Blind Review: 601 La Bomba Warhead VI
For years Erik Espinosa has created from his 601 line the La Bomba Warheads. The bands and packaging are always cool to look at and the perfectos are crafted beautifully. The flavor profiles of the Warhead blends have typically been in the medium to full range and have been flavor “bombs” and strong smokes. I’ve smoked them since their beginnings and this was the first time having the Warhead VI. I have to say, smoking this blind was quite an adventure as I was able to be more analytical in its tasting which I always feel is beneficial. This 601 La Bomba Warhead was not the experience like the others and I was quite surprised when I found out what the blend was after finishing the review.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Review: 601 La Bomba Warhead VI
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Fillers: Nicaraguan
Length: 5″ x 58 (Perfecto)
Appearance and Construction
The La Bomba 601 Warhead VI is an extremely dark ,bulbous cigar with a toothy Nicaraguan wrapper. There are very few veins and squeezing the cigar makes it evident that there is copious amounts of tobacco inside. The nipple foot smells of barnyard and giving off little else in terms of aroma. The construction on this figuardo is visually impressive, and the cigar is weighty in my hand.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
To start, a small straight cut is made, and a cold draw offers old cellared wine boxes to the taste with a slight musty aroma. As I light the La Bomba Warhead VI, there are notes of baking spices on the tongue with a bit of sour bitterness. When the nipple foot opens up, I’m greeted with maple, earth and cocoa on the finish. The underlying bitterness is still present along with notes of graham cracker and wood. The draw is semi firm, and a retrohale of the smoke brings with it some sweetness and an intense wood character.
At midway, the 601 La Bomba Warhead VI becomes gritty and sour with some added nuttiness. More of the cocoa returns with some winter spices coating the sides of the mouth. The ash is a solid white and holds on rather nicely, and there is an ample amount of smoke coming from the cigar, with peanut and cashew wafting through. Despite these flavors there is still a persistent underlying sour note that resonates on the finish. Body wise, the smoke is in the medium to full range as this point.
The Warhead VI takes its time to smoke which I appreciate in a cigar. Most of the time this allows me to hone in on the flavors better. Unfortunately the persistent bitterness and sour notes along with the slow burn actually make for a less pleasurable smoking experience. The last few puffs though surprise me with sweet chocolate followed by a sharpness that cut said flavors short.
Conclusion
I have enjoyed previous 601 La Bomba Warheads a lot more in terms of their flavor and strength. What really hurt Warhead VI for me was the bitter and sourness that haunted the entire smoking experience. Having those flavors linger with each puff made smoking the cigar more a chore at times.
I have known and hung out with Erik Espinosa and he is a passionate and fun cigar man. This type of project held a lot of potential, and though I won’t speculate as to what gave the cigar those sharp notes, I was never quite satisfied with the smoke. If you can find the older version of the Warhead I would recommend seeking them out instead.