Ramon Allones (Cuba) Specially Selected

A full bodied habano of pepper spice and coffee with hints of cocoa throughout. Good draw and burn with a subtle aroma. Beautiful reddish-brown wrapper for this wonderful smoke.

This was an exceptional cigar. The only complaint I have is that it was too short. If only there was a churchill....

Ho hum. I recommend a good Dominican or Honduran instead.

A beautiful smoke

6/00 Box. Beautiful smoke. Draw was a bit firm, but exuded loads of white smoke. Taste was superb....earthy tobacco, chocolate and coffee. Burned perfectly, which is most important to me. I was surprised to see a 6/00 ISOM do so well!

Flawless construction, a joy to behold, powerful, yet smooth.

Aug 2000 Box. The best cigar on the market.

powerful taste full of leather accents that starts creamy and finishesstrong with spicy undertones, a superb smoke and experience.

These guys are consistently awesome. I've been smoking only havanas for the past 2.5 years and I've not been disappointed once by these. They are great right out of the box.

These are great with a couple of years age or right out of the box! There is a spiciness here that I have only tasted in this vitola. The construction is consistently top notch and the burn is spot on. A slight honey sweetness shows itself off and on throughout the smoke. I would say that this is a somewhat "wild" cigar which should be savored slowly to appreciate all it has to offer.

People say that this cigar needs age, but I beg to differ. This stick besides looking outstanding exudes a great plume of creamy smoke that usually burns as even as even can be. I think that it is foolish to bury these in your humidor. These can be everyday smokes...especially for the price!

One of my favorite Robusto's. For the $ it is hard to beat

From a box, POS March '07. When I first got them I smoked a few and they were nice but one-dimensional. A year later and they are stunning, with a lot of potential to get better. Shiny red-brown wrapper, a little rumpled looking. Very little pre-light aroma. Just a slight nuttiness.
From the get-go this is a perfect storm of flavor. Coffee, oak, spice, herbs all packed into the first few puffs. There's also a light sweetness. Powerful, but with charm and reserve. Second half the flavor deepens and gets stronger. The flavor gets just a wee bit muddy at the end, I think a little more aging will help that. The aroma of the smoke in the room is like flowers and was very nearly the best part of this smoke. If I can keep my hands off them I'll give them another year and they'll be otherworldly. I read somewhere these come fully into their own after about three years. I'll let you know.

This cigars has nice firm booking, beautiful reddish brown wrapper, toasty flavor and great draw.
What more could you ask for?

this stick is among my top 5. redish brown wrap, nice burn and draw. im currently half way thru a POS 08/06 box and have had no issues. they have all been great. i luv the spicey (little sweet) taste. its now time to order another box before my current stock get to low!

Pardon my spelling my I am in heaven right now with my RASS. I guess a few months of rest time is all they needed because they are awesome. They have the taste that twang that is like almost smoking a good cologne but not a strong one. I just cant put my finger on it but I LOVE IT and I am glad I have 20 more to go. The first 4 were so so but after some rest gee whizzz, I am in love.

Good but not great draw. Dark ash. Decent, fairly strong flavor but inconsistent. Flavor really flattened out on and off throughout. It did burn very well but overall, not very impressive.

Right up there with the Bolivar RC in my book. Starts medium, hitting notes of caramel after 1/3, coconut at 1/2. The second half almost defies description. At once earthy, leathery, lightly spicy and smooth. Deep. Flawless burn and draw. One of the better smokes I've had. Since I bought it as a loose single, I don't know what the age on this one was, but I'll be ordering a box regardless.

This was not like your average Cuban cigar. It had an earthy flavor not found in your typical habano. The reddish color of the wrapper and the slightly larger gauge of the stick also made it distinct. Overall, I found it to be very enjoyable and would happily fire up another one.

Wonderful stick, this is one of the best robusto's on the market. Great construction, lots of smoke, and most importantly a great flavor from the beginning, unlike some other cigars that need to smoke an inch or two before you get to the meaty part. I purchased a cabinet of 50, and may have to replenish much sooner than originally anticipated. If you can find them, give them a try you won't be let down.

