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The Espinosa Maduro is made in Espinosa’s La Zona factory in Esteli, Nicaragua and will come in 4 different vitolas: Robusto Box-Pressed (5×52), Belicoso Box-Pressed (5-1/2×52), Corona Gorda (5-5/8 x46), and Toro Box-Pressed (6-x52). All four sizes will be offered in boxes of 20. The Espinosa Maduro is set to be released at the end of April 2013.

Last week, Daniel reviewed the La Zona Habano by Espinosa Cigars. Today, I bring to you another offering from Espinosa Cigars, the Espinosa Habano.  The Espinosa Habano is Erik Espinosa’s first cigar to come out of his La Zona factory in Esteli, Nicaragua and is available in four vitolas: Robusto (5 by 50), Toro (6 by 52), Belicoso (5 1/2 by 52) and Trabuco (6 by 60).

The Casas Fumando team has reviewed a couple of Espinosa’s new offerings, as well as a few cigars that carried over from his previous company, EO Brands.  The reviews can be found here:

• La Zona Connecticut
• La Zona Habano
• 601 La Bomba (Yellow)
• Murcielago

The Facts Samples Provided by Espinosa Cigars Vitola: Robusto Size: 5 by 50 Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan Pairing: Water Smoke time: 1 Hour and 35 Minutes

Pre-light

The Espinosa Habano sports a primary band and a secondary foot band.  The color choice and design on the primary band makes it very unique and, while not my favorite band, very eye catching.  The foot band has the name of the factory where the Espinosa Habano is produced, La Zona.  The medium brown wrapper is consistent in color and, other than a couple of medium size veins, the wrapper is very smooth and packed firmly from head to foot.

The aroma off the Habano wrapper is of tobacco, mild pepper, and a faint cedar.  The foot comes across much richer but of the same aromas. The triple cap clips easily leaving a small crack running a half inch up. The draw is perfect.  After fighting the draw on last week’s Cardinal Maduro, I am looking forward to this. A spice is left on my lips, and the cold draw brings out tobacco and a clove-like flavor.

First Third

The foot band slides off with ease.  The first thing I notice is the mouth feel of the smoke.  I was completely blindsided by this.  The smoke is full and creamy, and coats the entire mouth with each puff.  The profile has a rich, cedar core with pepper and a spice tingle at the back of the throat.  The finish is somewhat dry of toasted cedar.  The thick eyeliner burn is producing an ash, which is white on the outer edge, but the filler ash is much darker.   A copious amount of smoke fills my mouth on the draw and blue smoke is pumping out while resting. A quick touch-up was required to get a small portion of the wrapper to burn.  The flaky ash held strong for over an inch before tumbling into the ashtray.  Flavors are medium/full and the strength is a steady medium.

Middle Third

A crack has formed down the wrapper leaf which runs approximately an inch and a half.   The flavors have not evolved much from the first third.  Unlike the pencil shaving, cedar flavor I have become accustomed to in other cigars, this is a rich, sweet cedar that is extremely enjoyable. The spice in the mouth has become faint, but as I push it through my nasal passage I am hit with a pepper and hot, spice blast.  The finish now has an added element of cocoa. I am still experiencing minor burn issues, which seem to be a result of the cracked wrapper that has pulled away from the rest of the cigar.

Final Third

I just can’t get over the mouth feel of the smoke.  The chewy, creamy smoke compliments the sweet cedar profile.   There are some notes hiding in the background that I can’t put my finger on but they are in the area of a caramel or cocoa flavor. The finish has become toasty, with some black coffee and a hint of bitterness. The retrohale is intense and wonderful, showcasing the Nicaraguan pepper that I love . With another touch-up, I have finally surpassed the crack in the wrapper on the Espinosa Habano.   The burn has become razor sharp, which confirms that the crack was causing the previous burn issues.  Another crack has formed at the cap. Flavors remain medium/full and the strength is borderline full.

