601 Cigars are a Nicaraguan-tobacco line from Erik Espinosa’s Espinosa Premium Cigars of Hialeah Gardens, Florida. The brand debuted in 2006 with blends made by José “Pepín” García, and recent limited releases such as the 601 Blue 20th Anniversary are made at AJ Fernandez’s San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua. The core range has four blends: Blue Maduro (dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, with typical sweetness and spice), Red Habano (Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, with notes the brand lists as honey, licorice, nuts and pepper), Green Oscuro (spicy Nicaraguan tobacco, the fullest-bodied 601) and La Bomba, a full-bodied Nicaraguan puro the brand calls a “spice bomb”. Strength typically runs medium to full: halfwheel’s 2026 review of the 601 Blue 20th Anniversary found medium-full body and medium to medium-full strength. The brand says Green Oscuro and La Bomba are not for novices, so start with Blue Maduro or Red Habano.
601 Cigars
601 Cigars debuted in 2006 from Erik Espinosa and Eddie Ortega’s company, then known as United Tobacco and later EO Brands, with the original blends made by José “Pepín” García, then of El Rey de los Habanos. When EO Brands split up, Espinosa moved 601 to his own Espinosa Premium Cigars of Hialeah Gardens, Florida. Limited 601 editions have since been made at the La Zona factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, and recent limited releases at AJ Fernandez’s San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua. The core lineup includes the 601 Blue Maduro, with a dark, oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler; the 601 Green Oscuro, an all-Nicaraguan blend with a thick, dark wrapper that the brand calls the fullest-bodied 601; the 601 Red Habano, with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler, blended for an old-school profile with notes the brand lists as honey, licorice, nuts and pepper; and the 601 La Bomba, a full-bodied 100% Nicaraguan puro the brand calls a spice bomb. All four core 601 blends use Nicaraguan binder and filler tobacco.
Frequently asked questions about 601 Cigars
Who makes 601 cigars and where are they made?
601 is a brand of Espinosa Premium Cigars, the company of Erik Espinosa, based in Hialeah Gardens, Florida. The brand debuted in 2006 from Erik Espinosa and Eddie Ortega's company, then called United Tobacco and later EO Brands, with the original blends made by José "Pepín" García. Espinosa took 601 to his own company when EO Brands split up. According to halfwheel, the 2023 limited 601 Orange and 601 Yellow were made at the La Zona factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, while recent limited 601 releases, such as the 601 Blue 20th Anniversary and La Bomba Warhead editions, are made at AJ Fernandez's San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua.
How strong are 601 cigars?
The fullest 601 blends are Green Oscuro and La Bomba. Espinosa calls the 601 Green Oscuro the fullest-bodied cigar in the 601 line and describes 601 La Bomba as full-bodied and full-flavoured, and it says neither is meant for novice smokers. The brand gives no strength rating for Blue Maduro or Red Habano. halfwheel's 2026 review of the 601 Blue 20th Anniversary found full flavour, medium-full body and strength building from medium to medium-full. Some limited editions are milder: the company described the 2023 601 Orange as medium to medium-plus in flavour and strength.
Which 601 cigar should I try first, and how do the lines differ?
The core lines differ mainly by wrapper. Blue Maduro has a dark, oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler, with typical sweetness and spice. Red Habano uses an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and is blended for an old-school profile, with notes the brand lists as honey, licorice, nuts and pepper. Green Oscuro is an all-Nicaraguan blend with a thick, dark wrapper, spicy and rich, and the fullest-bodied of the line. La Bomba is a 100% Nicaraguan puro the brand calls a spice bomb. Because the brand says Green Oscuro and La Bomba are not for novice smokers, start with Blue Maduro or Red Habano, then move to Green Oscuro or La Bomba.
Where can I buy 601 cigars?
Oxford Cigar Company lists 601 Cigars on its category page when in stock: https://oxfordcigarcompany.com/601-cigars/. Free US shipping on orders $50+.