If it isn't obvious from the name, the 601 La Bomba Warhead VII is a full flavored, full strength cigar, but the blend of the VII release manages to ramp up to that instead of blasting you on your first few puffs. I found the flavors to be engaging and at times nuanced through the first and second thirds. There's no question, I will return to the La Bomba Warhead VII again.
The Protocol John Doe 2.0 keeps at the same level that I've found the brands limited releases to perform at which is not up to par with the core lines. For those that like this style of cigar, it will probably work for them, but I don't see myself returning to this one.
Back to the good stuff. The Protocol Pool Party Year 2 is the wheelhouse of La Zona that I really enjoy, giving richness in spice and added sweetness. I don't recall a new release that fit this mold in quite some time. Just make sure you eat some food or have some soda nearby, because this is a bit of a ringer.
The Protocol Eliot Ness Maduro was consistently good through both cigars reviewed. The profile was more spice driven in the first third, dessert-like in the second third and chocolate and cream in the last third. After reviewing both the Natural and Maduro, I would say that I found the Maduro to be more consistently engaging through the entire smoking experience.
The Protocol Cyber Crimes Unit performed fairly well, with aggressive white pepper in the first third, and a more nuanced chocolate forward flavor in the second third. I wasn't quite sure what to make of the profile, and in the end it seemed as if there was a teleport chamber, and the Protocol Red and Blue stepped in at the same time and came out the other side as a chimera.
The Protocol Eliot Ness Natural was overall a good cigar, with intense baking spices at times accented with cocoa and citrus components. I would smoke this cigar again, although I am very interested to see how the Maduro release stacks up against the Natural.
The 601 Black Connecticut Toro is a very good cigar. It delivers Connecticut qualities, but with more complexity, body and strength. It brings me back to 2007/2008 when manufacturers and brand owners were delivering stronger Connecticut offerings. The days of "this isn't your father's Connecticut," and I love that. It has this old-school nouveua quality which I can get behind.
The Protocol Confidential Informant started with a nice profile, but by the second third, things dropped down to average and maintained that level the rest of the way. This seemed to be pretty typical of the brands limited exclusives as they don't match up to how good the core line offerings are.
I like the Warzone Short Churchill. I thought it was a fantastic size, it's the same size as the Caixa, and it provides a different flavor profile in my opinion from the original Warzone. I see the offering as being a little bit darker in terms of the earth and spice flavors, and the strength and body are up as well when compared to the original Warzone.
When you talk about barber pole cigars, my instinct is to react with cynicism as a result of experiencing so many barber poles that were entirely gimmick releases. The Espinosa Crema de Laranja is one of those cigars that defies that experience with a balanced and satisfying flavor combination that is far more subdued than a lot of cigars coming out of Espinosa.