Wrap-up

I was not aware of how delicate the Habano wrapper was on the Espinosa Habano, and to say the least, I did not take the best care of the cigar this past weekend.  Due to having my travel case under filled,  I believe the cigars may have been bouncing around a little too much.  All in all, the wrapper crack and related burn issues were not a major annoyance. When a cigar is delivering in the areas of flavor, body, and strength, I am more than willing to touch up a cigar a couple of times.  The cigar was not overly complex but it hit the spot for me. Espinosa Habano cigars can be picked up at Smoke Inn for a price of $6 to $7, which makes this an easy buy in my book.  These sticks must be flying off the shelves because the only vitola remaining in stock is the Trabuco (6 by 60).  So grab them while you can and let us know what you think of the cigar.

Source: http://www.casasfumando.com/2013/03/06/espinosa-cigars-espinosa-habano

On the chopping block is the Habano wrapped version of the Espinosa Cigars La Zona.  If the Espinosa name sounds familiar it’s probably because you heard about it from the EO Brands cigar label where Erik Espinosa and Eddie Ortega worked together to create some very popular lines.  Espinosa Cigars is Erik fairly new project and the La Zona line is one of his first few blends.

The La Zona line currently comes in two flavors, a Connecticut and the Habano, they are also only available in two sizes, Super Toro and Robusto.  The only noticeable difference between the two blends is a slightly different color on the bands.  The Connecticut had a sort of lime green touch to it while the Habano is a bit more of a subtle brownish green.

The price on these cigars comes in well below $5 a stick.  If you opt for the massive 80 count boxes, the price per stick can drop to nearly $3 each making this a very affordable stick to have in the humidor.  Fans of Nicaraguan tobacco will also be happy to hear that the La Zona’s are Nicaraguan Puros and are also manufactured right in Esteli.

Despite a ton of snow we’ve been having, the weather is actually warming up a bit.  I think Mother Nature in a bit confused… But I’ll take advantage of that as I enjoy some good cigars.  So let’s just right in and see if the La Zona Habano is worth stocking up on in the Humidor.

Cigar: Espinosa Cigars La Zona Habano Drink: Coffee Vitola: Super Toro (6.5 x 54) Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan Price: About $4 Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction: • The medium brown color of the wrapper is accented with some golden touches • Almost no veins on this slightly dry looking wrapper • It also has a somewhat rough texture and lots of toothiness to it, just missing the oily spots • I did notice a sort of green water spot right around the middle of the cigar • After a small and easy cut, the draw is super open, pretty surprising since it’s such a long cigar • There is a definite softness from cap to foot here, lots of give when I squeeze it a bit • The foot looks to be decently packed and the cap is finished very cleanly

Burn: • Toasting took a bit of time but it lit up nice and evenly • Burn line has been a tad wavy but pretty good for the most part through the first third • Through the first half, I had one minor touch up for a peninsula that was forming • The La Zona Habano is burning at a good pace, not too fast and not too slow either • A couple more touch ups as I get near the end, none were major issues, probably jsut me wanted to be a perfectionist! lol

Smoke & Ash: • There is a fair bit of smoke off the start but a slightly open draw is making it tough • The resting smoke is pretty minimal • Ash is looking to be pretty clean and somewhat strong • First ash got tapped off at about the one inch mark since it looked to be getting a bit wobbly • A fair bit of smoke from each draw but it does take a few tries to get it all out • The remaining ashes all stuck around the 1 inch mark pretty consistently • Other than the dark spots from touch ups, the ash had a light and dark grey color to it

