601 Kryptonite by Espinosa Cigars, a Famous Smoke Shop Exclusive

Over the last couple of years, my son, Eli, has become a superhero fanatic. From comic books to action figures, he has most of the well-known superheroes covered. He is a little walking superhero encyclopedia. So I thought it would be fun (and Eli would think it is cool) to review a cigar whose name is based on Superman’s greatest weakness, Krytonite. The 601 Kryptonite compliments the 601 Steel, another Famous Smoke Shop exclusive.

The 601 Kryptonite is produced by Erik Espinosa at La Zona in Nicaragua and features all Nicaraguan tobaccos. The cigars are available in Robusto (5 by 50), Toro (6 by 50), and Churchill (7 by 5). The cigars will run you from $6.59 to $7.00 per single or $79.99 to $84.99 for a box of 20.

You can purchase the Espinosa 601 Kryptonite from our good friends at Famous Smoke Shop.

THE FACTS

Price: $6.59
Vitola: Robusto
Size: 5 by 50
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 15 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The 601 Kryptonite comes in a dark tan, Nicaraguan Habano wrapper that has a light green hue. The wrapper leaf is rather rough being full of bumps, veins, stretch marks, and color imperfections. Even to the touch, I can easily feel the rustic character of the leaf. Lightly rolling the cigars between my thumb and index finger, the cigar is spongy near the head of the cigar but firms up as I make my way towards the foot.

An aroma of chocolate-covered cherries greets me from the wrapper. The chocolate aroma is even stronger on the foot of the cigar and is joined with some warm cedar notes. The chocolate/cherry combo carries over to the cold draw that has hardly any resistance. 

FIRST THIRD

The Espinosa 601 Kryptonite starts with a heavy dose of black pepper, leather, earth, and sweet cherry. Cocoa and a darker earthy flavor remains on the palate for half a minute or so between puffs. A section of the wrapper is already struggling to burn inline with the rest of the cigar. A quick hit with my lighter gets everything back in line. 

MIDDLE THIRD

The pepper remains strong and is joined alongside the sweet fruit flavor as I pull into the second third of the 601 Kryptonite. The leather and earth notes move to more of a cedar. As the cigar progresses, the intensity of the flavors gradually picks up and the nicotine is right in the middle of the road. The burn line is edgy but performing much better than the first third.  

FINAL THIRD

Into to the last couple of inches, the woodsy cedar transitions to charred wood and gritty earth and cocoa sit heavy on the finish. The fruity sweetness has mostly departed but is very subtle on the backend of the smoke. As I take lighter draws of the 601 Kryptonite, the sweetness make a final reappearance before I lay down the cigar for its final rest. 

WRAP-UP

The 601 Kryptonite is a wallet-friendly cigar that offers some solid medium/full flavors and a medium strength profile. I really enjoyed the upfront pepper spice and the sweet cherry. A couple of burn issues were encountered and a touch-up was required during the first third of the smoke. I don’t know if I would pay the single stick price of nearly $7.00 for this cigar, but I would grab a fiver for $19.99.