r3db4r0n
BoM Jan '11
Ramon Allones Canadian Regional Edition Petit Unicos 5x50
Upon being given the chance to split on a box of these with a friend, I became rather excited as I'd never had a Ramon Allones before, never mind one specifically manufactured for with Canadian consumers in mind. The cigar business isn't exactly bombing north of the 49th parallel as the taxes imposed on tobacco are quite high, so its nice to see we weren't left out of the spot light by Habanos S.A.
Giving this cigar a more in depth look, its easy to see that it is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, the wrapper is a caramel golden brown that is molted in some spots and is adorned with a lovely rustic looking band. The aspect that really captures my eye however is the veining, the midrib of the leaf used in the wrapper is virtually non existent, there are a few sunspots but for the most part it is imperfection free. Another characteristic worth noting is how hefty this cigar feels in the hand, given its size it is packed quite firmly with little give to the body and the seems are barely tangible beneath my fingertips.
Pre light: The wrapper gives off some pleasant notes of earth and the barnyard with an additional but faint hint of spice from the foot. Cutting a quarter inch from the cap reveals an easy draw – perhaps slightly loose - on which are carried notes of spice coupled with earth and cedar tones.
Light: I've never before had this happen, but the foot began to burn disastrously uneven during the light - up to three quarters of an inch at one point - though despite my misfortune, the notes delivered by the draw are impeccable. Pepper bucks right out of the gate blasting my palate with spice, though this quickly subsides and begins to offer hints of vanilla bean, earth and espresso. The aroma from the foot is also quite floral and enjoyable offering a vanilla bean flora fragrance similar to that present in the draw.
First third: Midway through the first third, the draw continues to produce great flavours of vanilla, earth, spice and espresso akin to those from the light while the expelled smoke shares in the flora vanilla bean experience. Despite being one of the worst examples of construction I've ever seen in a premium cigar, the ash has held for the entire first third and is now moving haphazardly into the second.
Second Third: I have already opted to remove the bands because the burn is advancing so rapidly and uneven that I fear they will catch fire. Again in lieu of good construction, the draw exudes great flavour, beginning to show more complexity and strength vanilla has died down considerably leaving spice, earth and espresso to take over the flavour profile. The Expelled smoke has also begun to begun to show more complexity offering spice, espresso and leather in addition to vanilla. Amazingly, the burn has improved somewhat and has stopped canoeing enough for me to deem it moderately acceptable for a short time while holding an inch of ash before moving into the finale.
Final Third: Much to my dismay, the burn has started to decay badly once again but the flavour profile continues to ring true. Notes of espresso, earth, leather and spice dominate the draw with less than an inch to go, while the retro-hale retains many notes from the previous third hanging on to vanilla, espresso and leather wonderfully. As for the burn I don't really need to say much more than to look at the pictures...
Final Thoughts: I've always said that I will not measure a cigar in terms of its construction or burn unless said qualities render it nearly un-smokeable, that having been said, this was an example of a cigar that should of taken an hour to an hour and a half to finish but instead took about half that time. My misfortune aside, I feel that it is important to point out that I am quite certain my experience isn't fairly reflective to the quality concerning the rest of this Ramon Allones release. I have both read about and talked to a number of people who have had little to no problems concerning the construction of this cigar, although it is something a prospective buyer should be weary of. Now that I've sufficiently bashed this cigar to pieces, it is only fair to note that the complexity and flavour provided by the tobacco used in this particular release produced wonderful complexity and flavour, as such I will be revisiting this cigar again soon despite my troubles.
Total smoking time was about 45 minutes
Thank you for reading.
Upon being given the chance to split on a box of these with a friend, I became rather excited as I'd never had a Ramon Allones before, never mind one specifically manufactured for with Canadian consumers in mind. The cigar business isn't exactly bombing north of the 49th parallel as the taxes imposed on tobacco are quite high, so its nice to see we weren't left out of the spot light by Habanos S.A.
Giving this cigar a more in depth look, its easy to see that it is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, the wrapper is a caramel golden brown that is molted in some spots and is adorned with a lovely rustic looking band. The aspect that really captures my eye however is the veining, the midrib of the leaf used in the wrapper is virtually non existent, there are a few sunspots but for the most part it is imperfection free. Another characteristic worth noting is how hefty this cigar feels in the hand, given its size it is packed quite firmly with little give to the body and the seems are barely tangible beneath my fingertips.
Pre light: The wrapper gives off some pleasant notes of earth and the barnyard with an additional but faint hint of spice from the foot. Cutting a quarter inch from the cap reveals an easy draw – perhaps slightly loose - on which are carried notes of spice coupled with earth and cedar tones.
Light: I've never before had this happen, but the foot began to burn disastrously uneven during the light - up to three quarters of an inch at one point - though despite my misfortune, the notes delivered by the draw are impeccable. Pepper bucks right out of the gate blasting my palate with spice, though this quickly subsides and begins to offer hints of vanilla bean, earth and espresso. The aroma from the foot is also quite floral and enjoyable offering a vanilla bean flora fragrance similar to that present in the draw.
First third: Midway through the first third, the draw continues to produce great flavours of vanilla, earth, spice and espresso akin to those from the light while the expelled smoke shares in the flora vanilla bean experience. Despite being one of the worst examples of construction I've ever seen in a premium cigar, the ash has held for the entire first third and is now moving haphazardly into the second.
Second Third: I have already opted to remove the bands because the burn is advancing so rapidly and uneven that I fear they will catch fire. Again in lieu of good construction, the draw exudes great flavour, beginning to show more complexity and strength vanilla has died down considerably leaving spice, earth and espresso to take over the flavour profile. The Expelled smoke has also begun to begun to show more complexity offering spice, espresso and leather in addition to vanilla. Amazingly, the burn has improved somewhat and has stopped canoeing enough for me to deem it moderately acceptable for a short time while holding an inch of ash before moving into the finale.
Final Third: Much to my dismay, the burn has started to decay badly once again but the flavour profile continues to ring true. Notes of espresso, earth, leather and spice dominate the draw with less than an inch to go, while the retro-hale retains many notes from the previous third hanging on to vanilla, espresso and leather wonderfully. As for the burn I don't really need to say much more than to look at the pictures...
Final Thoughts: I've always said that I will not measure a cigar in terms of its construction or burn unless said qualities render it nearly un-smokeable, that having been said, this was an example of a cigar that should of taken an hour to an hour and a half to finish but instead took about half that time. My misfortune aside, I feel that it is important to point out that I am quite certain my experience isn't fairly reflective to the quality concerning the rest of this Ramon Allones release. I have both read about and talked to a number of people who have had little to no problems concerning the construction of this cigar, although it is something a prospective buyer should be weary of. Now that I've sufficiently bashed this cigar to pieces, it is only fair to note that the complexity and flavour provided by the tobacco used in this particular release produced wonderful complexity and flavour, as such I will be revisiting this cigar again soon despite my troubles.
Total smoking time was about 45 minutes
Thank you for reading.
Last edited:
