Ramon Allones Reserve Corona Gorda
Size: 6.12 x 50
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Tobacco: Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic
Price: $5.50

I picked up a box of 20 Ramon Allones Reserve cigars on CBid for $43, including shipping. It was a gamble; I had never tried one before, but I was hopeful since they are made by Villazon and come in the same dark Sumatra wrapper that made the Flor de Allones so good.

I broke open the box after 4 months of aging, and handed these cigars out at a poker game to celebrate my son's birth. Someone asked me if they were any good and I responded, "I don't know. They're a lot like my son, I don't know much about him yet either." Hopefully, the cigars are an omen, because they turned out well.

They have the same trademark taste profile common to most Villazon brands: just a hair shy of full-bodied; burn well; loose draw; lots of earth and gentle spice, as opposed to "pepper" spice. Smoke well with a single malt scotch.

I sort of feel that if you remove the bands, it would be hard to distinguish between HdM, Excalibur, Punch, Bolivar, Ramon Allones, and Flor de Allones in a blind tasting. If I were to rank the Villazon brands right now, it would be in this order:

1. Flor de Allones (tie)
1. Punch Gran Puro (tie)
3. Ramon Allones Reserve
4. Bolivar
5. Hoyo de Monterrey
6. Punch
7. Excalibur
8. JR Ultimate
9. Belinda
10. El Rey Del Mundos

Belinda Exquisito (Cedar Wrapped)
Size: 6 x 50
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatran
Filler: Dominican/Honduran
Price: $3.00

Belinda is an old Cuban brand that predates Castro and the US embargo. It may now be discontinued in Havana, but it still being made in Honduras by expatriate Estelo Padrón.

(Estelo is the brother of Jose Padron, who owns the Padron cigar company in Nicaragua. Apparently, the two brothers had a falling out decades ago, and Estelo went to work for Frank Llaneza as the master blender in his Honduran Villazon factory. Estelo is credited with many blends, including the non-cuban incarnation of Punch, Hoyo Excalibur, Sancho Panza, and El Rey del Mundo. Estelo prefers to keep a lower profile than the rest of his family. He doesn't grant interviews, saying "A cigarmaker belongs in his factory making cigars".)

The non-Cuban Belinda line does not appear to be very popular; there is not much information on the internet, nor many reviews in cigar blogs. Mine had some age on it; it came in a heavily yellowed cellophane wrapper. Despite a few minor nicks in the wrapper, it was in good condition. I removed the cedar wrap and discovered a strong, woody pre-light aroma.

The initial light was very flavorful, but the cigar quickly settled into a mild-medium taste with little finish. Very grassy, woody, and floral. It was somewhat overwhelmed by its accompinament: a smoky double shot of Talisker 18-yr single malt. The pair made for an enjoyable afternoon by the pool, but on its own merits, I would rate this a very average cigar. Something I may try again, but would decline to purchase. 5/10.