Tasting Notes: • The wrapper has a deep cedar aroma to it with a touch of spice • On the foot, I’m getting the same cedar and more spice to it, tickled my nose quite a bit • Pre-light draw had a ton more cedar but much less spice here, a touch of sweetness here as well • Initial flavors brought out more of the cedar but not as much spice right off the bat • I found a touch of spice in the aftertaste and main flavors mostly dominated by some leather and woodsy notes • I’m picking up some hints of creaminess but they don’t seem to be sticking around too long • Body started off in the medium range and has been sticking there through the first half of the cigar • The retrohale has a nice little spice bite to it and a bit more on the finish, with just a touch of creaminess in there • I got a few coffee notes and a bit more creaminess towards the last half which kept it interesting • No real harshness or bitterness right to the nub, allowing me to enjoy the whole cigar

Final Thoughts: I have to say that both the Habano and Connecticut version of the La Zona cigar were a satisfying smoke.  They are also quite different in their own regards.  The Connecticut brought a surprising amount of spice to the table while the Habano had a more creamy and woodsy approach.  For a $3 price tag, you are definitely getting your money’s worth on these cigars.  Other than a couple minor touch ups, the whole burn was pretty darn good and the flavors were just enough to keep things interesting.  I’d definitely consider buying a few more of each and for the price, you don’t feel bad to hand over a tasty and flavorful stick to a novice smoker either.

Pairings: I went with plain old coffee for today’s review and it actually worked out really well.  I don’t tend to pair with coffee quite enough and I’m not sure why, it definitely makes for a great pairing.  Especially in the morning or early afternoon.  I think a nice amber ale, maybe something oaked would make an awesome pairing here.  Or possibly a light scotch as well.

Source: http://www.casasfumando.com/2013/03/01/espinosa-cigars-la-zona-habano/comment-page-1#comment-102235

It’s a World-Wide HERF!

Murcielago Robusto (5×50)

Murcielago is another cigar from Espinosa Cigars. Back when Erik Espinosa and Eddie Ortega had EO Brands this was a huge hit for them. When the two of them went their separate ways Erik retained the cigar along with the other EO Brand editions.
The cigar is absolutely beautiful. It is flawlessly made. These are made by Don Pepin Garcia for Espinosa Cigars. The cigar is not as dark as other maduro cigars. It’s more of a dark brown and again, it’s beautiful!
Murcielago means “bat” in Spanish.

Video review HERE.
Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas maduro Binder: Mexican Filler: Nicaraguan
The cigar has nice density. It is box pressed.

After cutting the cap the test draw was very good. The initial flavors were a lot of pepper, coffee, and sweet cedar. You could almost call the coffee an espresso but I’ll stick with coffee. The cedar shows signs of some richness. The pepper is very good and I rate it at an 8. There also seem to be some cream notes to go along with the cedar.

About 1/2 inch in the flavors settled down into leather, coffee, cedar, cream and black pepper. The finish is a toasty cream with lingering pepper. This cigar is quite peppery and quite leathery. There is a subtle cream on the cedar which takes away the sharpness of the cedar. The cigar is still showing some richness.

About 3/4 inch in the cedar now has nutmeg notes instead of cream. There is more richness now. The leather and coffee are very prominent. The finish is now more of a sweet cream along with the lingering pepper. The front end pepper is still around a 7 or 8.

At the band the leather overshadows all other flavors. The coffee is second followed by the cedar, which still has sweetness. The nutmeg notes have really decreased. The finish is still one of a sweet cream. This is a medium to full bodied cigar and it has been almost from light up. The leather/coffee/cedar combination in this cigar is very good.

The cigar ended with the prominent leather notes, coffee, cedar, and great pepper. There were also some charred wood notes in the latter stages. The finish remained one of sweet cream and pepper. This was a very good cigar that I enjoyed quite a bit. Although the cigar did not make major changes the little changes were nice. Erik has a staple cigar here. These are great anytime!

