Search the Community

I know that they are two different beasts, but humor me, which one do you prefer? Poll is up

cigar looks amazing. construction spot on. cold draw indicates that it seems a bit easy\loose and reveals notes of sweet tobacco. that's it. 1st third flavors right from the start, Getting fruity blast from the get go! nice.core is earthy and cigar well balanced. middle of the 1s third its eathy\spicy with what i'd call flavors of paprika, the fruit notes are gone. loads of smoke! burning well, very creamy. this has now become very rich and medium bodied at least. because the dram is a bit easy i have to slow down the pace not to get it too hot.the fruit notes are back in a big way at the end of the 1st third with some chocolate notes shwoing itself from time to time. 2nd third getting mostly spicy leather but the fruit notes still show up but less present.medium full now,still rich. now getting roasted almonds in the mix.this last for about the end of the 2nd third where i start getting noce raisin\coco flavors in spades! then at the end vanilla notes show up in the mix. awesome! final third still get the same flavor profile for a while then it changes to darker notes. the fruity notes are like blackberries now and some citrus notes also coming in. this remains until the around the end where its a dark cherry flavor that pops up. not long after this point the cigar was buring quite hot and had to stop it there. still got aging potential from what i say on that final third. i had better examples, the draw affected the flavors overall. still a great cigar experience! time 2 hours score 94\100

RA Eminencia 2005 Swiss RE Mini Review A good friend handed one of these over to me not too long ago. I thought I'd fire it up sooner than later as I enjoy all things RA (minus the RAE ) Released in 2005, these cigar has more of less hit the 10 year old marker. If I knew the box code I could be somewhere more exacting but that's not too big of a concern. This is my first ever Eminencia so I will not have the benefit of knowing what these smoked like when they were fresh. Date Smoked: August 13. 2015 Vitals: Dimensions: 44 * 5.6" Vitola: Corona Pre-light observations. Aroma at cold. cakey, fruity.. very sweet. Hints of cinnamon on the wrapper. Firm draw. Reviewers Notes: My style of cigar reviewing is “open”. I try to jot down what I’m experiencing with every draw. When you see a “//” consider that a break in between puffs. What I leave out in fancy prose is made up with observation. Consider each segment a play by play. This style works for me. I hope you enjoy it. This min-review is a bit light in comparison to previous reviews. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. First Third. great initial draw. sweet, christmas cake. // lush, smooth flavour // some tanginess on the finish // christmas cake // never tried one fresh but id say 10 years of age hasn’t been bad for it // nutmeg // hint of cayenne // firm draw, great burn // smooth, semi-sweet earthiness, best i can put it // cakey // smooth cigar, very refined // cake again // very much a dessert cigar thus far // slightly stronger hit of cayenne // good hit of cedar // lush smoke // cedary draw // Second Third cedar // cinammon // cayenne picking up, close to RACF // flavours getting bolder // nice taste of almond on the finish, unique to me // good balance draw of sweet and strong // earthy flavours // cedar notes // some more hints of almond on the tongue // Third Third //earthier draws // rich, tea flavour // bit of nutmeg // minty // earthy // woody, dry draw // touch of saltiness on the finish // hints of black pepper in the back of the throat // dark, rich tobacco flavour, best i can put it // sweetness has pretty much disappeared and has turned more into a savoury cigar // black pepper // toasted nuts // spicy draw with a really nice smooth finish, like a latte // woody & earthy draw // hints of almond on finish once more // very sharp cedar // earthy, BBQ // savoury now // nutty now // getting smooth again // draw got bad all of a sudden // flavour still savoury and earthy // a few more puffs of cedar and earth // FIN Final Thoughts. This was a Jekyll and Hyde stick. The first half was sweet and "desserty". Whereas the second was more savoury and salty. Overall it made for a great smoking experience. I always enjoy a cigar whose flavours are constantly in flux. It echoes the experience of a multi course meal vs having a quick snack. And given the favourable flavour range, this might be a good indication that RE's tend to age better then EL's? This is the oldest RE I've had yet. I've smoked the 2000 Partagas Piramide, which IMO was a faded cigar. The closest comparison in age that I've smoked from the EL releases was the 2004 Cohiba Sublimes. A very good cigar but not as great as the hype built it up to be. At least as I experienced it. Nonetheless. A very interested theory. Which releases are better suited for the long haul? I'm not qualified to make that judgement so I'll throw that notion out to the rest of you. Overall, the Ramon Allones Eminencia is a winner in my books. Probably very HTF and expensive now; which makes getting more somewhat difficult. I was glad to have tried at least one and that it was an engaging smoke. Score: 94