This cigar just wasn't for me at all. I did not like the flavors this cigar has. The burn was good as there was lots of smoke. Construction was top notch.

My all time absolute favourite Cuban smoke.This cigar has everything.Near flawless construction,perfect burn and draw,a bombshell of aromas and flavour. And if you have patience it even gets better..

...I don't wanna jump the gun, but DAMN! I've had a few Cohibas, a Monte, a RyJ, and a few Upmanns that were very nice smokes, but this is the BEST Habano I've tried so far. Flavors were all over the place, aroma was amazing, flawless burn and perfect draw.

I love these cigars. I've smoked probably two boxes of them already! Although to be fair, I've ran into a few sticks that have had burn problems and draw problems. The flavor is always good though. Heavy, dense smoke from a meaty cigar. A tannish wrapper and roughy the size of a Partagas serie D #4. The best thing about these is the cheap price. You don't have to be rich to smoke em everyday.

What a great cigar. It is solid as a brick and my first thought was how am I going to get any smoke from it? Boy was I wrong. It had ample smoke and was a slow burning delight with just the right balance of flavor and power.

I am smoking one from my June 06 box and I must say of the five I have smoked so far they have all been great. This is the best cigar right out of the box coming from the lsland right now. I need more as this box will not last long. Of all the robustos this is my favorite, next being the Boli RC

very good cigar one of my favorite cubans I have had. almost a year old when smoked.

This slightly box pressed robusto with box code POS Mar 06 came wrapped in a reddish Colorado wrapper with minimal veins. It was fairly light in the hand, and fine tooth could be discerned. Good construction without soft spots. Easy light. Smooth draw. Even burn without the need for relights or corrections. Gray-black ash.

It started with wood and spice, and then opened into a slightly sweet cedar wood taste in the first third. It was tannic, to be sure, with notes of white pepper, earth, nuts, and toast. The middle third brought hints of lemon zest along a core of wood. The tannins mellowed, though I was still reminded of a flavor that tasted like milked acidic coffee with a “bite”. The last third saw a continuation of the woody flavor along with toasted tobacco and a hint of earth. The familiar Cuban “twang” was very apparent.

All in all, this medium bodied one hour smoke was delightful and flavorful.

This is one of the finest cigars I have ever smoked. To quote a friend, "This is what a cigar should be". Its one of the lesser known gems. Brilliant.

This cigar is an amzing robusto, showing up many of thre more expensive brands. It has a real following by experienced smokers who like a complex, earthy, spicy treat after a good lunch. Well constructed and reliable.

Nice construction and pressed look, easy consistent burn and great aroma of sweet chocolaty tobacco. I’ve smoked a couple of these now and fond them a little inconsistent. My first was just excellent, a mature rustic look and the flavours were amazing – Medium body leather and creamy coffee and chocolate. The last one I smoked just fell a long way short of the first. It had a fresh tight look about it, needed regular touching up and while the flavours were still good it lacked the complexity I was expecting. Still one of the best robustos out there however.

simply amazing. One of the top 5 robustos. Engaging, tasty, chocolate and spice. never boring, always dependable and also sweet.

This came highly reccomended by multiple.. shall i say Gorillas 🙂 It lived up to its name. Besides a core of habano puro flavor there is a after taste of burnt sugar or caramel. its a finger burning, rich and mangable smoke. Good form!

This is one of the best robusto's I've smoked. Medium to strong it starts off nice a bit creamy and develops well throughout. Definately one of my all time favourites.

1st, let me say this is a great smoke but
The flavor was one dimensional with a really nice undertone of Cuban tobacco. The construction and burn was decent. Ash stayed nice and tight. Draw was good. If you compare this to the DR version the only difference it the Cuban undertones, That it.
The DR version is about $2 stick and this one is about $8.5.

