RASS JUN 09

Ophidion · May 26, 2012

The RASS is my favorite robusto of all time. It was my first box of CCs I ever bought on my own and I still have a few left from that box (this is one of them).

Prelight:

Light wrapper, a few prominent veins. Its very heavy and packed densely but offers a lightly restricted draw with a punch cut. The cold draw is all spice, leather and tobacco, simple but pleasant.

1/3:

Ho boy, there is a lot of leather on this one. Dark roast coffee flavors with a slightly tangy finish add to the rich flavor of the first third. I have had these resting for two years now and I thought some of that power would be dialied back and it wasn't at all. Much smoother, but still very in your face right off the bat. The smoke is very smooth and abundant but the burn is a little wavy (something I have always had trouble with for RASS even from totally different years/box codes).

2/3:

Coffee, damp cedar, light spice and leather. There is still a lot of smoke output at this point but it remains moist and very creamy. There is also a slight sweeness to the smoke but it almost never registers unless I take a very large pull and let the smoke sit for an extended period of time.

3/3:

The last third is exactly the same as the third still keeping that annoying wavy burn.

Overall Thoughts:

The RASS will always hold a special place in my heart. Being the first CC I bought for myself, it introduced me to the world of Cuban Cigars a few years back and it has always been one that I look for if I want something that I am going to enjoy and that will keep me on my toes while smoking (stupid burn issues all the time). I really cant find any faults in the cigar as its simple, strong and has a great flavor profile that I enjoy every single time I decide to light one up.

ramon_cojones · May 26, 2012

My favorite cigar when they have at least 3-5 years on them and they only get better. I'm tempted to spark one up right now with all this talk of rass lately.