Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo ‘99
Filler: Nicaraguan
Vitola: Torpedo (6 ½ by 54)
Purchase Link: Ramon Allones
Ramon Allones Review - California
Summary: This is one beautifully rolled stick. Flawless torpedo cap. Pepper, coffee, and chocolate with almonds. Buttery brisket. S’mores. Fireworks (a pleasant/nostalgic firework taste, not musky sulfur). Leather and spearmint. Yes, I’m aware that this all probably sounds like BS. Walnuts and tootsie roll. Cascara coffee.
Second third continues with the smorgasbord of “UMF YES” flavors with the addition of anise here and there.
I’m getting an awesome sweetness in the final third. I’ll say berry? Toasted walnuts and a touch of ginger on the finish.
If you like that, you might like this: Buying a drink for a babe at the bar. You use the restroom and when you get back she’s gone. But there’s a drink at the bar that she bought for you and her number is on the napkin.
Pairing Suggestion:Just one glass of rye and make it last for the whole cigar so you can freakin’ TASTE this beaut.
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: Boxxx.
Ramon Allones Review - Wisconsin
Summary: The first thing that stands out about this cigar is how pointy and hard the tip of the cap is - you could really do some damage to someone if you poked them with it. Overall, this was a slow smoke whose flavors struck a nice balance between creaminess/chocolate and pepper/spice. Sometimes the scales tipped toward one end, and sometimes toward the other. But it almost always worked.
Flavor-wise, there were significant notes of cocoa, chocolate, pepper, spice, and cereal grain. There were moderate notes of creaminess, coffee, and caramel. And there were occasional tastes of mushroom, meatiness, umami, and honey. Very little took away from the flavor profile until near the end, when it took on a bitter flavor.
Construction-wise, the cigar performed well. The burn, while not sharp, didn't need any corrections. The draw was on point. And the ash was tight with very little flakiness.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: Walking down the flavor balance beam.
Pairing Suggestion:Rum.
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: Fiver.
Ramon Allones Review - Oregon
Summary: This largish Torpedo shaped cigar had a dark wrapper and a ton of tooth. The wrapper carried a discernible amount of spiciness that seemed enticing. That hint of spice in the wrapper was confirmed after clipping the cap to test the cold draw. Just the bit of time my lip touched the wrapper I got a spicy taste...think chili powder spice. The flavors from the cold draw directly were bran flakes, chili powder and fresh hay.
After getting smoke rolling, the flavors through the first two inches consisted of wood and dark chocolate notes and a small truckload of pepper spice in the retrohale. Towards the end of the first third, the wood notes dropped out giving way to grilled meat flavor and the chocolate became more of a bitter cacao. The burn was razor sharp and the ash perfect.
The middle section turned into straight tobacco flavors and some dry leaves. There may have been a little coffee in the mix as well but if there was, it was coffee brewed with tobacco and dry leaves. Construction wise, this cigar was still right on point.
The final third found more tobacco and a returning dark chocolate note but the entire mixture was rather boring and bitter as well. I just couldn’t find any nuances to keep me wanting to smoke the cigar, so I stopped smoking it with about 1 1/2 inches remaining.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: If you like this then you probably like digging around in your dusty old attic.
Pairing Suggestion:Pair this with something spicy and flavorful. The last two-thirds were void of anything to really keep a smoker interested.
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: Single.
Participants in this blind review were completely unaware of the cigar they were evaluating until all submissions were received and processed. Each participant was asked to answer a summary paragraph, an if/than statement, a pairing suggestion, and a purchase suggestion. Cigars were provided by Small Batch with only the expectations of candid responses. All pictures, information, and formatting were completed by a Coordinator outside of the reviewing process.
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