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

OK, first the bad news:

JR Cigars has increased the price of a bundle of JR Alternatives by $5. So now, with shipping, the JR Montecristo #2 costs me $1.45 and the JR Punch Double Corona is $1.35. Still small potatoes compared to retail prices, but with a baby on the way and Michelle's impending unemployment, I'm pinching pennies like never before.

Now, the good news: I bought a bundle of 25 Consuegras, which are very high quality seconds from the makers of Punch, Hoyo de Monterrey, Excalibur, El Rey del Mundo, and JR Ultimates.

Mild, almost to the point of blandness sometimes, but they smoke very cool and very long. I did notice some variability; that some cigars were smokier than others, and some more flavorful.

At this price, they are probably one of the best cigar bargains on the market.

JR Ultimate Corona (JR Alternative)
Size: 5.62" x 46
Price: $1.05 (comes in bundles of 20)

It doesn’t make any sense to me that JR Cigars makes an "alternative" to its own line. The alternatives are a little cheaper, but c’mon… it’s gotta be the exact same cigar!

Like almost all the JR Alternatives, this is a well-constructed cigar. No problems with burning too fast or unraveling or loose leaf bits on the tongue. But be forewarned: This is a heavy pungent cigar! It’s similar to the Montecruz but it’s not bitter and doesn’t leave me with a stomach ache. I’ve loaned some to friends – who seem to fall into the "love it" or "hate it" camps. I’m not sure I could smoke them all the time, but they seem to fit when I’m in the right moods.

Tonight, Let’s first talk about size:

For me, the perfect size of a "big" cigar is between 6 and 6.5" in length with a ring size of 50 (roughly the dimensions of the Montecristo #2). I call these my ballgame cigars because you can nurse them through a basketball game or at least half a football game. I’ve had good cigars that were larger (like a Punch Double Corona), but after a while even the good ones can become overkill.

A medium cigar should be about 5.5" in length, with a ring size of 44. These last 30-45 minutes and are perfect when you’re grilling chicken in the backyard. Examples of these are the Riata 400 series, the Fuente Breva Royale, and just about anything in the "corona" size.

But I am still looking for my "halftime cigar", something that tastes good and lasts less than 20 minutes. I don’t like cigarellos because they’re too small and taste like cigarettes. I’m thinking about trying some petite coronas or petite panatelas. I haven’t bought any yet but I’d like to try the JR Ultimate Habinito, Partagas Black Pronto, and Aristoff Cigarito.

Another possibility would be Consuegra No. 9 Rothschild –although they may be a tad too big. (Consuegras are the bundled segundos and production overruns made at the Villazon factory in Honduras - the makers of Punch, Hoyo de Monterrey, Excalibur, El Rey del Mundo, JR Ultimates, etc.)

Now, on to the reviews:



1) Guantanamera Habana

My friend Anthony smuggled a few of these small Cuban cigars back from his vacation in Mexico. Although it was not a change-your-world cigar, it did share many of the characteristics of good Cubans: a slow cool burn; a mild relaxing flavor; and very little excess smoke.

2) Arturo Fuente Breva Royale
Size: 5.5" by 42
Price: $1.90

Nothing too fancy about this one, except it had a very nice golden brown wrapper. Very smooth, but it also committed two cigar sins: the second half burned too hot and bits of tobacco leaf flaked off into my mouth.


















3) Riata 400
Size: 4.5" by 44
Price: $0.80

These are tagged as "the best selling bundled Honduran cigar". They are made with medium filler leaves, rather than long filler. I’m about half way through the bundle of 20 I ordered. A very average cigar, but at a great price. They are well constructed, burn slowly, and don’t get too hot. Not bad tasting, although there is nothing particularly distinctive about them.

I should note that I ran across one bad apple, though – a hopelessly plugged cigar that wouldn’t draw and tasted downright foul. It was the only mar on an otherwise terrific night of tournament poker (I came in 1st place out of 50 at the Fox & Hound Pub).