As per the usual, the Thanksgiving holiday called for an onslaught of primo cigars. Top-notch, full-bodied premiums that could stand up to my traditional (and supernatural) display of utter gluttony. Naturally, my favorites were chosen…Edicion de Silvio, Gurkha Centurian Double-X, Graycliff Espresso; the whole 9 yards. This year, a newcomer made the cut. 601 Serie, a cigar from the makers of REO and Vibe made in Nicaragua by Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia, the creator of Don Pepin Garcia cigars, 5 Vegas Miami, and Tatuaje.

601 Serie is a gorgeous cigar, one I instantly fell in love with in Las Vegas, celebrating its release. This beauty is good, plain and simple. It comes in two varieties, a dark, silky Connecticut-seed wrapper from Ecuador and a darker, toothy Habano-seed wrapper grown in Nicaragua. Each is fully loaded with Habano-seed Nicaraguan long-fillers, a longtime favorite of Pepin.

I chose the Habano-seed. Not because it’s stronger, because believe me, the Connecticut blend definitely has a lot of kick. I just love the flavor of Pepin’s Habano-seed wrappers. Rich, toasty and earthy, these cigars always smoke smooth and delicious right down to the very last puff. Although the tobaccos used are primarily the same leaves found in Tatuaje, the flavor is very different. Once you pick up the gentle sweetness on the aftertaste, you’ll see what I mean. The smoke fills your mouth in velvety fashion, coating it with rich, robust flavors. The ash is bright white and firm, holding strong until the midway point, where I had to help it off into the ashtray. The cigar was full-bodied, relaxing my aching stomach after thoroughly abusing it just 2 hours prior. Perfect. I didn’t want it to end. But, they made more than one, so I’ll surely be back for seconds, thirds, and so on.

I had a lot to be thankful for this past Thanksgiving. My family and loved ones, my beautiful fiance, our brave soldiers abroad, the incredible meal that was prepared for me and of course, a divine selection of handmade cigars. 601 Serie was a wonderful toast to end the celebration.