Cigar Review: 601 La Bomba Bunker Buster by Espinosa Cigars

Vitola: Figurado
Size: 5.5” x 56 ring gauge
Price $8.95
Review samples provided by Smoke Inn

Background

I will start out this review with some commentary about shipping cigars, and this applies to you whether you are a cigar manufacturer, a retailer or just sending your buddy some sticks in the mail. I have received, from time to time, cigars in envelopes, both padded and unpadded. With a single exception, the results are never pretty. The flexibility of envelopes (both padded and unpadded) almost ensures that cigars get bend, smashed or otherwise rendered unsmokeable during the process of shipping. On the other hand, the US Postal Service has a “Priority Mail Flat Rate Box” that is almost the perfect size to send 4 to 5 cigars with little risk of damage (yes, I’ve received boxes that have been crushed as well, but only once or twice out of dozens of shipments I’ve received). The cost is moderate (about $5.50, I think) and it includes a decent amount of insurance if you purchase the label online (and it’s much faster than standing in line at the post office). All this to say, that I got my first shipment of 601 La Bomba Bunker Busters in a padded envelope and the wrappers were shredded.

I didn’t order the cigars and I didn’t pay for them…they were part of Smoke Inn’s blogger-friendly sample program…but I thought it would be right for someone at the company to know how they showed up. The only email address in the package happened to be for Abe Dababneh..the owner and face of Smoke Inn…so I emailed him a photo of the cigars. I didn’t ask for and did not expect to receive replacement cigars…but Abe is very conscious of how his company looks, especially since his name (and face!) are on almost every bit of marketing Smoke Inn does. He forwarded on my email to someone else and told them to get new samples out ASAP; I received them two days later. So now is a great time to commend Smoke Inn on great customer service…even though in this instance I am not a customer (I have been in the past and probably will be in the future)…bottom line, folks: this is just the right way to handle a situation. Don’t argue with the customer, especially over a relatively piddling amount…just make the situation right, take steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again, make this customer happy and maybe you’ve made a customer for life…and a customer that will tell all their friends. Which I have now done.

So…to the actual cigar in question…Smoke Inn is continuing their acclaimed “Microblend Series” with a collaboration with Espinosa Cigars and a new iteration of the 601 La Bomba:

Bunker Buster Bombs are vicious weapons that penetrate deep into mountainsides destroying bunkers hidden in the heart of the mountain.

In the spirit of the Bunker Buster Bomb, the 601 La Bomba Bunker Buster drills deep into your pallet unleashing a memorable full bodied smoking experience. Using the finest hand selected Nicaraguan Habano claro wrapper, the Bunker Buster deploys an exceptionally strong Nicaraguan Criollo leaf binding a full blown arsenal of Nicaraguan fillers.

The 601 La Bomba Bunker Buster had its National Release Party on Friday, June 5, the anniversary of D-Day and orders started shipping to customers on Monday, June 9. They made a total of 500 10-count boxes, which retail for $8.95 each or $89.95 per box. All box purchasers are also receiving a commemorative military-style 601 La Bomba Bunker Buster Challenge Coin while supplies last. This review is based on my second cigar…and I still have two more that might be smokeable if I can get the right type of cigar glue. 🙂

Prelight

The original 601 La Bomba had a simple yellow, black and white footband. With the 601 La Bomba Warhead Limited Edition last year, Espinosa Cigars started getting a little more creative, inserting a military theme into the mix. That cigar had a band that was shaped like a bomb with an angry face painted on it. The military theme carries over here with the band in the shape of an armpatch on a solidier’s uniform, complete with chevrons and other decoration. There is liberal use of gold foil and embossing and overall it has a fun and original appearance.

The cigar itself had a light brown color without much oil to the eye, but there was an oily feeling under my fingers. The outer construction appeared to be very good and the wrapper had a pungent grass and manure aroma to it. That scent was strong and overpowered anything else I might have picked up on the small foot of this figurado. The cold draw was excellent and tasted of cedar, earth and grass.

Flavor

Firing up the 601 La Bomba Bunker Buster, it’s obvious right from the start that this isn’t going to be a newbie’s smoke. I was greeted by in-your-face levels of cedar and earth, with an underlying pepper burn on the palate and a very pronounced sear on the nasal passages. The smoke was thick and oily, hanging heavily around my head until a breeze blew it slowly away. As I moved past the narrow tip and into the widest part of the cigar, I picked up some citrus notes and a little sweetness that helped balance the flavor profile.

The cedar and earth continued to create a nice mix in the second third, though the pepper spice was toned down a bit on both palate and nose. The last third saw the earth and cedar recede a bit and more sweetness come to the forefront.

Construction

I had to touch up the burn line a couple times, but nothing too major. The ash was a bit flaky but that happens sometimes when cigars get bumped around in shipping. The draw was flawless throughout.

Value

As usual, Smoke Inn delivers these cigars at a very fair price, especially considering they are small batch cigars.

Conclusions

The Smoke Inn Microblend Series 601 La Bomba Bunker Buster (say that 5 times fast!) was a very good addition to both the 601 La Bomba lineup and the Microblend Series. It was a full-bodied powerhouse of a cigar that was not too strong only because of the small size. If this had been an inch longer it probably would have kicked my butt, to be honest. As it was, it was a great example of a strong cigar that won’t overpower any but newer smokers. If it sounds like your idea of a good smoke, by all means visit www.SmokeInn.com and pick up a box while they are available.

By-The-Numbers

Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10