Cigars.ie

Ramon Allones Beritus - RE Libano

RickMG

I was asked by my friend Yiorgos Manesis to meet at the Morgan Hotel with him and another friend, Dara Weston, while I was visiting Dublin.  He wanted me to try a cigar and to write a review for him.  I think I would be considered only a moderate cigar smoker since usually I will just smoke 3-4 cigars a week, and have been for about 10 years now. I think it’s also important to say that I have not had the pleasure of being able to smoke many Cuban cigars since I live in the U.S., so this was quite an opportunity for me. Don’t get me wrong, I do travel outside the U.S. quite often and fortunately for me, I do find them most everywhere I go and make sure they are from a reputable shop such as James Fox’s in Dublin or London or La Casa Del Habanos stores elsewhere to be sure they are “genuine”.

The cigar, a Ramon Allones Beritus, was about the size and length of the cigars I usually smoke. Without knowing the exact size of this one I would think it a 50/52 gauge by 5.5 long (sorry, don’t know what the length would be in metric measurements) but I would consider it a thicker Robusto. Had a very nice smooth straight wrapper and felt very comfortable to hold. The shade was a bit lighter than a maduro, but the room was dark in the area we were in so it was hard to tell exactly. The cigar was very easy to light with just one match and had a mild almost creamy taste to it.  Personally, I like mild cigars so I was very pleased with this. I used a punch instead of a cutter on the cigar and I must say the draw was perfect. Sometimes on a cigar this size I might have to cut it with a cutter or the draw could be a little hard.

To my pleasant surprise the cigar stayed mild with the creamy flavor (flavour I guess over there). The burn was very even throughout the cigar and what I really liked is that it didn’t need lighting again, something I find I have to do with many Cuban cigars. The ash stayed on the cigar until I actually flicked it close to 2 inches into the cigar and I only flicked it because I didn’t want it to drop and make a mess even though it showed no sign that it would fall. I noticed at the very last inch that the cigar got just a little more peppery flavor which was a very nice way to end a cigar. It was never too strong at the end that I had to quit smoking it. I only stopped when I couldn’t hold it anymore for fear I would burn my fingers.

All in all, I found this to be an almost perfect cigar for my taste and to clarify for those that think it’s just because I don’t smoke many Cubans, I did smoke two more Cubans after this one and, though very good, none of them came close to this in flavor and both needed re-lighting several times. I would have to say this could very easily be my favorite everyday smoke. I’m supposed to grade this now. The only thing I would probably take off for on this cigar is that it wasn’t longer. So, let me give it a 95 out of a possible 100.

Yiorgos

A few weeks ago, I was delighted to receive a set of the Ramon Allones Beritus from a good friend in Phoenicia, the regional distributor for Middle East, Greece & Cyprus. The Beritus was released in 2009 for the Lebanese market. A thick and stout cigar, the Beritus feets nicely in your hand and is the same size as an Edmundo. The wrapper on my cigar was smooth and oily, with a beautiful dark, reddish shade of brown and a strong earthy scent. Altough well packed all the way through, the prelight draw was perfect.

The initial flavours of the Beritus were those of a Ramon Allones; earth and wood with a creamy texture, closely followed by an unusual but pleasant flavour of forrest fruits. The body was quite mild at start, and although I expected it to pick up the pace and finish strong, it only ever reached to medium… Sweet flavours dominated throughout, with tones of earth and wood. The cigar burned and drew exceptionally well, with some longest-ash contests taking place around the table. I cannot recall who actually managed to hold it for longer, but I remember mine ending up -as usual- allover my trousers!

All in all, the Beritus is a lovely cigar, very enjoyable, as long as you dont expect the kick of a Ramon Allones… If I were to smoke it without a label, I would bet my house that it was not a Ramon Allones. Regional Edition vitolas tend to get blends that differ from the standards of the marcas, and the Beritus is no exception. This is not to take anything from the overall experience though, as it is very enjoyable. My score: 91 points, dropping some poings because of the lack of some more complexity and strength.