Mega Review - The 12 Robustos of Christmas

[yiorgos]

Ahhh the D4 imho fantastic. Got a box of those and P2's inbound from Cuba as we type. Lucky lucky me !!!!

On a serious note - great set of reviews and a great thread idea. How about another vitola for the easter school holiday ? Let us know the size and If I can I'll supply one of the stogies...

I was actually thinking the next one could be on the 40 days of Lent

[yiorgos]

Day 8: Bolivar Royal Corona

The 12 Robustos of Xmas, Day 8:
Bolivar Royal Corona

The Royal Corona is Bolivar?s robusto in regular production. It measures 124 x 50 and is presented in dress boxes of 25. It is produced in small amounts yearly (300,000 sticks) in the H Upmann factory. Following the standards of the marca, the Royal Corona is known to be complex, full bodied and spicy. Although not the most popular cigar of the brand, in 2006 it was announced ?Cigar of the Year? by Cigar Aficionado scoring 94/100. Since then, everybody have been trying to get their hands on it and it has been receiving mixed reviews. Many find them too strong or too peppery, but almost everybody agrees that they need some age.

Appearance & Prelight 12/15

The Royal Corona is boxed pressed and has a light brown wrapper, with some veins and freckles. The bunch is firm in most of the cigar?s length, apart from the head, where is slightly looser. The triple cap is rounded and well applied, while on the other end strong peppery and nutty aromas are present. The prelight draw is loose.

Flavour & Body 24/25

The Bolivar reveals its full body from the first draw, with strong flavours of coffee and chocolate. Through the first third, the cigar finds more character and delivers flavours of wood, pepper and spice, while coffee and chocolate are still going strong. During the second third, the taste of the Royal Corona gets sharper, now being more woody and spicy, as well as creamy and leathery. Complex and well balanced all the way through, the cigar finishes with a toothy and dry woody flavour. Very tasty, one of the most complex and strong cigars reviewed so far.

Draw & Burn 22/25

The draw is looser, as expected, resulting to an overwhelming cloud of thick smoke after each draw. The cigar burns evenly all the way through, with a fast pace. Every inconsistence in the burn is quickly self corrected, with no need of a touch up or re-light. The ash is firm, light grey in colour, and stays on the cigar reaching more than an inch in length.

Overall impression 33/35

Following its reputation, the Royal Corona is a very tasty and strong cigar, definately not for a beginner smoker. Although its appearance and construction did not help the overall rating, its character, body and complexity make it a very enjoyable smoke. Age would benefit this cigar, mellowing the sharper flavours and adding more depth.

TOTAL 91/100

[saggel]

OMG another one!!!

[Stevieboy]

Great set of posts MrY....seriously good

[Big J]

Another great review. Love the Bolivar marca. My second favorite marca behind the Partagas. The BRC is a great smoke.

[peanutpete]

Well, we still have two serious contenders (Cohiba Robusto, RA Specially Selected) and a big outsider (SLR Regios)... Oh and the RyJ Exhibicion No.4

You can't go wrong with a box of D4's, anyway

i have some cohiba robusto tucked away so i think i go for the d4s
and if they do not turn out to be the winner i can always max the credit card (again) to order the winner

[jdawg]

great review!

I have one of these in the humi waiting to be sampled.

[yiorgos]

Day 9: Ramon Allones Specially Selected

The 12 Robustos of Xmas, Day 9:
Ramon Allones Specially Selected

Although not one of the most popular, the Ramon Allones brand is one of the most respected amongst the cigar enthousiasts. The marca is famous for producing full bodied cigars, with strong and toothy flavours and dark wrappers. Today we will be reviewing the Specially Selected, the robusto of Ramon Allones. The Specially Selected was first released in 1980, originally in cabinets of 25 (now discontinued) and later in dress boxes of 25 and cabinets of 50. I reviewed this robusto back in May and found it pleasant but hot and acidic towards the end. I have smoked some better onces since and I hope I will get to rate this one even higher.

Appearance & Prelight 13/15

Following the Ramon Allones standards, this Specially Selected is very well presented. It is box pressed and has a dark and oily wrapper with minimal veins, a few wrinkles and no imperfections. The triple cap is rounded and well applied. The cigar is well packed and firm, with the foot being spongier. Strong aromas of coffee and honey are present and the prelight draw is good, slighly firm.

Flavour & Body 23/25

The cigar starts off very strong, nutty and spicy. During the first third an interesting smokey barbeque appears, with sweet and sour notes (no, I didn?t have take-away before blazing)! An acidic taste tickles the back of my throat, as I continue smoking through, an unpleasant but familiar flavour in the Specially Selected. The flavours are sharp and complex. Earth and fruits can also be identified in the second third. In the last part, the take-away and acidic flavours dissapear, with a sweet spiciness taking over. This is the cigar?s sweetspot, with earth, grass, leather and peat also joining the mix. Complex and full bodied, the cigar finishes deliciously.