Since my first rating of this excellent cigar I have smoked several other samples, all of them very good. I smoked one yesterday evening: I cannot but confirm it's one of the greatest cuban robustos, just south of the Cohiba and the Partagas D4, in the same league with El Rey del Mundo or Bolivar Robustos. Only little flaw, it couldn't stay lit after first half. When it was, though, burning ring was even, and smoke aplenty. For the rest, especially smooth but strong(ish) flavours, excellent. Good value, too.

Full and ripe, this cigar brings a lot to the table. A creamy start gives way to a drop of spice and continues with stronger tones. The light and fruity aromas add to the harmony of this smoke. It packs a punch but its not as harsh on the palate as you might think. One should take time to enjoy this cigar.

Spicy smooth and creamy full bodied smoke that has a big kick, what a combo. One of the very best cuban cigars. Excellent burn and draw with very nice construction. Earth and spice with hints of leather and complexity that keeps you guessing. Great Cigar..

Smoking them with about a year of age on them and they are great. Draw is great and burns as straight as you could want. Real power house spicey flavor. not for mild lovers. Along with VR Fam has become my fav. Can't go wrong here.

Smoked one from 04 and it was great. After 6 months it was a little weird. And then again at 8 months and it was great again. Guess it just could of been a bad cigar. This is a great value.Love the jalapeno taste

Received a sample pack of 5 different vitolas the other day, no clue what factory or date codes are, unfortunately. Simply another great cuban cigar that will be added to my "Buy Anytime" list. Excellent construction, burn, draw, flavors that changed through the stick, but began as tasty as could be with the 2nd puff (not a 1/3 in like some). Smoked this the night after my first Robainia Famosos which was equally as nice as this.

A wonderful cigar! Beautiful robusto vitola. Tawny brown wrapper with minimal veins. Excellent solid construction with no soft spots. Exceptionally decadent prelight aroma. Prelight draw tasted of nuts and raisins. Easy light. Good draw. Even burn without the need for correction or relights. White ash. Rich white smoke. Started with nuts, mild earth and leather in the first third, and then eased its way into a toasted tobacco flavor with nuts, oak, and leather in the middle third. Floral and light herbaceous notes developed in the last third, which I nubbed. Rich, smooth, complex, and hearty, this one hour smoke is a classic for sure.

This is currently one of my top 2 robustos. Medium-full bodied with earthy flavors and hints of cocoa.

For a short one, this was not bad. Good construction, good draw, and a decent taste. Wife said it didn't smell as good as some of my smokes, but it didn't stink. For someone who likes robustos, or just looking for a quick smoke, this is one to consider.

Yes, the smoke is thick, the construction is good, the wrapper ws oily, the smell was nice, but for me the most important thing is taste!! After all the hype, this one let me down. The taste is just not very complex. I just got bored... what can I say? There are many dominicans better than this.

Fantastic cigar. This, along with the Boli RC, is my go-to robusto. Full bodied, earthy cigar with a long finish and superb draw/construction.

Smoked a gifted one today, and was told it had some age on it. It was a darked and oilier wrapper than the fresher ones I've seen. Thick creamy smoke, just enough "twang", a perfect draw and burn...definitely going to age a few of these babies and try to duplicate that smoke.

This puppy was ON! med.-full strength and nice flavors of spice and cocoa. what really got me was how thick and creamy the smoke was..You could chew it. Thanks Mo.

Always have a box on hand

Wrapper was sub-par. (unraveled up near the cap) The brown/black ash was flaky. Toasty medium tobacco flavors with leather undertones. Hints of floral sweetness. The last 1/4 inch was bready. Loose draw.

An outstanding smoke. Mellows into a medium to full taste profile with plenty of spice and even a touch of floral notes which I typically don't enjoy, however they stem from the sweetness derived from the little Island South of Miami. I'd reccommend this to experienced smokers who enjoy a cigar with some ooomph.

Purchased in the UK in 1998. The gorgeous, oily wrapper only gave a hint of what was to come. Perfect construction, easy draw, and loads of Havana flavor (with subtle hints of vanilla -- and I'm not one to use flavor descriptors) make this the best cigar I've smoked in a long time.

