Twenty years is a long time for any cigar to hold a spot in the rotation. The 601 Blue Maduro has done exactly that, and this limited 20th Anniversary is its victory lap. It is a big, dark, oval-pressed smoke built to be savored.
The 601 Blue 20th Anniversary is a single 6¾×56 oval-pressed vitola from 601, the Espinosa Premium Cigars brand run by Erik Espinosa. It wears a dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and filler, rolled at A.J. Fernandez’s San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua. It smokes medium-full, ships in limited boxes of 10, and runs about $18 a stick.
- 601 Blue 20th Anniversary, a single 6¾×56 oval-pressed vitola in Connecticut Broadleaf over Nicaraguan binder and filler. Made at the San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua, limited edition, boxes of 10, about $18 a stick.
- Roasted wood leads, with leather, earth, cream, and black pepper filling in around milk chocolate and a late sweetness. Medium-full in body, rich, smooth, and consistent from light to nub.
- BLC Rating: 89/100. A well-made, full-flavored anniversary smoke that rewards a slow two hours. The main knock is that it holds one groove rather than shifting third to third.
FROM THE PORCH
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BEHIND THE BLEND
The 601 brand belongs to Erik Espinosa, whose Espinosa Premium Cigars has spent two decades building 601 into a name smokers trust, and the Blue label is its Maduro line. This anniversary edition marks twenty years of that Maduro, from 2006 to 2026, dressed up in a big oval-pressed format. The cigar is rolled at A.J. Fernandez’s San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua, with a dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over all-Nicaraguan tobacco. One small quirk, the commemorative band reads Estelí even though the cigars are actually made in Ocotal, a wink you only catch if you look closely.
BLC BLEND BREAKDOWN
BLEND SPECS
THE VITOLA LINEUP
| VITOLA | SIZE | FORMAT |
|---|---|---|
| Oval Toro, reviewed | 6¾ × 56 | Oval Press |
This is a one-size release, and 601 kept it simple. The 20th Anniversary comes only as this 6¾×56 oval press, a big cigar with a soft-pressed shape that sits nicely in the hand. There is no robusto or corona to choose from, the single format is the statement. If you want the anniversary blend, this is the vitola, and it is built for a long sit.
THE COLD DRAW
The wrapper is a dark, oily Connecticut Broadleaf, close to espresso brown with a fine tooth and firm, even seams. The oval press gives it a comfortable, slightly flattened feel between the fingers. Off the foot the pre-light aroma is woods, sweet tea, and a raisin sweetness, with leather sitting underneath. A straight cut opens a draw with just the right resistance. Cold-draw flavors run milk chocolate, raisin, and a soft strawberry note, promising more depth than a lighter cigar.
BLC CIGAR PROFILE
Here is the shape of it: the 601 Blue 20th Anniversary settles into a rich, woody core and stays there. Roasted wood leads the whole way, with leather and earth underneath, cream rising through the middle, and black pepper keeping it lively. It is medium-full, full of flavor, and smooth from light to nub. The one honest critique is that it does not transition much third to third, it finds its groove early and holds it.
THE FIRST THIRD
The first light comes on with roasted, almost burning wood right up front. Under it sits earth, a little granola, and a leathery base that anchors everything. Black pepper shows up on the retrohale and keeps things awake. There is a buttered-popcorn note in there too, along with a burnt-coffee edge that reads darker than sweet. The finish is creamy and peppery, and the whole first third is rich without ever turning harsh.
THE SECOND THIRD
The middle keeps the burning-wood core and adds a rising cream that softens the edges. Leather, earth, and pepper stay in the mix, and a mineral, almost muddy note turns up underneath. The retrohale gets more interesting here, with peanut butter and a flash of kiwi tucked behind the wood. It is a rich, steady stretch, the burn stays dead even and the smoke stays cool. This is the cigar at its most comfortable.
THE FINAL THIRD
The last third pushes leather to the front and lets the wood turn a touch sweeter. Toasty earth fills the background, and the black pepper and cream build together into a warm, layered finish. There is a spiced-rum sweetness that shows up late and rounds the whole thing off. Smoke it slow and it stays smooth and full right down to the band. The total sit ran a little past two and a half hours, which is exactly the point of a cigar like this.
OVERALL RATING
BLC OVERALL RATING
An 89 fits this cigar well. The 601 Blue 20th Anniversary is beautifully made, richly flavored, and smooth across a long, unhurried smoke. It earns its anniversary billing on flavor and construction alone. The one thing holding it back from a higher number is transition, it settles into a wood-and-leather core early and does not travel far from it. For a slow, full-flavored two hours, it delivers.
WHO GRABS THIS CIGAR
This is a cigar for the smoker who likes them dark, rich, and unhurried. It suits the medium-full palate that leans toward wood, leather, earth, and pepper over sweetness and cream. Clear an afternoon, pour something aged, and let it take its time. It is not a quick after-work smoke, it is a sit-down occasion cigar.
Reach for it when you want depth and a long burn, and when the anniversary angle means something to you. Skip it if you want a mild morning cigar or a blend that reinvents itself in every third, that is not this one. At around $18 it is a treat rather than a daily driver, and as a limited run it is worth grabbing while it lasts.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Common questions about the 601 Blue 20th Anniversary 6¾×56.
