The 601 Orange Toro had a nice start with a good combination of flavors. From the second third on, the profile dropped a level as some components had departed and the earth gained a bigger role. This was a fairly average smoking experience after the first third and not a cigar I'd see myself coming back to with any regularity.
There's a good array of flavors to be enjoyed within the first third, but as the cigar progressed, the momentum was lost and the flavor package fell apart. Nothing displeasing about the flavors in themselves. It's just that there wasn't enough ingredients to make the 601 Yellow Toro a banger.
The Warzone Rabito was a nice addition to the Warzone offerings. The cigar was spicier and fuller in body and strength than past releases, but it still offered those complex and enjoyable flavor qualities. Much more concentrated in this smaller offering. I do think the cigar, like all Warzones will age well, and if you wanted a little more strength and body with Warzone, this cigar captures those qualities.
This Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut Short Churchill G is new(er) age Connecticut shade done right. That is, a baseline profile that is full of soft flavors touching on sweetness, creaminess and nuttiness. The newer age side of it being a bit more spice than your traditional old school Connecticut shade. Pleasure to smoke and will be back for more.
The Espinosa Las 6 Provincias CMW had cemented itself as my favorite Las 6 Provincias release by the end of the first third. Rich, complex and intense, the cigar is full bodied and full strength through the majority of the review, stepping down to medium at a few points in the second third to allow my palate to recover. I'll be seeking out a box of the Espinosa Las 6 Provincias CMW, so it's reasonable to say I'll be looking forward to smoking this again.
A couple main thoughts on the Espinosa 10 Years Anniversary. First off, this is very familiar Espinosa territory given it's flavor profile, which is a good thing. But how is this 10 year anniversary special? The good thing is, the cigar is well priced, pretty much in line with their regular production Habano offerings. Special "anniversary" aside, I recommend this one.
Overall, the Protocol Sir Robert Peel Natural Corona Gorda was fairly average and the burn issues were a bit of a drawback. In comparison with the initial release in the Toro, I slightly preferred that vitola, but this line just doesn't do it for me and I don't see myself returning to this one.
Overall, I felt like the Protocol Paddy Wagon performed similarly to the other store exclusives from the brand. Just a basic flavor profile that wasn't all that interesting and doesn't match the level of most of the core lines. Not something I see myself returning to.
More of these TAA releases please. "These" in the sense of a good blended cigar using good tobacco. Not in the sense of collaborating with other brands per se. This Villiger TAA 2022 is all about the expected goodness of a Hector Alfonso blended cigar. Punchy, yet flavorful and balanced. Well done.
The Protocol The Law was pretty on par with the brands single store releases as it shows a nice profile to begin and then falls back to average. I might revisit this to see if a better constructed version has a better showing, but it's not high on my list to do so.