Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The square pressed Espinosa Las 6 Provincias CMW has a dark brown wrapper with some thick and slightly raised veins along with a fine toothiness. The seams are smooth while the caps are lifting a bit. There are three bands, with the primary overlapping the secondary. The primary is the standard design for the line, but uses some purple accents for this iteration. The secondary band denotes the sub-line, again using purple, and the foot band is a purple ribbon. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of dark earth and bakers chocolate, while the foot brings cedar and crushed red pepper. The pre-light draw brings a light sweetness from a combination of cedar and graham cracker with a decent spiciness on my lips.
Seth: I love the dark Colorado Maduro wrapper on this Espinosa Las 6 Provincias CMW. Nice bit of tooth and small veins throughout. Firm in hand, the cigar is pressed and constructed wonderfully. Aromas of dry rub, leather, wood and tobacco. Rich tobacco aroma.
John: The Espinosa Las 6 Provincias CMW comes in cellophane, and has a UPC sticker with an integrated tear space so it remains intact when opened. The cigar has two bands, a primary band along with a purple ribbon foot band. For artisanal complications, the cigar has a sharp box press to it. Aromas from the wrapper were sweet, smoky tobacco and aged wood underneath. There was a syrupy sweet tobacco aroma from the foot.
Jiunn: The Espinosa Las 6 Provincias CMW has a slick and oily maduro wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even, but slightly loose and head is well wrapped and capped. Aromas from the wrapper tell of barnyard and stale cedar. Aromas from the foot provide the same, but with a punch of white pepper spice. Cold draw tells of hay and stale cedar.

Team Cigar Review: Espinosa Las 6 Provincias CMW

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, gritty dark earth and creamy black pepper. At a half inch in, the earth has lightened up and is no longer gritty and is just behind the toasted cedar. The retrohale is toasted cedar, earth and a decently zingy black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the earth is now even with the toasted cedar up front and the lightly creamy black pepper is a bit behind. The strength is slightly above medium.
Seth: The cigar begins with rich earth notes that are paired with coffee beans and Christmas spices. Damp wood is also present, along with strong tobacco notes. Rich cigar with some red pepper flakes on the finish. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: The first few puffs were flavors of sweet, creamy chocolate and a light-plus strength spice and tobacco combination with some delayed wood into the post draw. Some nuttiness is present through the post draw as the cigar settles in. Musty tobacco starts to develop as the first third progresses, largely contained in the center of the profile. Some medium strength cocoa has developed by the halfway point, mixing with the creaminess right at the front of the retrohale.
Jiunn: The first third has a heavy mixture of dirt soil and leather. Past these notes, there’s a hint of honey. Retrohaling brings spice into the profile in the form of dried red pepper spice. The finish is incredibly lengthy with dirt soil and leather. Strength and body is medium.

Team Cigar Review: Espinosa Las 6 Provincias CMW

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the black pepper mellows a bit. At a half inch in, the earth now has a slight lead over the toasted cedar. The retrohale is a lightly creamy mix of the earth, toasted cedar and black pepper. At an inch and a half in, the earth has become pretty heavy. As the third comes to a close, the heavy earth has a slight lead over the toasted cedar while the black pepper is in the back half of the profile. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
Seth: The second third is fairly in line with the first third. Rich earth and coffee bean notes up front. Bits of Christmas spices and red pepper with tobacco and damp wood notes. Soft mocha quality on the finish. Again, medium-full in strength and body.
John: The second third opens like Mexican hot chocolate with a sweet, spicy chocolate combination at medium-full strength that carries into the post draw. As the first third settles in, powdered cocoa takes over the center of the retrohale. The spices and chocolate ramp down in intensity to medium strength moving towards the halfway point, with a spice, tobacco and wood combination on the finish.
Jiunn: The second third shows the dried red pepper spice giving a greater presence. But the profile is still the same overall feel of heavy dirt and leather. Strength and body is still medium.

Team Cigar Review: Espinosa Las 6 Provincias CMW

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, a light creaminess encapsulates all of the flavor components. At a half inch in, the cedar is now verging on heavy toast/light char. The retrohale is now heavily toasted cedar, earth with light black pepper. At an inch in, the creaminess drops out. As the cigar wraps up, the profile is heavy earth and heavily toasted cedar up front with black pepper in the back half. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third continues to deliver that rich earth, coffee bean and mocha quality. Red pepper spices are stronger in this third, and the finish is of strong tobacco and damp wood. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: Medium strength spices and wood lead off here as earth and spicy wood combine into the post draw. The spice reduces in intensity to medium-minus by the halfway point, but the core profile remains the same. In the bottom half, chocolate and earth pair up with spice, providing an accent flavor by this point.
Jiunn: The final third is unchanged from the second third. The same heaviness in dirt, leather and dried red pepper spice. Strength is reaching towards medium-full, while body is consistent at medium.

Team Cigar Review: Espinosa Las 6 Provincias CMW

Burn

Aaron: The burn line was straight throughout and the ash held on in three quarter inch increments.
Seth: Great burn from start to finish.
John: The burn was straight in the first third, became uneven in the bottom half and then self corrected. The burn remained straight for the rest of the review.
Jiunn: Flawless burn performance. Even burn, plenty of smoke production, tight ashes and cool burning temperature.

Team Cigar Review: Espinosa Las 6 Provincias CMW

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: Great draw.
John: The burn was perfect, right in the ideal zone between resistant and open.
Jiunn: No issues with the draw. The best balance of air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, gritty dark earth and creamy black pepper. The second third saw the earth become pretty heavy. The final third saw a light creaminess join in for a bit and then depart. Construction was absolutely perfect. The Espinosa Las 6 Provincias CMW had a nice start with a good flavor delivery for a simple set of flavors. From the second third on, the earth became pretty heavy and the toast level for the cedar was also heavy, taking the profile down a notch. Overall, I don’t really see this as a cigar I’d come back to that often as the profile wasn’t very exciting after the first third.
Seth: I really liked the Espinosa Las 6 Provincias CMW, and found it to be the best release to date. It was a rich cigar with nice tobacco, spice and mocha notes. It had a nice body and strength, I found the strength around the medium-full level, and you can top that off with a great draw and construction. There was complexity and depth throughout, and it started and finished strong.
John: 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. Burn and draw were both perfect. 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. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 4 minutes.
Jiunn: This Espinosa Las 6 Provincias CMW was a miss for me. The palate caking dirt and leather flavors were too much of an influence, while not having other notes to layer/break away from it. It basically tastes like the AJ style of earthiness. And for that, this is a pass for me. I’d much rather smoke the earlier versions of Las 6 Provincias.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$2.95

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

7.27

Cost/Point

$2.48

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

7.52

Cost/Point

$2.39

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$3.13

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Espinosa Las 6 Provincias CMW