Cigars.ie

Ramon Allones Especial de Allones - French RE

Ramon Allones have been one of the most popular brands amongst the Regional Edition series. They have been in featured in the series since the very first year that the Regional Edition series have appeared (2005), having produced no less than 11 vitolas, designated for this release. The Especial de Allones was released in 2008, as one of the two cigars designated to the French market. It is a Belicoso, measuring 5.5″ by 52 ring gauge, an exact copy of the Ramon Allones Belicoso that was released in 2005 as a regional for the UK.

Ger was kind enough to bring me one of these from his recent trip to France. With the winter sun appearing after quite a while and the temperature hitting a two-digit figure, I grabbed it from my humidor and ran out to catch some rays.

Appearance 11/15

The Especial is well constructed and bears a veiny light brown “Claro” wrapper, oily and smooth to touch. The wrapper is slightly loose and has some slight cracks. It is spongy through its length and has mild aromas of earth.

Flavor & Body 23/25

The cigar kicks off with an intense spicy flavor and medium body. However, after smoking half an inch, it mellows down and develops an array of flavors. Wood, earth and leather are only some of the flavors I could identify. Smoking well in the second third, the flavors change again, with coffee taking the stage, closely followed by the flavors identified on the first third. The cigar becomes more medium to full bodied and only towards the very end it looses some of its character.

Smoke & Burn 23/25

Plenty of thick and creamy smoke is delivered from the cigar, typical in the more recent regional Ramon Allones. It starts burning sideways slightly, but corrects itself after the first third.  The cigar draws very well from start to finish. Thick gray ash is forming perfectly and stays on the cigar until it reaches a length of an inch.

Overall Impression 32 /35

The Especial de Allones is a very enjoyable cigar and similar to other regional vitolas of the brand, like the Gran Robusto, the Eminencia and the Grandes. Very complex, with a medium to full body, it encourages you to smoke it slowly. The only downside of the cigar was it’s appearance. The wrapper was not the most attractive I have seen in a Ramon Allones, and it’s colour was slightly unusual. Nevertheless, a good cigar throughout with plenty of aging potential.

Overall 89/100