Ramon Allones Small Club Corona : EML NOV 13 : RA Review Comp 2016

[PaulPower]

These are one of the cigars that got me into the Minuto format.   I have smoked maybe 3 boxes and this is one of the best boxes.

Really strong box press, so much that it messed up the band. Light brown dry-looking wraper with slight fuzz.

Cold aroma: Honey, fresh barnyard and clean tobacco.

Cold Draw: On the tight-side of good, clean tobacco and nothing else.

Initial: Classic RA Taste, with noticeable Cuban twang. Slight raisin and lots of clean tobacco.

1/3: same favors, slight astringency.

Leather comes around and now dominates.  It's leather, clean tobacco, hard-to-describe RA flavor, and twang, in order.

No cream or honey, this is one reason I'm moving away from this stick.

Musk coming through.

Cedar and rose on the backend, very slight.

Vegetal flavors coming out, like some brassica. Arugula or something.

2/3:  Sigh... pepper comes out, and I consider it a flaw in this case.

Subtlety is gone, Leather, RA flavor (similar to Partagas), pepper and twang are the only remaining flavors.

Cap loose. Always happens on these. Burn line gone to hell, but workable.

Astringent... need cup of coffee. Let it sit for 4-5 min. Fresh baked bread comes out during the break. Yum.

3/3: Coffee Helps... flavor I feel this cigar is missing.  Pepper has faded, thank god.

Flavors mellow and rounded. I always enjoy the last 3rd the most.

Spongy and easy to overheat.  Astringency and bitterness bump up if you smoke too fast, savor the last bit.

After taste: Fresh cigar flavor with baked bread.  I actually like the aftertaste and residual flavor more than smoking. That's right, I preffer the afterglow to the intercorse, and this applies to all cigars.  The RASSC has a wonderful aftertaste.

Final thoughts: I like this box, but I find more value and enjoyment in SCdH Principe or Super Partagas. They do have construction problems about 15% of the time.  They are great fresh, but take a bit of age well. 

 

[SloppyJ]

Nice honest review. Thank you! 

[TheMonk]

Good review, and beautiful pics! For me the RASCC needs quite a bit of age to smoke well, unlike current production RASS.