I am a fan of strong cigars and Nicaraguan tobacco. With that said, I have the only cigar I have seen with a warning label up for review. The La Bomba actually has a warning inside the box lid letting you know it is not for the novice smoker. I looked forward to lighting one of these up and almost did so before letting them rest. Luckily for them a series of life events kept me from getting into them, and they found a couple of weeks to stabilize in the humi. The La Bomba is a blend from Erik Espinosa and Eddie Ortega that was originally produced in the My Father factory in Esteli Nicaragua. Some of the older boxes that are still out there bear the My Father seal and the newer boxes I have seen have the La Zona seal, indicating that they were produced in Erik’s factory in Esteli. I am unaware of any changes to the blend, if there were any, between the two. I have enjoyed every EO brand, Ortega, and Espinosa cigar that I have had to date. The 601 green label is one of my favorite cigars and I will have formal review of it up soon, I hope.
My son recently picked up a nasty stomach virus that put him in the hospital for a night to get IV fluids. Our local hospital doesn’t allow smoking or tobacco use of any kind on their premises, so getting a cigar in was out of the question. I enjoyed this stick the day after he was released to come home and feeling much better. It amazes me how fast children bounce back from being sick, and it seems to take us adults forever to get over an ailment. He is much better and I thank all of you that offered prayers and encouragement. It was his first hospital visit since he was born and scared me and his mother pretty bad. I know, so on with the review already lol.
The milk chocolate Habano wrapper on the La Bomba had only minimal veins and a cool pigtail resembling the fuse on a stick of dynamite. The body was well packed and firm with a little give. There we no soft spots or imperfections that I could find. I used my trusty Xikar cutter to clip the cap and found the cold draw to be perfect with notes of cocoa and a mild sweetness. The body offed notes of cocoa with hints of barnyard and the foot had the same mild sweetness and cocoa that the was present on the cold draw. You can tell by that aroma emanating off of this stick, it is going to be tasty and strong. I used my favorite torch, my Xikar executive II, to toast the foot and get things started with no problems.
The initial third explodes with flavor, after all it is a bomb. The first flavors that grab the attention are notes of coffee and cocoa. There is mild caramel tone that comes in on the finish and brings a touch of sweetness to the peppery spice of the retrohale. As I progress into the first third, notes of leather start to emerge. The finish is long and leaves a touch of caramel on the palate and a nice peppery tingle in the sinuses.
Going into the second third the leather notes gain some momentum as the cocoa notes begin to fade into the background. The caramel notes are still hanging out in the background as some toasted nut notes start to pop in and out. I was almost ready to discard the extra full body claim until I hit the half-way point. That is when the body went from full, to wow that is strong. It was strong, but never harsh in any way.
The final third brought a slight increase to the natural sweetness, it helped to balance out the increase in body. The peppery spice that has been tingling my sinuses is now starting to leave a tingle on my palate as well. The coffee notes are still present, but are definitely in the background. The caramel notes that have been lingering in the background gain some depth but also become more infrequent. The leather notes really take the spotlight in the final third, and man is it good. Shortly after starting into the final third there is an earthy note that pops in and out, it’s faint but noticeable.
A great stick for those who love full body cigar bliss, I know I sure do. This stick is strong, never harsh, and has a great deal of complexity to boot. I would not recommend this for a cigar newbie or someone who only smokes mild body cigars. The ash held to over an inch each time and I only made 1 small burn correction between the 2 I smoked for the review. If you eat full body cigars for breakfast and have not yet had the La Bomba, I ask what the heck are you waiting for? There is no better time than now. Espinosa Cigars is having a La Bomba challenge going on right now and there are some awesome ashtrays to be won. There is even a autographed box of La Bomba cigars up for grabs!
For More information on the 601 and Espinoa lines visit Espinosa Cigars You can also chat Erik up on twitter He runs a t-shirt giveaway on Tuesdays known as “T-Shirt Tuesdays”. Who wouldn’t want an awesome cigar shirt from Espinosa cigars? I love mine! So if you feel up to the challenge, grab a La Bomba, your camera, and slap some creativity in with it. You better hurry though, 2 winners have already been selected so your time is running out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: http://shaggyfeetz.blogspot.com/2013/01/601-la-bomba-napalm-5×52.html

Source: http://stogie411.com