Ramon Allones Specially Selected - MSU FEB 19 (SMRW)

[david9985]

The first RASS I had was from the Robusto Sampler which was my initial Cigar Czar purchase around 10 years ago. That sampler was 5 each of CoRo, Epi #2, D4, BRC and RASS. I still remember that the best single stick from that 25 was one of the RASS. I don’t believe I've had one since but the good reviews of the 2019 stock led me to pick up a box (from here) last summer. This was the second from the box.

This stick looked pretty good: not a stunner but perfectly acceptable! It felt slightly light in the hand but when cut the draw was only a touch on the open side. It opened with the well-known signature RASS flavour of stewed raisins. Despite trying my hardest I couldn’t detect much else. Perhaps a Yorkshire pudding / toad in the hole type flavour.

Burn needed some work to keep alive, meaning I was drawing on the cigar more than I wanted to and consequently smoking too fast to enjoy it to the full. The experience was good enough to persist, but the flavours were muted throughout and it certainly wasn’t singing! Not a great deal of change during the first two thirds but then a drop off in the final third when the last of the enjoyable aspects of the cigar all but disappeared.

Smoking time for two-thirds and a bit was 45mins. The box has been resting 6 months at 65%rh. Following advice read here I have lowered most of my storage closer to 60%rh and enjoyed the results so in hindsight the RASS could probably have benefited from this treatment too. I hope to review again under the new conditions but this experience was 84/100.

Another point to note: I had failed to notice the strength of this smoke until I stood up afterwards and had to concentrate to keep my balance for the first few steps. This definitely had power!