The Diplomáticos Norteños Edición Regional Canadá 2018 was a great release under the brand and a terrific regional for Canada. I would definitely buy a box of these, smoking some now and aging the rest. I loved the flavor profile, it was always balanced and the flavors played off of one another perfectly.
A clean finish and almost dessert like flavors centered around honey and toffee (with baking spices and cedar to accompany) are some of the key flagships of a good Cuban cigar. The Saint Luis Rey 2016 Edición Regional Cuba Marquéz had all those traits.
The Montecristo Dantés Edición Limitada 2016 is not a Habanos I would gravitate to more often than not, I prefer regular production Montecristo offerings to this, but a very solid release. I would recommend this Habanos to those who have the opportunity to purchase some, and I think many would find that they smoke well in a couple years. I look forward to see how it smokes in years to come.
The Trinidad Fundadores 2017 release is a perfect example of a Cuban cigar that is too young to enjoy, but should be very good with a few years of aging. This box will go to the back of my humidor and I will go back to check on their evolution in 6 - 8 month periods.
Despite draw and construction issues, the Ramón Allones Specially Selected delivered the typical flavor profile that I have come to expect and enjoy. There is a touch more espresso in this box than I remember from previous years. Overall, I'm glad I picked up the box and I'm sure I will work through it far faster than I should.
There's no doubt there's youth and edge, but not so much that you cannot ID the true flavors behind the cigar. I'll give this cigar another 2 to 3 years to let it settle into what it is supposed to be.
While the first two thirds were good, the flavors were pretty basic, albeit well balanced. The final third was a let down for my palate.
Despite a slow start and rocky finish, the flavors were well defined and offered a nice smoke, although I missed some of the complexities found in non-Cubans.
The performance was perfect, but flavor is the name of the game and this cigar just doesn't have it. It's a bit disappointing as this series was supposed to be something special and it just doesn't deliver.
As a cigar, it is aging well for the four to five years it has been since it was first released and it does a nice job of delivering some enjoyable flavors of spice and mocha. I would definitely recommend for someone to purchase if the opportunity is there as you can enjoy these now or with more age.