mm12 Posted July 10, 2010 Posted July 10, 2010 Got a couple boxes of these about three weeks ago and wanted to get an initial impression of the blend, so I fired one up yesterday. The wrapper is colorado, moderately oily and a bit toothy to the touch. Not many noticeable veins, and construction seems to be good/uniform throughout. The aroma at cold is slightly sweet leather. The draw is perfect and has a flavor of hay and sweet toasted tobacco. Open: This cigar is strong and really shows it's youth. The flavors are dry, dusty wood and dark earth with a good bit of black pepper spice. The flavors are pretty tannic right from the get-go. Definitely full bodied. First Third: As I get into the first third, the cigar mellows just a little bit. The dry wood and dark earth flavor profile remains with a bit nuttiness always in the background. The black pepper spice is moderate to high both through the nose and on the palate. On a few draws, I get very distinct black cherry notes as I near the end of the third. Still full bodied. Second Third: The base flavors remain the same, but some more interesting background flavors begin to emerge. The first is a nice sweet bread/dough flavor. Sort of reminiscent of an Upmann Connie 1. After this I start to get some caramel and vanilla. After a while, this caramel/vanilla changes to a charcoal/vanilla flavor. Finally as I come to the end of the second third, I get a very strong, very dark espresso flavor. Still full bodied but slightly less tannic than the first third. Final Third: The espresso gradually begins to fade and the charcoal returns and becomes the primary flavor. Theres a little bit of vanilla in the background, some horseradish, and plenty of black pepper spice. Very tannic. The cigar is going beyond full bodied now into super-full bodied territory. A very young Cazadore or BCE are the only cigars I can think of that can even come close to this level of strength, and this cigar pretty much blows both of them right out of the water. I get a few caramel notes and a few cherry notes as the cigar comes to an end. Right now I give this cigar an 88. Many people would probably score it lower but I really like the occasional super-strong cigar, and this one really fit the bill. I think there's a ton of aging potential here and think this cigar could be up the mid 90's in 5 years. It seems to me that it has all the necessary components for greatness. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. ***NEW REVIEW 2/8/11*** I decided to try my second one of these today to get an idea of how they were developing. Aroma at cold was very funky barnyard. Appearance and construction were the same as before. Open: This time, the belicoso opened right at medium full with flavors stewed fruit and a very perfumey floral flavor. Not much spice on the palate, but a slight white pepper spice through the nose. 1/3: The body has eased back into medium. I'm getting mostly stewed fruit with a floral perfume flavor in the background. There are some lashings of rich chocolate on few draws. About an inch in, the flavors turn toward Christmas cake with just a hint of the floral perfume in the background. 2/3: Still at medium. The second third starts out with Christmas cake, but some very clear vanilla bean flavors begin to emerge. As I get into the third, a very rich dark/damp earth flavor emerges with just a hint of Christmas spice in the background. Near the end of the third, the flavor profile shifts to sweet damp earth. 3/3: Medium moving toward medium full. The sweet earth flavor intensifies and gets richer. The best way I can describe it is that it was like very rich moist chocolate cake, but with earth instead of chocolate. Really excellent. Some hints of Christmas spice and white pepper begin to emerge, and soon the flavor profile is back at Christmas cake. Some rich buttery flavors begin to layer themselves on top of the cake. At this point, there is little spice on the palate, but quite a bit of white pepper through the nose. I get a few faint hints of caramel and coffee. At the end, the dark/damp earth flavor returns along with plenty of white and black pepper spice. This cigar has changed quite a bit since this past summer, and is greatly improved. Right now, I'd put it somewhere around a 93. I can't wait to see how these develop over the coming years.
CigarmanTim Posted July 11, 2010 Posted July 11, 2010 Thanks for the review. I am heading to Germany in 10 days and was going to try these. I may bring back a box if I like them
ChanceSchmerr Posted July 11, 2010 Posted July 11, 2010 Great review! I am keen to get a box of these If I can ever find them - I've heard a lot of about the blend used for them - supposed to be Old School Havana!