I've always liked these as they are a good value Cuban. Rich and strong with usually excellent constuction and a darker wrapper. Sometimes tough to get, but I've seen a lot at Charles de Gaulle lately.

This cigar might not appeal to everyone. I found the falvors to be somewhat floral for my taste. I prefer sticks that go better with bourbon or scotch. The RASS's that I have had would be nicely complemented by a warm summer day and a nice fruity rum drink. Construction and draw are both consistently very good. Not quite as strong as most would expect from a Cuban robusto. Still a very worthwhile selection to have in the humidor for the right occassion. Very good value.

...which isn't faint praise. The RA looks good, if slightly veiny, burns pretty well and has all the right cuban flavours: cocoa, mainly, leather, toasted coffee. It had been a while (maybe two months) in my second best humidor, at 75% humidity. Good value, too.

I bought a 5er to try and burned one immediately and 2 others after a month or so in my 65% humidor. Nice looking cigars, smell great, light brown wrapper had no veins to speak of. First one had real burn problems and was mostly plugged. I ended up heaving it after an inch or so. After a month at 65% the draw and burn were much better, taste this time was excellent. Spicy, nutty taste with some sweetness and floral notes. These are also reasonably priced.

What a great Robusto. I bought a box dated March 2004. A young cigar. As is my habit, I smoked one before storing. I can tell this one is one of the best. The whole smoke was creamy, the burn was perfect and the flavor ws consistently delicious. I smoked it to the fingers and will have a hard time waiting for the rest.

A slightly box-pressed, milder cigar that tasted of rich soil. Burn was off at times but the draw was impeccable. Great daytime smoke.

I had this stick thrown in as a gift from a purchase to compare to my bolivar RC and Partagas SD#4 boxes. While it wont knock off either of those in my line up it is a very good cigar on its own. Its full, balanced, and enjoyable from begining to end. At just under $200.00 a box its worth a purchase. Also it works well with a nice dark rum.

This is one of the best made sticks, around! The wrapper is Dark, taunt and silky
smooth with oils! Very fine veins. The flavors are only improving, and I really can't say enough. The draw was effortless with volumes of tasty smoke! Perfect burn.
Box March 03 Just Perfect!

wowzers, smoked in nov '03. started spicey/earthy with a coffee finish. turned peppery/spicey with that same coffee undertone. had me smackin' my lips, sucking my tongue and lickin' the roof of my mouth! on the strong side for me, but well worth the weak knees!

draw was a little tight. oily wrapper with some tooth and a bit lumpy. great complex flavor...lasted forever. A+

A long time favorite Robusto, the RASS never disapoints, but continues to grab my attention with it's complexity of flavors and it's overall hearty strength. A classic cuban in every sense of the word. The start is most often on the mild but sweet and creamy side, and builds as it burns to a great spicy finish. The RASS, like others in this vitole is the perfect daytime size cigar, and well into my third box I find it one of my favorite early in the day smokes. Don't miss the chance to try this one, it may well end up on your short list of "mighty fines".

I just finished the 4TH from a box date 02. These are some of the finest Havana's around. I am not so sure they are better than the Boli RC, but very fine indeed. COnsistent throughout with cocoa, sweet tobacco, and earthy flavors. A must have terrific value ISOM.

A full-bodied, consistent, gratifying prototypical cuban robusto. What it lacks in complexity it compensates for in strength. It possesses an earthy/nutty flavor with an even burning non-descript med. brown slightly veiny wrapper. A smoke best enjoyed when concentrating on other things.

Fired up my second RASS today. Very nice.

I scoff at those who told me not to expect them to be much like R.A. Gigantes.
I thought there was a strong resemblance. Granted, the RASS has more of an
edge, and it seems to have a coffee flavor the Gigante lacks, but they taste
related to me.

Lots of smoke. Burn slightly off. Excellent draw. Nicely rolled. Darkish
oily wrapper; pretty lumpy. I would describe it almost as a colorado. Cigar
coloration is not my area of expertise.

I found this to be a moderately sweet smoke with a good deal of Cuban spice, in
addition to the coffee taste already mentioned. There is also a taste a little
like gunpowder. It was way too strong in my first cigar, but this one was much
more balanced.

