Agile Cigar Reviews are cigar assessments where we use a lightweight, shorter format. These will never take the place of our comprehensive reviews. They are only used on blends we have previously assessed. This might be a blend we are re-scoring or giving a score for the first time. It might be a blend we are looking at in a different size. Today we look at the 601 La Bomba Warhead VII by Espinosa Cigars. This is a cigar blend previously assessed in the Warhead VI size back in March 2021

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: San Lotano
Warhead VII: 7 x 50

In 2022, Espinosa Cigars is celebrating its 10th anniversary in business. Over the years, the company has built plenty of regular production and limited edition cigars. By far one of the company’s most popular limited editions is the annual Warhead release. Warhead is an extension of the original 601 La Bomba line, but it replaces the Nicaraguan Habano wrapper with a Broadleaf wrapper. As the name Warhead indicates, this is intended to be a stronger and bolder cigar. Each installment of the Warhead has featured a different size with a tweaked blend adjusted to that size as well as a different set of artwork. Warhead made its debut in 2013, and with a couple of exceptions has maintained an annual release schedule. 2021 saw the 7th installment – appropriately titled Warhead VII. This introduced a box-pressed 7 x 50 Churchill as an installment into the series.

Originally the Warhead was a Connecticut Broadleaf release, but starting with Warhead VI, the company changed the wrapper to a Nicaraguan Broadleaf wrapper. Warhead VII and the recently launched Warhead VIII also use the Nicaraguan Broadleaf wrapper. The remainder of the blend is 100% Nicaraguan tobaccos. The cigar is packaged in ten-count boxes. Warhead VII marked a return to the box-pressed format after Warhead VI was released as a figurado. The company produced about 2,000 boxes in 2021.

The Warhead VII started out with notes of earth. This was followed by notes of cedar, bittersweet cocoa, dried fruit and red pepper. The red pepper also was prominent on the retro-hale. As the cigar moved through the first third, the bittersweet cocoa progressed to a mocha sweetness (a fusion of chocolate and coffee notes). The mocha sweetness dominated into the second half. As the Warhead VII moved into the later stages, the red pepper increased in intensity and joined the mocha notes in the forefront.

The Warhead VII started out with medium strength and medium to full-bodied notes. The strength did progress to medium to full later in the first third. By the second half, both the strength and body crept into full territory. At the same time, while the second half was full-strength and full-bodied, this seemed much more dialed back than the Warhead VI.

At the same time, the Warhead VII performed with a stellar burn and excellent draw.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

There is a reason why the Warhead series is so popular – it’s a very good blend. Last year, the change to Nicaraguan Broadleaf did not miss a beat. This cigar has landed on the Coop Countdown five previous times before and Warhead VII appears to be a strong candidate to do the same. The slightly “dialed back” blend seemed to work extremely well. While not an overly complex cigar, it delivers plenty of firepower – but even more important, plenty of flavor. While I mention “dialed back”, the Warhead VII is still not a cigar for a novice. At $10.00, this is a nicely priced cigar – and in my book this easily makes it a cigar I’d buy a box of. Coming in at 91 points, it exceeds the Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence.

Summary

Key Flavors: Earth, Mocha (Coffee/Chocolate/Cocoa), Dried Fruit, Red Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Minus
Strength: Medium (Start), Medium to Full (Til Midway Point), Full (Remainder)
Body: Medium to Full (1st Half), Full (2nd Half)
Finish: Very Good