JackK1971 purchased this cigar on 2009-01-01.
After a quick toast and even light the cigar produced lots of smoke. The draw was relatively easy and you got the full bodied flavor right from the start.
The strong initial peppery flavor very quickly gives way to more of a rich coffee flavor with just a bit of a burnt wood type aftertaste. The finish is smooth and easy on the palate. The burn was not slow, but not too fast either - a touch uneven in places perhaps, but I only had to retouch it a couple of times.
The second third was pretty consistent with the first with exception of an added cedar touch which came and went again before reaching the final third. That was a nice added touch and it kept the interest going. The ash was generally firm but had a tendency to flake at the edges sometimes. The flavor more than made up for any little retouching that had to be done.
The final third was fairly consistent again with the underlying slightly sweetened coffee flavor and the occasional hint of pepper to keep it interesting. It remained full bodied to the end but wasn't ever overpowering like some cigars can get. The burn was much more consistent in the final third as well. If like me you enjoy the more complex and full flavors then you will certainly like this 601 Habano - supposedly the most powerful of the 601 ranges. I certainly intend to buy some more of these.