The aftertaste lingers forever, and it's very nice. You keep thinking, "Wow,
that was so good, I ought to have another one."

If you're looking for mild, stay away. This smoke is the anti-Sir-Winston.

I had it with a Cuban coffee (espresso made in a stovetop percolator, lots of
sugar), and I thought the cigar and the coffee were a great match.

Aged two years in humidor. Much better than a year ago. Not quite as strong as expected from the wrapper color. However, it is very smooth, rich and round. No woder why one of the most popular Habanas.

Tried one of these while down in ensenada, interesting complexity of flavors, started off real strong then became smoother after about 1/4 of the way down and then picked up it's strenght again towards the end, had me reeling! if you like a strong full bodied smoke , it don't get much better than this.

I have heard that the RASS is best aged a few years. I tried one aged for 1 year, and it was spectacular. Smooth cedar flavor built as it smoked down, from the middle to the end of the cigar there was great spice building as well. Stayed smooth to the end. Perfect burn with a darker grey ash. Another year will probably improve it, if there are any left!!!

Smoked 2003-03. Mid-brown, slightly rough wrapper. Plugged at the center, but otherwise a good draw. Very dry cocoa and dense woodiness. Smooth nonetheless. Lacked some definition at first, only hitting its stride during the last half. Was this due to the midway plug? Strong stuff.

My first RASS, was a disappointing RASS. Having heard countless sterling reviews of this cigar, I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunatly there was a plug right down the middle of this one which really hampered the burn and the tasting. It had a muted dark chocolate flavor and some nice cedary notes, but I think this cigar could do better. The wrapper was a nice even shade of coco with a well made cap and little bit of tooth. On prominent vein kept the wrapper from bring perfect. The dirty ash was very firm and held on for quite some time thanks to the plug down the middle which looked like a pencil point after the ash finally broke off after a solid 2 inches.

Full bodied powerhouse that is on equal footing with the Cohiba Robusto or Partagas SD4. Very strong smoke with massive flavor. First few out of box had ragged burns and problems staying lit, but aging a few months has cured this. Great draw, no problem getting a mouthful of smoke out of this one. A bargain for the price.

After another 8 months of aging became a dream of a cigar - stocky, plump, and divine. A source of great pleasure for the serious unrepenting smoker," is how author Bernard Le Roy describes the Habana Ramon Allones Specially Selected. Mr. Le Roy's eloquent description of this renowned vitola is exemplary in my opinion. The "RASS" is a decadently robust cigar with luxuriously thick smoke and depth. From the first puff it fills your mouth with full-bodied Cuban flavor and it grabs all of your senses leaving you mesmerized as you smoke it down. Heavy tastes of coffee, leather, earth, and spice cascade over the smoker's palate. This is a "must have" cigar for all devout aficionados of fine Habanas.

having read many great reviews, these were a little disappointing at first. After several months they have settled out, with an interesting woody, slightly peppery bite. I'll buy more

I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS SHORT BUT SWEET... AMAZZZZZZZZZZING! ENOUGH SAID!

My first time trying this hearty robusto makes me dream of lounging in a Cuban night club along with a glass of spanish brandy. This cigar is not for the beginner, a little bit on the stong side and has a touch of wine to the palate. Stock some in your humdor.

I just started smoking these about a year ago but every box has been equally exceptional. A big strong ligero taste gives way to baked bread and sweet spices. It's good from beginning to end. Not too strong but undeniably Habano. I like it better than the Monte 2's, PD4's, Opus X and Padrons I have smoked.

These RASS came from the box of Nov. 2001. Dark and oily wrapped robustos were spicy and earthy with lots of flavor, full strength and an excellent full draw. Kind of reminisent of Partagas Seris D 4, but milder, though still a full body great smoke with thick creamy smoke on the palate.

Another great cigar (thanks Rick). Spicy and complex, great construction, lasts a good long while.

A great smoke, lots of spicy flavor and a strong finish. I would heartily recommend it.