friday, September 5, 2014 at 12:59 am #

    This cigar has a great, plentiful, creamy smoke. Taste steady throughout the cigar. Overall it's an excellent cigar.

Trackbacks and Pingbacks

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