Daidemo Posted July 12, 2010 Posted July 12, 2010 Thanks for the review. They are definitely too young. Keep us posted about their performance in next few years. I hope that they will turn up as Belicosos from RE UK 05, 07 and RE France 08 (Especial de Allones). IMO the best in RA line right now.
cvm4 Posted July 13, 2010 Posted July 13, 2010 I smoked one out of a 5'er I bought. It has legs for aging, IMO.
josie67 Posted July 19, 2010 Posted July 19, 2010 I got a box 3 weeks ago, and I have smoked one. Spot on review, these are STRONG, and imho, it BLOWS away the UK '05. Going to sit on these till early next year, and see how they progress.
shrink Posted July 20, 2010 Posted July 20, 2010 I never met an RA Belicoso I didn't like. I'm going to sit on my German RE's for now, and continue burning up the '05 UK's.
MadMax Posted August 31, 2010 Posted August 31, 2010 Great review! My box came yesterday, and of course I smoked one right off the truck to see what I was starting with. After the dry woody opening, the 1st and 2nd thirds I got sweet gram cracker with a red pepper finish. The last 3rd was all chocolate mousse until I couldn't hold it anymore! This was a pretty strong cigar! I'll try another in three weeks
CBL Posted August 31, 2010 Posted August 31, 2010 Great review! VERY specific tastes, funny you tasted horseradish in a German Edition Cigar Anyway I loved this cigar when I bought a single in Cologne about a month ago. Wish I could have gotten a box. I wonder if Ramon Allones is gonna bring back the Belicosos for the regular line since they bring out one every few years for the Regional line.
Mr.T Posted August 31, 2010 Posted August 31, 2010 Great review of a great RE! These seem to be one of the most consitently good RE's since the program started. They really should just make the RA belicoso a part of the regular line up. I've got a couple boxes of the original and they are still very enjoyable and good smokes fives years on...can't believe it has been five years already!!!
mm12 Posted February 8, 2011 Author Posted February 8, 2011 I just added a fresh review of these at the end of my first one.
bassman Posted February 8, 2011 Posted February 8, 2011 I love these cigars. Very strong & spicy. For my taste MUCH better than the UK version.
ChanceSchmerr Posted February 8, 2011 Posted February 8, 2011 I kick my own ass every time I think of these cigars, for not getting a box online when I could have.......
segundo Posted February 8, 2011 Posted February 8, 2011 I kick my own ass every time I think of these cigars, for not getting a box online when I could have....... then just check your pm
dB69 Posted February 9, 2011 Posted February 9, 2011 Can you still get them online? Yes, you can. My recommendations also, very nice cigars after a couple of years.
melies Posted February 10, 2011 Posted February 10, 2011 Will search for some and let them rest for a while, thanks!!!
DraytonHill Posted February 10, 2011 Posted February 10, 2011 Have you heard of wine wankers?? well i`m sorry to say that i think you have become a cigar wanker.. what on earth is "funky barnyard"?
CanuckSARTech Posted February 10, 2011 Posted February 10, 2011 Have you heard of wine wankers?? well i`m sorry to say that i think you have become a cigar wanker.. what on earth is "funky barnyard"? Dude, if you don't know what barnyard is, then you have no place to start insulting others who do.
DraytonHill Posted February 12, 2011 Posted February 12, 2011 Have you heard of wine wankers?? well i`m sorry to say that i think you have become a cigar wanker.. what on earth is "funky barnyard"? please explain it to me then?
segundo Posted February 12, 2011 Posted February 12, 2011 thanks for the good review! i think its an amazing stick already at this time. cant say if it has the fifties blend the maestro ligador intended to reproduce but i can say it will be definitely fantastic in 5 years
android Posted June 25, 2011 Posted June 25, 2011 Very excited to have a box of these being delivered on Tuesday
Nocoins Posted July 3, 2011 Posted July 3, 2011 Just smoked one myself. Very tasty, but it tastes very similar to a RASS to me. I have RASS the same box code as my Belis - POL MAY 10 - and except for the shape, I find them almost identical. I'm not complaining, since I like the belicoso shape better. But anyone else think they're the same blend in a different shape?
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