601 Maduro Box Press Prominente
Erik Espinosa’s 601, launched in the early 2000s, named for June 1st; the date of his first trip to Nicaragua. It is produced at La Zona in Estelí. The Maduro Box Press (Blue Label) is the box-pressed maduro version of the 601 line, using a maduro wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers. The Prominente measures 5½ × 56. The Toro from this line ranked No. 6 on Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 Cigars of 2009.
Stogie At A Glance
Check out our curated playlist for the 601 Maduro here.
Review
First third
Lots of pepper and savory notes on the light. Dark chocolate and pepper on the finish. Sweet notes join the pepper, chocolate, and dark cherry. There’s a lot going on—slight cedar, savory notes, dark cherry, and espresso on the finish. Slight fruity notes past the dark cherry, almost a tangy citrus finish. Some earthy barnyard notes mix with the cedar and citrus tang. A slight spiced-nuts flavor comes through with pepper and cedar on the finish. The citrus tang keeps returning. Leather notes enter the mix as well. Near the end of the first third, dark cherry returns along with cedar and a nutty note, still with light citrus tang and espresso on the finish. A lot of flavor and a very complex start.
Second Third
A mineral quality is added to the flavor, along with another note I can’t quite name. The minerality has a sweetness to it, with slight cedar and nutty notes. Ash is still holding on, great burn, long finish. Lemon-pepper seasoning is what I’m tasting in this second third—very interesting. Some espresso and coffee-nut notes return ever so slightly, with the lemon-pepper seasoning still on the finish and a wonderful aroma. Cedar is becoming a little stronger while the citrus tang backs down a bit. Ash falls for the first time after the halfway point of the second third. Black coffee, chocolate, and cherry notes come through, still with some cedar on the finish. The pepper has died down a lot since the beginning. Near the end of the second third, more cedar emerges along with that barnyard note.
Final Third
A creamy almond note lands in a big way, with espresso and almond on the finish. Chocolate and dark cherry notes return, with a slightly sweet spice on the finish. Citrus comes back some, with cedar and pepper on the finish. Sweet tobacco notes appear, with pepper and almost a minty finish. Smoked wood or charcoal-BBQ-type notes come through, with an earthy pepper finish and some dark chocolate. Pepper is getting stronger. More earthy coffee notes, with cedar and pepper on the finish, plus more espresso. Earthy and pepper notes continue to strengthen as I near the end.
Score
93/100