601 Maduro 20th Anniversary Ovalado Toro 6 3/4″ x 56

The 601 Maduro 20th Anniversary marks twenty years of Erik Espinosa’s 601 Blue Label. It is the only size in the release, a 6 3/4 by 56 parejo given an oval press, made at AJ Fernandez’s San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua, with the first run limited to 4,000 boxes of 10.

It keeps the Connecticut broadleaf wrapper of the regular 601 Blue over a Nicaraguan binder and filler. Expect espresso, dark chocolate, earth and oak, with black pepper through the middle and the natural sweetness broadleaf brings. At 6 3/4 by 56 it runs long and burns cool.

An oval press is gentler than a box press. The cigar is pressed into a rounded oval instead of a square, so it sits flatter in the hand than a round cigar while keeping the draw a little more open than flat sides give you.

Pairs well with bourbon, espresso, or porter.