Ramon Allones Superiores

Overall Score

1 review for Ramon Allones Superiores

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    C**** I********

    Ramon Allones Superiores

    Ramon AllonesOrigin : Cuba
    Format : Corona Gorda
    Size : 143 x 18.26 mm (5.6 x 46)
    Ring : 46
    3 cigars smoked for the review
    Hand-Made
    Price : $10-12 each

    Ramon Allones Superiores is a La Casa del Habano-specific release that was supposed to hit the shelves in 2010; while perhaps it did in some places the few LCDH that I visited in the beginning of 2011 didn’t have it yet. At first I was very excited about this new vitola from one of my favorite marcas, but when I failed to get it on the first couple attempts I somewhat forgot about it. Only in February 2012, on my trip to Rome, I finally picked up a fiver of these beautiful cigars. I really should have done it earlier!

    Appearance : [rating:5/5]
    With its gorgeous light brown wrapper without a single glitch, the Superiores is pretty impressive and seems very well constructed. If you’re about to leave a comment saying “hey man your shooting skills really improved!”, I must admit that I just borrowed a more expensive camera from my cousin.

    Ramon Allones Superiores

    Construction : [rating:4.5/5]
    All of the specimens I smoked were spot on in terms of construction. I knocked off half a star because the draw of one of the cigars I torched for this review was just a tad tighter than my comfort zone. They all burned beautifully even outdoors and I took a lot of pleasure extracting clouds of thick white smoke out of them. Well done.

    Flavor : [rating:4.5/5]
    We all know that Cuban cigars might taste ‘green’ when they are young. Sometimes this fact or belief (to each his/her own) makes people forget about the objective quality of the cigar – isn’t it easier to say “it just needs age” when a cigar doesn’t taste as you’d expect it to? The problem is that in some cases age doesn’t do much to enhance the cigar’s flavor or it needs more years than an average aficionado is ready to wait. This being said, I’m fairly sure that this ‘aging potential’ can be detected at any stage. Two examples come to mind – the H. Upmann Royal Robusto that is a stellar cigar that’s only going to get better and the Juan Lopez Benelux Regional Edition which doesn’t seem to be able to progress anytime soon.

    After this long introduction (which represents my personal and humble opinion, your mileage may vary), I’d like to say that Ramon Allones Superiores has no less potential than the other LCDH-exclusive release I just mentioned. Furthermore, just like the Royal Robusto, it smokes damn good right now! The first third is rather delicate after the initial spice and is a bit short of medium-bodied; it brings coffee, cocoa and nuts flavors to the table. A great deal of complexity is added in the second third as all flavors become more intense and the pepper reappears. The body is medium and the smoke is very fresh and smooth. A bit of leather and hints of wood are added to the bouquet in the last third. Despite rare vegetable notes (hay?) that I did encounter throughout the whole smoking experience, I wouldn’t say that the Superiores tastes young. It just tastes good, and it’s going to get even better!

    Ramon Allones Superiores

    Value : [rating:4/5]
    To be honest with you I don’t remember how much I paid for them, probably around 10 EUR per stick. As far as I know these can be had even cheaper than that, at 7.5 EUR / $10 per stick if bought by box. It’s a great value, IMHO.

    Overall Rating : [rating:4.5/5]
    My review could have been different if I had smoked the Superiores right out of the factory in January 2011. But what’s done is done, and while I missed the boat back then (although who knows whether I’d have liked it at that time!) I am going to get myself a couple of 10-count boxes that the Superiores comes in. I hear there were only 5,000 boxes made, I should probably hurry up.

    Helpful?
    0 0
    • D***

      Upon further review (meaning I put my glasses on) the stamp is June of 16. I think I can figure that out but would still like an opinion on aging.

    • D***

      I just bought a box of these in Havana. I will admit to being a cigar novice and have been curious about aging. On the bottom of the box is a stamp ETP June 18. Is this a best if smoked by date or the date they should be in their prime?

    • M****** A*** A***

      Thanks to your review I bought 3 boxes luckily one of them had the boxcode MUR 12

    • Y******

      My review of the Ramon Allones Superiores

      The Superior is a lovely looking cigar. It is very well constructed and equally well presented in the numbered dress boxes. It wears an attractive dark wrapper, which is oily and toothy on touch that has some veins but no imperfections. The bunch is firm and the triple cap is rounded and perfectly applied. The cold draw is perfect, with some leathery flavours.

      Ramon Allones Superiores

      The initial flavours are rich and complex. Nuts, coffee, vanilla, with some added grass, all these in the first few puffs! After the initial mouthfull of flavours, the cigar settles down and becomes smoother and sweeter. Its body is medium, but the flavours are strong and crisp. Fruits, caramel, freshly roasted coffee beans, and also some grass and wood to make it more interesting. It is very complex and although you could relate it to a RASS, it has not got the harsness and ammonia you sometimes find in a young Specially Selected.

      In the second third the cigar gets even sweeter. Chocolate, and toffee are the two newcomers, joining the fruity flavours in the foreground. The woody and grassy flavours have now subsided, with some cinnamon and leather now appearing on the background, while the finish is long and salty. The cigar burns evenly and produces clouds of smoke that quickly swarm the room! The ash has a firm texture, light colour and stays on the cigar until it reaches about an inch in length.

      In the last third the Superior gets stronger, with the body now being medium to full and its flavours richer and meatier. It is not just sweet now, but it has some strong earthy and woody flavours. But a little ammonia shows up on the finish, spoiling the overall good impression. A few burn problems also appear and they become persistent and irritating. The continuous relighting brings some unpleasant carbon flavours and the cigar is put to rest early.

      The Superior is a fine cigar, but it is still young. I found it a lot sweeter and not as strong as your typical Ramon Allones. Its youthfulness cannot be seen on the first half, where the cigar is smooth and creamy, but it starts showing in the last third. If I had tossed it without smoking towards the end it would have scored higher, but I tend to try and smoke my cigars right to the butt and the Superior did not agree with this. It has plenty of aging potential as it would benefit from some more body, so if you have some let them rest. 4 starts and 87 points, for a cigar that has plenty of potential but is not yet ready to be enjoyed at its full…

    • M*****

      Do not use flash will make your photo looks even better 🙂
      Anyway, very helpful review! Cheers!

    • S****** O* t** R****

      Very interesting. There are literally way too many cigars out there to smoke. I’ve never seen this one in my B&M and I don’t recognize the brand name. It’s always nice to see some different boutique cigars out there and I’m sure when I see it I’ll actually remember it this time! I love the lower band on that stick though the classic red and gold looks wonderful

    • S****

      I love them, they are indeed young. They will grow some legs and age amazingly. I bought 2 boxes in Havana and happy about it 🙂

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Cigar Region Cuba
Filler Cuban
Wrapper Cuba
Binder Cuba
Length 5 3/4
Ring Gauge 46
Vitola Coronas Gorda
Construction Hand Made