The time was 2010 and reinventing Connecticut was all the rage. That trend has happened a few times since and each time as companies wave the banner of “Connecticut wrapped cigars for the modern smoker,” I shake my head and think to myself, haven’t we already done this? For me, there are three cigars that stand out as precursors to the trend: Tatuaje’s Cabaiguan, released in 2004; 601 Black, released in 2006; and the Oliva Connecticut Reserve, released in 2008. I remember when news broke the 601 Black was discontinued, people on forums were vocal about the discontinuation. But ultimately, you don’t discontinue a cigar unless the numbers tell you to and like so many times in the comments of cigar blogs and forums—the people complaining online weren’t enough to drive sales. And so when Thompson Cigar Co. announced the 601 Natural was back as a private label for the Tampa-based retailer, I thought of the 601 Black. The cigar is actually based on, at least according to the folks at Pantone, the exact opposite of the 601 Black—the 601 White. In 2011, EO Brands—the original owner of the 601 brand—introduced the 601 White (Natural) as a replacement for the 601 Black. ...
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