Wrapper: Nicaraguan Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 6.125 x 58 (2026)
Strength: Full
Price: $15.00 (2026)
Date Released: June 2026
Quantity Released: 5000 boxes of 12
Factory: San Lotano

Update: Non-sponsor Best Cigar Prices has a deal on boxes of 10 for $101.99 which is 32% off. In 2013, I did a pre-release review of what appears to be the same blend. I’ve been a fan of the 601 La Bombas since their inception. This cigar was the very first La Bomba Warhead and I was gifted the samples by Erik Espinosa. Erik gave me cigars from his own stash. They did not have cigar bands. This was during the early days of my blog, and I hadn’t become a pariah. Manufacturers were still nice to me.
So here it is:

The press release:
LIMITED EDITION 601 LA BOMBA MADURO “WARHEAD” TO BE INTRODUCED AT IPCPR 2013
“Hialeah Gardens, Florida (June 6, 2013) – Espinosa Premium Cigars is proud to announce they will be introducing a limited edition cigar for their full bodied 601 La Bomba line called “Warhead” at IPCPR this year. This is the first time the 601 La Bomba line is offered with a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper. The Warhead measures 6 1/2 inches by 54 ring and is semi-box pressed with the familiar fuse-like pig tail that is found on the 601 La Bomba line. “Although the wrapper is different, we are using the same powerful blend as the rest of the line.” said Erik Espinosa.
Warhead is limited to 2,000 boxes of 10 and the packaging is inspired by several themes in the World War II era. When unraveled, the foot band on the cigar is revealed to be in the form of a bomb. This “bomb” features nose art or aircraft graffiti, which was common in this era. Most prominent is the shark-face which is a reference to the Flying Tigers, the 1st American Volunteer Group, who would paint the shark-faces on their military aircrafts.”

The stick is very hard with little give to it. The wrapper is dark brown akin to a dark coffee bean…seams are tight and there are a lot of veins. The wrapper is very oily and feels smooth.

Both caps were already cut off on my samples. I don’t think this is how the cigar will be presented.

My first sniffs are red wine, cocoa, spice, and the dry draw is cocoa.
Lots of spice slams into my palate. The red wine aroma becomes a flavor. There is cocoa and coffee. And sweet tobacco.

Erik told me that this new La Bomba is TWICE as strong as the original La Bomba. I have an airsick bag nearby…just in case. But it is midday and have food in my svelte belly.

Surprisingly, the strength starts out medium…not like the sledgehammer I predicted. And then before I reach the first inch, the power hits. Oh my. I have 6” to go and I think I am getting the spins. LOL! Erik, my son…what have you done to me?

There is a very earthy richness. The flavors are subtle and nuanced. And then as I reach the first inch, creaminess appears…slightly taming the power.
Erik told me during our phone conversation last week that he has 400 boxes. He is waiting on more but the special wrapper he uses is extremely difficult to procure. He will be fine by July 14. Although, no release date has been set.

This cigar is going to rock the market. The current tide craves full bodied cigars. This one should satisfy everyone if everything Erik told comes to fruition.

The power is now medium/full. The creaminess had quite the effect. The cigar is so jam packed with tobacco that it burns very slowly.

I am halfway through the first third and my fears of passing out are allayed. It’s strong. But it is also very tasty. I gotta’ say, while I am a big fan of the La Bomba, this stick has different characteristics. It is wonderfully more subtle. The old La Bomba hit you over the head with a mallet. I have a feeling this one creeps up on you.

I am really digging the flavor profile as the first third ends. The red wine mixed with the creaminess, cocoa, coffee, and sweet tobacco is marvelous.

The second third begins with my hands beginning to shake. Uh-oh. Until now, I didn’t realize I had two laptops. Because there are two in front of me. Oh lord.

It goes from creeping to becoming a gazelle. Manny Mota!

This is a fun cigar. It’s like a birthday party and being water boarded all at the same time.

The flavors are emboldened as the strength increases.

I approach the halfway point and the strength is a planet killer. If Saddam had these hidden, they would have found the mysterious WMD’s. Make your enemy smoke one of these sticks and he will do anything you tell him to do. Or just vomit on you.

The flavors are exploding. My dog, Zeke, looks alluring all of a sudden. I wonder if he would mind if I put garters on her?

As far as I know, there will be only one size. The press release states that the cigar will have a slight box press. The samples that Erik sent me are round. These must be the samples you put on a conference table and then lock the door on the test smokers. You count how many come out alive and go from there.

The earthiness is leading the pack. It is nothing like the original La Bomba. With no disrespect to the original. The wrapper is the only new component to the cigar. The wrapper is the tide turner.

The last third begins with the power increasing. I take a small break to make sure my will and last testament is in order.

I got some barbed wire out of the garage and asked my wife to tie me to the chair. It will keep me upright and alert at the same time.

Wow. It is at this point that the flavor profile stands out. The creaminess usurps the spiciness. The rich earthiness is impressive. I definitely feel the body of the cigar, but I am willing it not to kill me. A Zen thing.

The power of the cigar is twice that from the first third. I hope Erik places a warning on the inside of the box top like he did with the original. But maybe add something along the lines of a liability clause that removes any responsibility of death or permanent impairment.

I’m still on the last third which is burning slowly. The flavors are going nuts.

I feel drunk.

I fully expect some smokers to put this cigar down halfway through it. I’m not kidding. I am finishing the cigar for two reasons: 1) I have a contract with the Reviewer’s Union…and 2) I want to know what’s it is like to float above the table watching me type.

I’m beginning to lose vision in my right eye. I have a patch on my left eye from an incident in Thailand. So typing is being done by touch only.

I don’t want to put the cigar down because of its flavors. They are extraordinary. At some point, the cigar became very complex, but I can’t remember when. Apparently, I am losing left-brain activity.

I want to thank Erik for sending me the samples. A real mensch. He now has a cigar that he can give people and then watch them perform with a hula hoop while singing the praises of Satan.

September 5, 2026 Update: Thanks to the wonderful folks at Cigar Deal Hunters by Smoking Hub, I found a deal on the newly released Warheads. Instead of $15.00 per cigar, non-sponsor Best Cigar Prices has them for $10.20 each in a box of 10. If you’re a fan of the La Bomba Warhead series, you’re not going to find a better deal. Visit Best Cigar Prices. No promo code required.

RATING: 94

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS