The Ramon Allones brand isn’t too popular, but the Specially Selected seems to have garnered a fairly faithful offering. The brand actually began way back in 1837 by it’s two founders, Ramón and Antonio Allones. After a variety of ownership changes the company was eventually purchased by the Cifuentes company who also owns the Partagas brand. Manufacturing for all Ramon Allones cigars also comes from the same Partagas factory in Cuba.

The brand used to have a much larger vitola selection but since 2001, when Altadis bought a heft portion of the company, a lot of the sizes have been discontinued. The Ramon Allones brand is also heralded as one of the first Cuban cigar manufacturers to use full colored emblems on their boxes and possibly one of the first to produce the infamous 8-9-8 style of packaging.

As of current research, Ramon Allones is currently selling cigars in 4 vitolas along with an occasional Regional Release or Special Edition to round out the line. The particular cigar I will be smoking today comes from a box with a fairly recent date of May 2011. It will be interesting so see how this cigar performs early in the aging process since the recomended age time for this cigar is roughly 3 years.

Cigar: Ramon Allones Specially Selected
Drink: Innis & Gunn Spiced Rum Finish Oak Aged Beer
Vitola: Robusto (4.8 x 50)
Wrapper: Cuban
Binder: Cuban
Filler: Cuban
Price: About $7.00 in Cuba
Burn Time: 1.5 Hours

Construction:
• Each of the cigars in this box had a consistent soft box pressed shape to them
• The Ramon Allones Specially Selected also has very few larger veins
• The triple cap atop this cigar looks clean and well applied
• Although fairly firm, the cigar has a nice little spring to it when squeezed
• The foot looks to be very well packed
• The cap cut off cleanly leaving just a little mess in the ashtray
• The band unfortunately had a little too much glue on it and took some of the wrapper with it when removed
• The draw was good but I somehow got a huge tar buildup on the cap so I had to clip it a little further at around the half way point of the cigar

Burn:
• Toasting was a bit uneven and long but it evened out with a little extra effort
• At first the Specially Selected was burning nice and even but then one side started burning much faster than the other so I was left with a huge wave that needed correction
• I actually find this to be a pretty common problem on a lot of my Cubans for some reason
• After that one minor burn issue the cigar has been progressing well without any need for corrections
• I like how the RASS is staying lit easily without the need for constant babysitting

Smoke & Ash:
• Each draw brings a little less smoke than I’d like
• Surprisingly though, the resting smoke is off the charts at times
• The ash is a disappointing looking dark grey and black, not very attractive at all
• It does have some strength to it though, the ash is clean and lasts about an inch or so before I tap it off
• The second ash lasted another inch with the same consistency, the colors weren’t so dark this time possibly because I didn’t need to touch it up at all

Tasting Notes:
• Pre-light draw was all about the cedar, lots of fresh cedar aroma coming off this cigar
• Initial draws brought more of the fresh cedar flavors and a bit of earthiness
• There also a touch of the signature saltiness on my tongue
• The body overall has started fairly mild and there is no bite on the retrohale at all
• The whole experience has a nice cedar finish to it, even on the retrohale
• As the cigar progresses I’m getting a creaminess being added to the mix that is balancing well with the cedar and earthy notes
• One unique note I’m picking up here and there is a licorice type of flavor, very interesting and it would be nice to see it develop a bit more
• The licorice is dancing around with the cedar and I’m getting some mild spices peeking in here and there
• Just past the halfway mark I noticed a decent tar buildup on the cap, lucky for me I caught it before I touched it with my tongue, so a quick clip and I was good to go.
• The rest of the cigar proceeded tastefully but I really wish that licorice flavor would have jumped out a bit more

Final Thoughts:
The Ramon Allones Specially Selected turned out to be a nice mild to medium classic Cuban cigar. I don’t think it does anything new or special but it’s one of the more affordable Cubans you can find and they seem to be constructed consistently well from the ones I’ve had a chance to enjoy. The cedar and earthy flavors are enjoyable and the hint of licorice and spice brought an interesting layer to the mix that kept my attention. I did get some tar on some of the ones I smoked but it wasn’t anything terrible, one quick clip kept it at bay. I can see myself possibly getting some more of these in the future but I’d be curious to see how they age first, maybe I’ll revisit them in a year or so and see how things have changed. Good to know they are tasty and not overpowering while fairly fresh, so grab a few to try if you can.

Pairings:
Another Innis & Gunn you say? Of course! These guys make some awesome beers and I keep finding more new ones to try. Today’s choice is called the “Spiced Rum Finish” and came as part of the Winter Sampler pack. I’ve never had this particular brew before so I was curious to see how it turned out given my awesome track record with this brewery. Well, what an interesting beer this turned out to be. At it’s core, you can tell the classic Original Oak Aged style is there but it has an extra punch. Each sip gives just a tiny little spicy kick of raw cinnamon or cloves, maybe even a touch of pepper. Very unique that’s for sure and damn tasty if I say so myself. Very disappointed to see that it’s only available in the holiday pack cause I would easily vouch for a case if it were available to me. This paired perfectly with the mild to medium bodied Ramon Allones Specially Selected and would pair very well with other medium bodied cigars. Other suggested pairings for this cigar would be coffee or other lighter amber brews, maybe even a Tripel.

Mystery Cigar #1

A nice looking Robusto cigar with a light brown wrapper below the band and a dark chocolate wrapper above the band (This signature gave away the identity of this cigar! hehe). Gives off a mostly woodsy aroma on the wrapper and the foot. Pre-light draw brings more of that great cedar taste with a bit of creaminess added to the mix. The draw is a touch tight but I’m still getting a fairly good mouthful of smoke.

Tons of woody/cedar notes through the first third with a bit of a creamy finish. Pairing well with my Mill Street Brewery Coffee Porter. Ash is strong and Zebra striped with some dark black spots but mostly light grey. The retrohale has a nice mild bit and a smooth creamy cedar finish.

The ash held on just past an inch before rolling into the ashtray. It stayed neat and clean without any flaking or splitting. The cigar needed a moderate correct just before the halfway mark. I should mention that it was travelling via mail through the cold Canadian weather for about 5 or 6 days and I lit it up the first night back, couldn’t wait to let it sit…

Getting some nice nutty flavors developing as the cigar passes the half-way mark, the cedar is still the most prominent flavor here. Now developing some espresso like flavors, a little bit bitter but not in a bad way, we’ll see how it progresses once I hit the darker wrapper. I was smoking pretty fast through the first half and has really slowed down now. When I hit the dark wrapper, the creamy cedar slowly changed to a sort of creamy cocoa, a very nice transition. The cocoa and espresso hung around till the nub.

Was pretty tasty cigar, I think having the darker wrapper at the halfway mark would have made it even better just cause I really enjoyed that part of it.

Reveal: Joya de Nicaragua Cabinetta Series

Post-Reveal Notes:
A delicious cigar, I’ve been eyeing these ones for a while and glad I finally got the chance to try one. Definitely worth trying out, especially with a nice cup of coffee.

Mystery Cigar #3

A torpedo shaped cigar that is oddly tapered, seems to be a very slow taper. Looks to be a 5.5 x 50 or so. The wrapper is pretty unassuming, just a light brown color with a couple small veins and bumps. I cut it a fair ways in and still had a small opening and poor draw. Had to cut further after lighting cause I still had poor draw. Even with the second cut I feel like I’m getting lots of draw but barely any smoke. So far its making me feel like a budget stick.
The foot lit up easily and right from the start had a large peninsula forming. Despite my efforts to get it going it kept getting worse. After about an inch I needed a major correction. Another indication of a budget stick here. Draw is still going poorly, may have to cut a bit more.

Initial flavors are mostly of burning wood and cedar, not bad tasting but nothing earth shattering here. I’m getting a bit of dried fruit flavors here and there but it’s not sticking around much. The ash fell off just past the inch mark. Decided to poke the foot a bit with a toothpick and the draw FINALLY opened up! Much better now.

After ashing around the halfway mark I noticed a fair sized tunnel which is probably causing most of my burn and draw problems. The flavors are still pretty much the same, very woodsy. Starting to get bitter with about two inches left, tunnel is still there. I may have gotten a bad stick here, but I think this one is hitting the ashtray early…

Reveal: Cusano Corojo 1997

Post-Reveal Notes:
Just an ok cigar, don’t think I would seek this one out again. Haven’t had many Cusanos but so far haven’t had any good ones. It’s one of the lines I just haven’t dove into yet.

Mystery Cigar #4

A very dark, rich looking cigar. The wrapper is a dark chocolate brown with highlights looking almost black. It is very evenly constructed with no major veins and a clean triple cap. The wrapper has a sweet tobacco type of flavor and the foot gives aroma of hay, sweetness and a bit of coffee. Pre-light draw is mostly hay flavors with a touch of coffee added in.

Initial draws are pretty bland, just tobacco and hay. Hopefully this gets more interesting. Starting to get a bit of coffee notes here and there after about an inch, nothing special yet. Ash is nice and clean and holding strong. This cigar seems familiar to me, but I’m not sure yet. It seems to be in the mild/medium range and has a very mild retrohale with no bite and a bland hay-like finish. I must say the construction is excellent and it’s smoking nice and slow, just wish it had more flavor.

Approaching the half-way mark and still not much development in the flavor area. Now approaching the nub and still nothing. It’s not a bad smoke, just boring. The coffee flavors were always just barely there and disappeared a lot. Body built up to about medium, maybe a bit more. The construction was awesome though, never a burn issue, it gets points there I suppose.

I’m gonna throw a guess out there. I smoked an AB MAXX awhile ago and it was very similar, well made but boring. If not that, then maybe a budget Nicaraguan.

Reveal: Alec Bradley MAXX Traditional

Post-Reveal Notes: Wow, hit this one on the head! This band was a little different from the one I had and after a little research it’s the same blend just in “traditional” sizes instead of the larger ring gauges the the silver banded MAXX line comes in. And the same blend indeed, they were all fairly straightforward.

Mystery Cigar #6

A very light tan colored wrapper and a smaller vitola, almost around a 4.5 x 48 or so. The wrapper has some bumpiness and a few medium veins but nothing that looks problematic. The wrapper and foot both have an aroma of cedar and a hay. The cut was a bit messy but the draw was just about perfect, getting some nice spice on the pre-light draw. Toasting was easy and fairly even, lit up nicely.

Initial draws bring some interesting white pepper spice and a fair helping of cedar. Usually with spice like this you would get some bite on the retrohale but it was actually very mild with a smooth cedar finish.
The ash and burn aren’t pretty but are holding strong. Ash looks a bit messy and in the darker grey tones. Burn had a wave right from the start but it hasn’t gotten worse or better, just strolling along. I think I have a good guess that this is an EP Carrillo cigar since I’ve had a few of them lately but none in this vitola, and it seems a little weaker in body. Seems very familiar though. Body started off mild and is slowly approaching medium but it never quite got there.

Ash held on to about 1.5 inches, very nice. At the halfway mark I got some raisin or dried fruit type of flavor along with a bit of leather. Those flavors stuck around to the very end with very little bitterness. The dried fruits made me think of the 7-20-4, so I’m confused on this one. The burn was excellent the whole way through. I’m stumped on this one, don’t think I’ve had it before now.

Reveal: Gran Habano Connecticut #1

Post-Reveal Notes:
I’ve never really paid much attention to this cigar. Not sure why. It was definitely a tasty one and would make a great mild or early morning smoke. They are definitely on my future purchase list now.

Mystery Cigar #7

Looks to be a box-pressed toro sized cigar weighing in around 6×54 with a clean triple cap. The wrapper is rough and veiny with just one soft spot, the rest of the cigar has a nice medium spring to it. Pre-light draw is very grassy and earthy. The wrapper has pretty much no aroma and the foot has a bit more grassiness to it.

When I first looked at this it appeared to be a Cuban but after the first couple draws I’m pretty sure it’s not. But that definitely does not mean I’m not enjoying it. So far I’m getting a very nice cedar flavor with hints of leather and a slight spice that I can’t quite put my finger on. It toasted up nice and easy and is burning very even, although it is burning quite fast.

Although the draw feels good, it seems to be a bit airy as I’m not getting nearly as much smoke as I expect. Ash is a nice light grey color and is clean looking although it seems a bit weak. It still held on just over an inch.
A few inches in the burn is starting to go a bit wavy and the draw is still airy. Neither is hampering the experience much but let’s hope they correct themselves. The flavor is still mostly leather and cedar, with a bit of that original grassiness joining the mix. The cigar has been fairly mild/medium for the most part and the retrohale has no bite and a woodsy finish. Found a small hole under the band that was causing the airy-ness, much better draw now and a mouthful of smoke.

Around the half-way mark I started getting a bitter sweetness and the earthy notes came back. The grassy and woodsy flavors are still around while the minor spice and leather are gone.
A little past the half-way mark and the body is picking up and some spice is definitely making an appearance, seems to be a peppery and cloves type of spice. Shortly after the spice and with about an inch and a half left the cigar got fairly bitter, had to set it down soon after…

Reveal: Te-Amo World Selection Series – Nicaragua Blend

Post-Reveal Notes: hmmmm… an Altadis cigar… not surprised I was bored by it.

Tatuaje Cabaiguan

I’ve been interested in these smokes for quite some time, unfortunately Tatuaje is one of the few brands that my local B&M shops do not carry. Luckily, The Great Torpedo from stogiereview.com sent a few with a handful of other sticks earlier this week. Big thanks Jerry!

Now onto The Good Stuff: Tatuaje is a brand created by Pete Johnson. Pete Johnson is a very experienced tatoo artist hence the name Tatuaje (“Tatoo” in spanish). Tatuaje is actually one of the many brands that Don Pepin has his hand in right now. In fact, Cabaiguan is actually named after Don Pepin’s hometown in Cuba. Tatuaje is currently under fire by Altadis for his use of the le fleur de lis symbol on his cigar. I won’t go into that though.

The Cabaiguan Guapo is a limited edition cigar with very similar characteristics as the normal Cabaiguan with the exception of the wrapper. The standard Cabaiguan carries a Shade Grown Wrapper where as the Guapo carries a Sun Grown Wrapper.

Size: 5 5/8 x 54  -  Wrapper: Sun Grown Equador Connecticut  -  Filler/Binder: Nicaraguan  -  Origin: Nicaragua

Tatuaje Cabaiguan Guapo

Prelight: Tatuaje’s Cabaiguan Guapo is a hefty looking cigar. It’s very heavy and tightly packed compared to most cigars similar in size. The Guapo sports a very deep, rounded cap, with a small, tied nub at the end of it. I could only describe this as looking similar to the top of a chinese kids head, you know, in movies and video games. There are no softspots at all, this cigar is like a brick. The wrapper itself is quite a bit darker than the normal Connecticut that I’m used to, and it seems pretty hard, and fragile with tons of oil. I’ll have to handle this one with care. The wrapper omits almost no smell at all, the only real scent I could pull off was very light scents of cocoa. The foot was similar in absence of smell but i did give off a very hay-link aroma. It just wasn’t very powerful. There were quite a few veins, but nothing that will hinder the smoke of this cigar. The cold draw produced very earthy tastes, the cocoa didn’t come through on the the cold draw. The band, like most Tatuaje’s remains very simple and straight forward. It sports and Old English style “C” with the word “Cabaiguan” underneath accompanied by the words “CUBA” and “MIAMI” on either sides. The back carries the simple Tatuaje logo, and the Guapo has with it a small lacing of silver metallic on the edges of the band. This is something the standard Cuabaiguans do not have.

Tatuaje Cabaiguan Guapo

First Smoke: The draw was a bit tedious to get going at first, but once I did it was non-stop. The guapo started off with a punch of pepper that only lasted to first couple of draws, then soon faded into a more soft, complex mixture of grass, leather, and what tastes like white meat. The draw itself was pretty massive, and smelled very similar to burnt grass with hints of oil. I don’t think this would be too annoying to your company. The smoke itself is very hefty, slightly brown, and lingers like there is no tomorrow. The Guapo produces mass amounts of stationary smoke, more so than most other cigars I have had. The burn line was pretty consistent once I got the entire foot going. I had a bit of trouble at the beginning but I evened itself a few puffs in. I got well over an inch and a half of ash before it dropped.

Tatuaje Cabaiguan Guapo

Halfway There: outside of the vanquishing pepper, the Cabaiguan Guapo’s taste is remaining pretty consistent. I would best describe the taste as burning corn husk with hints of passion fruit. This is a very smooth and creamy cigar, and I don’t feel any nicotine in it at all. Honestly the Cabaiguan is turning out to be an incredible smoke. Perfect for that relaxing day. It’s great to be able to give my palate a rest. The burn began to get a bit wavy a little more than halfway though, but not enough to need any touching up of any sort.

Tatuaje Cabaiguan Guapo

Finish: The pepper left and never came back. There were more hints of fruit towards the nub of this cigar. The fruit best resembled passion fruit or pomegranate, a bit citrusy, and very sweet. There were also subtle hints of vanilla and honesy towards the very end. The wavy burn line corrected itself almost right away and I didn’t encounter another burn issue again. The draw was just loose enough to produce massive amounts of smoke and flavor, but tight enough to smooth the experience out all the way though, and not get hot towards the nub. The band came off with ease.

Tatuaje Cabaiguan Guapo

Overview: I feel ashamed that I let this cigar fly under my radar for as long as I did. This was one of the most enjoyable smokes that I have had recently. The flavors were just complex enough to keep me on my toes, but not slammed in there to overload my taste buds. The strength was very mild and smooth, with a great massive draw. Smoking time was about an hour and a half. I would, and will get more of these cigars. They are limited edition but according to Pete J. he is doing everything in his power to get the line back out on the market.

Tatuaje Cabaiguan Guapo

This Taguaje Cabaiguan Guapo was paired with North Coast Brewing’s Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale.

Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale