In today's episode of "Smoke Rings," Steve Mawby and Alan Britt discuss Warped's latest release and the latest Smokingpipes' exclusive, the El Oso Primo, a 4.5" x 46 vitola in honor of the 10th anniversary of the El Oso cigar.

[Steve Mawby]: We are here talking about the latest release from Warped, which is the El Oso Primo. This is a continuation of the El Oso series, of course, which is one of Warped's most premium, most sought-after, and most limited releases. It's always been a favorite of mine. I know you've liked them as well.

[Alan Britt]: Absolutely. I purchased my first cigar right here at Low Country Pipe and Cigar some years ago. It's the 10th anniversary of El Oso. And not only are they doing a new 10th-anniversary blend, but we also got this new exclusive size that's kind of an oddball size, a 4.5" by 46 called the Primo, which translates to Cousin from Spanish. It's not quite a Robusto, not quite a Corona, it's some weird little mix in between, but I think it's right up both of our alleys.

[SM]: Yep, and you know, as soon as we lit this up, I think we both said, "Oh yeah, that tastes like El Oso." You know, it's got that Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper. This is very much right in their lane for what they've been doing. It's definitely a new twist on it with the size, and you can pick out some of that in the flavor of it. But still, people who have loved the El Osos in the past, this is right up their alley for that.

[AB]: Perfect. So Cub was probably my favorite in the lineup. The little Petite Corona. They also did a Lancero, the Mama, and this one right here is smoking pretty similar to most of the Warped higher-end portfolio. Much like La Colmena. I like to say that Warped's stuff is flavorful but refined. They're cigars that you could kind of just sit back and smoke and they'd be cigars, but if you really sit and try to take in these flavors and make it an experience rather than a smoke, there's a ton to pick out.

[SM]: Yeah, there's a lot going on here already pretty early into this. We've had the El Oso as well as other Warped cigars on our top 20 cigar lists, for Smokingpipes at the end of the year, for multiple years, including I believe the El Oso Cub. I think that this one's going to be competitive and right in that same line for quality, for what we got going on with the flavor, and the construction's really nice. I love that Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper. The color on it makes it a beautiful cigar. It has an Ecuadorian binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua as well.

[AB]: I don't think we mentioned it, but all of the El Osos are produced at the El Titan de Bronze factory in Miami, Florida. It's a world-renowned factory, and very well-known for the quality and construction of their cigars. El Titan's also very well known for producing things in small quantities due to the level of roller that they employ. Everyone who rolls at El Titan is a level-10 roller out of Cuba, and it shows really well in this cigar.

[SM]: What level are you?

[AB]: A level-2 roller at best.

[SM]: Yeah, it's a high-quality cigar. You can definitely see that care, the attention to detail in the construction of this, and it's burning really well. I always love their packaging and branding. It's super minimalistic on the package here, and it's really cool. The classic cub is on the band. I love it. Everything about this cigar is really well done.

[AB]: Yeah, I agree.

[SM]: I know we're still kind of early on here, but what are you getting out of this cigar so far?

[AB]: I'm getting a lot of earthiness, a lot of rich, woody flavors, and oak. It almost reminds me of a bourbon, which I think would pair really well.

[SM]: And I'm getting some peppery spice, especially on the retrohale. So far there are a lot of notes to pick out.

[AB]: Yeah, I almost feel like I could sit here and just ramble for days about it. I was also getting specifically cocoa nibs. Kind of a darker chocolate, with some cinnamon in there. It feels right on time with fall creeping in. It feels very pumpkin-spicy.

[SM]: Yeah. This is a sit outside on my screened-in patio and smoke this in the fall when it's getting a little cool while watching a football game. Something like that. This is a perfect fall cigar. September 25 is when it's released on Smokingpipes. We have got to make sure we pick up a few packs because when Kyle Gellis comes out with some new stuff, you never know when you're going to see it again.

[AB]: Yeah. In the 10 years that this cigar has been around, it's been released sparingly, and when it does, it sells fast. And it's usually in very small quantities, so if you enjoy it, if you're like me, I'm going to stock up like crazy. I'll try not to buy all of the packs so you guys can enjoy some of 'em.

[SM]: Yeah, leave a little for everybody else. We appreciate that. But yeah, this is no exception. This is going to be a very good cigar. These have a huge following in limited quantities. These are going to go pretty quickly. They'll be available at Smokingpipes, and only at Smokingpipes. Check out the Warped El Oso Primo.