Pre-light Experience

The wrapper has medium and dark brown notes in a bit of a turtle shell pattern. Definitely darker towards the foot. There are a couple of medium sized veins visible while the seams are well hidden with the color variations. There appear to be two well applied caps. The band is primarily gold and white with a little cream color in the middle where the brand name is. The aroma from the wrapper is a nice mix of leather and hay. The foot aroma is a bit of cherry sweetness. The pre-light draw carries a muted cherry note that is not as sweet.

Pre-light Experience

The Partagas Ramon y Ramon Robusto has somewhere in between a claro and Colorado claro shade wrapper. Veins are roughly pressed and seams are tight and visible. The bunch and roll feels spot on as there is a uniformed give throughout. The head is finished off with a shallow double cap. Nosing the wrapper gives cedar, dry black pepper and construction paper. Nosing the foot gives wet earth, black pepper and stale mixed nuts. Cold draw tells dry wood, cardboard and faint ripe stone fruits.

First Third

Initial draws bring a good dose of creamy cedar and black pepper. A quarter inch in, the black pepper lessens while the creamy cedar remains at its same level. The retrohale maintains the very full creamy cedar and black pepper and has quite the burn. At a half inch in, the black pepper has really moved to the background in the mouth and the retrohale and the creamy cedar is up front in both as well. At an inch in, the cream subsides a bit with the cedar being the dominant note. As the third comes to a close, cedar is the only note in the mouth and on the retrohale. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

The first third shows quite a bit of dryness. Dry and bitter smokey wood, sharp black pepper and dry minerals make up the core flavors. Less noticeable secondary flavors of milk chocolate and leather. Through retrohaling, strong black pepper, creamed mixed nuts and sharp cedar. The finish is lengthy, with lingering dry and bitter wood paired with sharp black pepper on the front palate, and mixed nuts. Body and strength is at the medium mark within the entire first third.

Second Third

As this third begins, the cedar continues and is a bit drying. At a quarter inch, some earthiness joins in to darken up the profile a bit. At a half inch in, some creaminess reappears and pushes the earthiness out. The retrohale is just a cedar note. At an inch in, the cream fades away and the cedar becomes a bit drying again. The third finishes out with the slightly drying cedar. The strength in this third was right at medium.

Second Third

The second third’s main difference is the tapering of the black pepper spice. The core flavors of dry and bitter smokey wood and dry minerals still persists. Secondary notes of milk chocolate and leather are still detected. The retrohale remains unchanged, still providing sharp black pepper, creamed mixed nuts and sharp cedar. The finish’s flavors of dry and bitter wood paired with sharp black pepper and mixed nuts is now overtaking the entire palate. Strength and body continues to be at the medium mark.

Final Third

As this third begins, the slightly dry cedar continues. There is now a bit of mintiness on the finish. At a half inch in, some cream returns and the cigar begins to warm up a bit. At an inch in, some bitterness enters the profile which pushes the cream out. At an inch and a quarter, the bitterness moves out along with the minty finish and the drying cedar remains. This is the profile the cigar finishes with. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

Final Third

The last third’s profile is less dry, with namely an interplay of cream and dry wood. Leather moves to the forefront as well, but the remaining aforementioned flavors become quite distant. The retrohale is still the same, giving strong black pepper, creamed mixed nuts and sharp cedar. The finish becomes more muted, with mainly faint black pepper and creamed dry wood. Strength moves to medium-full, and body stays at the medium mark.

Burn

The burn was slightly wavy but always kept up with itself. Ashes held on in about one inch increments.

Burn

The cigar’s burn performance was spectacular. Total smoking time clocked in at 1 hour and 15 minutes. Burn line was razor sharp throughout. Ashes held on sturdy, averaging 1.5 inch increments.

Draw

The draw was perfect through the first two thirds and then tightened up a bit in the final third.

Overall

The flavor profile was pretty linear the entire way with cedar being the primary note. The beginning had some black pepper to offer a little complexity but that faded away pretty quickly. The dryness didn’t help, but wasn’t too bad. I like the concept behind this cigar of using some vintage seeds to create the blend, but in the end it didn’t really create a great cigar. It’s worth trying if you’re a fan of Cameroon, but I’m not sure I see myself revisiting this one.

Draw

Performing a straight cut at the end of the cap yielded the perfect draw.

Overall

This was a no frills and no thrills average cigar. The vast majority of the cigar was too dry on the palate, making me reach for gulps of water too frequently. But there was enough of a bouquet of flavors that allowed me to pay attention the entire smoking experience.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.33

Cost/Point

$1.40

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.00

Cost/Point

$1.25

Scoring System