Ramon Allones Aristocrats 1940/43 I was in Varadero, Cuba last week. I decided to bring this old fella back "home" where it would spend it's last days on Earth. I was taking a break from the Canadian winter. I couldn't think of a better way to spend a lazy afternoon in Cuba. I hope you enjoy the review. My apologies for the lack of pictures. Vitals: RG=40, Length=5.1" CCW Link Pre-light Notes slight box press, yellow cello, lots of color in the foot highlighting different tobaccos, Aroma at cold: Hay, mint, slight must, great draw Paired with: flat water Reviewers Notes: My style of cigar reviewing is “open”. I try to jot down what I’m experiencing with every draw. When you see a “//” consider that a break in between puffs. What I leave out in fancy prose is made up with observation. Consider each segment a play by play. This style works for me. I hope you enjoy it. First Third Strong tobacco // rich salty hit // lots of smoke // tannic & cedar notes // strong tobacco // good burn // dark ash // bitter finish on draw // very smooth draw // cedar // black pepper // nutmeg notes followed by tea // mint // harsh notes appear with a cedary & peppery finish // a couple of minty draws changes the scene // ash holding solid at one inch // sharp cedar // slight sweet finish on a few draws // I break the ash to avoid a mess // some anise flavours areise // a slight cinnamon note follows // rich tobacco hit with a nutmeg finish // Second Third Rich tobacco flavour // minty // dry feel on the palate // loads of smoke coming from this “old timer” // anise again // strong cedar with a tea leaf finish // big, flavourful draw of cedar, but not too harsh this time around // nutmeg // mint // I ash off again // peppery draw // so far a very bold cigar for its’ vintage, very surprising // some soft, nutmeg draws, very smooth flavour, shows some refinement // more nutmeg with a bitter chocolate finish // cedar & mint // mint // cedar // I take a drink of water to clean my palate // some more pronounced mint flavour from the next few draws, ending in a cinnamon finish on the slightly bitter side Third Third All spice and sweetness on the initial draw from this final third // ash is dark grey with black bands interspersed // big hit of tea // nutmeg // cinnamon // toast // tobacco flavours follow // still a lot of smoke // sharp cedar notes // more cedar // I take a much needed drink of water // flavours tone down a bit, tea notes for a few puffs // cedar // several strong, tannic draws // strong pepper finish on the next few draws // this cigar is not letting up! // handful of cedary puffs with tannic finish // strong tea now // sharp cedar // musty tobacco flavour appears // anise // I am nubbing this relic at the moment // toasty tobacco // some bitter finishes // my final two draws give up some nutmeg FIN Final words As always, it is a pleasure to hunt down and smoke these vintage smokes. This one despite its’ age was an angry cigar. Strong bodied throughout and at times harsh. I enjoy the Ramon Allones brand immensely so when I got my hands on a Pre-Embargo sample I was excited to try it and experience this older, albeit aged blend. Much to my surprise, it did not share much of the flavour profile recent RA’s exhibit. The only nuances were in the cinnamon and nutmeg notes I tasted throughout.

Just wondering, for those who bought a box or more of the Regional Asia Pacifico Ramon Allones Estupendos, how are your cigars developing? Have you been smoking regularly? Just want to see if mine are par for the course. Wilkey

Saw this on another forum. Old green/white band too. 2014 Swiss RE

My first review of a Cuban cigar and my second review ever. Feedback is appreciated. Marca: Ramon Allones Release: Specially Selected Box Date: Sometime in 2010 Paired with: Spring Water Tools: Montecristo Social Club Punch and Thunderbolt Zippo Torch Lighter Appearance: Just looking at this cigar, you can tell it's been around for a few years. Some damage to the foot, some nicks and a bit of spotting on the wrapper. This cigar certainly looks like it's going on 4 years old. It lends to the appearance to a degree, though. What I love most about this and really any Cuban cigar presented in a dress box is the subtle box press that comes from the cigar actually being tight in the box with 24 of its kin. Unlike Non-Cubans, which are pressed into shape through all kinds of other methods. There's just something about the Cuban press. It seems so pure and so old fashioned, a mere by product of the cigar packaging, but something that I feel greatly enhances the appearance of the cigar. Construction: Well constructed. With the exception of a one soft spot close to the foot, this cigar seems nearly perfectly filled. The foot looks great from a construction standpoint. The cap looks very neatly applied, and when I punched it, I could see that this cigar had been rolled with a pigtail tuck, something I'm told is a signature of very skilled rollers. The cigar feels very good in the hand. Burn: Burn got a bit wavy at times, but overall was straight. The cigar required two touch ups, one in the second third, and one in the final. Draw: Punched clean and the draw is what I would consider perfect. Ideal amount of resistance that remained consistent throughout the entire smoke. Taste: Right away, I'm hit with a mildy sweet, grassy flavor. Not exactly to my tastes, but I wouldn't call it unpleasant either. Smoke is very creamy, and the grassy flavor dies down fairly quickly. After only a couple draws, the “buttery” type of flavor I've tasted in every Cuban springs right to the foreground, with the grassy flavor really only pleasant on the retrohale. That “buttery” flavor, coupled with just a bit of black pepper and some of the grassy notes on the retrohale continue to be the dominant profile. Entering the second third, the grassy & pepper flavors are nearly gone. The buttery characteristic has become what I can describe only as a “buttered toast” flavor. Hints of roasted nuts are present, especially on the retrohale. As these flavors continue to develop and intensify, I can just barely detect a hint of kitchen spices(oregano?) at the end of the draw. Finish is short, but thick with the butter flavor. Spice flavor is undetectable in the next couple of draws. Dominant flavor remains “buttered toast” with a hint of nuts. Black pepper returns at the back of the palate and on the retrohale. Into the final third and the flavors greatly intensify. The nutty flavor from the second third is completely gone, replaced by a strange note only present at the very back of the palate and on the retrohale. I can't find words to describe it, but it's savory and accompanies the dominant butter/pepper very well. These flavors continue until just inside the final inch, where they begin to harshen, so I let the cigar die. Bottom Line: I have almost nothing to compare this to, as this was my first RASS, but I've had two (fresh) RA Superiores and this blows that stick away. This thing was a journey. The flavors developed and changed very well over the course of the stick. Aside from a few minor burn issues, I have very few complaints with this cigar. I don't know if it's because of the 3+ years of age, or if this was just a fantastic cigar, but I definitely want to pick some up fresh and experience them as they age. Appearance: 17 Constuction: 19 Burn: 16 Draw: 20 Taste: 18 Overall: 90/100 Smoke again? Absolutely. I think I've found a box buy in these.