Draw & Burn 23/25

The cigar starts burning sideways in the first half. The draw is perferct, despite the solid bunch, and the cigar delivers a thick and rich smoke with a long, spicy finish. The ash is solid, grey in colour and stays in the cigar half way down. When it falls off in reveals a perfectly shaped coal and the burn gets even and stays like that until the end.

Overall impression 33/35

I was happier with this Specially selected, compared to the one reviewed in May. Even though it was slightly acidic on the first half, the other half paid off. Complex and well balanced, the cigar presented some flavours that I have only experienced before in my local Chinese, and never got hot or harsh. The flavours were sharp and the body was full, typical example of the marca. Not a cigar for the beginner or a smoker with an empty stomach!

TOTAL 92/100

[yiorgos]

Day 10: Saint Luis Rey Regio

The 12 Robustos of Xmas, Day 10:
Saint Luis Rey Regio

Saint Luis Rey is one of the Habano's brands with a very small amount of cigars produced every year. Around 60.000 cigars are produced yearly, making them quite hard to find. Their price and their reputation for having deep, intense flavours and dark shiny wrappers have built a loyal following amongst the cigar aficionados. The brand was established in 1940, however it was in the 80's when it started becoming very popular in Europe and then the rest of the world.The Regio is a Hermoso No.4, and it is considered one of the finest Hermosos in the market. It is one of the first vitolas produced from the brand and it comes in dress boxes of 25 and cabinets of 50. The one I will be reviewing today is from the 2008 production.

Appearance & Prelight 14/15

The Regio is a beautiful cigar. The wrapper is dark brown and shiny and the veins are almost non existent. The bunch is rock solid, making me worrying about the draw! The cap is rounded and perfectly applied. Mild aromas of leather and earth are present on the foot of the cigar. The prelight draw is perfect; this cigar looks very promising.

Flavour & Body 20/25

The initial draw is very spicy and sweet. A few puffs later, the flavours settle down. The body is medium,with moist earth, spices, wood and leather in good balance. Towards the second third the cigar is no longer spicy, but very sweet, with flavours of honey and vanilla adding to the complexity. Very impressed by it so far. Halfway in the second third the cigar changes again; it is now medium to full bodied and the flavours are sharper. Peat and wood are adding to the mix, while an acidic taste appears too. On the last third the cigar becomes harsh, leaving a bitter aftertaste. It gets so hot that I barely get into the last third. An early finish...

Draw & Burn 19/25

Although the draw is tight on at start, a sufficient amount of smoke is delivered. The ash is firm and dark grey in colour, falling after reaching an inch in length, leaving a flat coal. The burn is even at the start, but after the ash falls off, it start burning sideways. Halfway in the cigar, the ash gets flaky and the burn becomes very uneven. On the last third the cigar does not seem to burn at all! You struggle to get a mouthful of smoke and when you do the finish is bitter. The bad burn definately had a bad effect on the taste of the cigar.

Overall impression 29/35

Even thought the Regio started very promising, with deep and complex flavours, its burn issues spoiled the whole experience. After smoking some great Serie A's, Coronas and Double Coronas, I was hoping that this was going to be the surprise in this reviews. Unfortunately, I was let down... However, I do believe it was just a bad stick. I will come back to it hoping for a better result, preferably to a stick carrying plenty of age!

TOTAL 82/100

[saggel]

The RA looks great!!!

[jdawg]

more great reviews!

I really like the RASS. It is an incredible smoke.

[daverave999]

I had not noticed that SLR had a robusto, so despite your review I will try a couple. Loving these reviews btw! Thank you.

[yiorgos]

Day 11: Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No.4

The 12 Robustos of Xmas, Day 11:
Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No.4

Romeo y Julieta are one of the most historical brands of Habanos. Founded in the late 19th century, the brand has gained worldwide recognition as well as tasting awards (which can still be seen in the prints of the dress boxes). Romeo y Julieta have the highest number of vitolas in regular production (22). Traditionally, the brand have been producing mainly smaller sizes, however some of the largest vitolas, such as the Churchill or the 8.9.8, are considered to be amongst the best Cuban cigars. The Exhibicion No.4 was released in the 80?s and until the arrival of the Short Churchill, it was the only hermoso/robusto size of the brand.

Appearance & Prelight 11/15

The Exhibicion No.4 has a brown wrapper with a green hue and some veins and wrinkles. A few small water spots can also be seen on the wrapper, as well as some imperfections. The bunch is solid around the head and the foot of the cigar, and slightly looser in the middle. The triple cap rounded and well applied and no aromas are noticeable. As expected form the solid bunch, the prelight draw is very tight.

Flavour & Body 20/25

The cigar starts with a mild to medium body. The poor draw does not help in identifying too many flavours. Earthy, woody and floral aromas are present and the finish is shirt and peppery. Smoking through the second and last third, the flavours remain the same. Although pleasant and mild, the Exhibicion No.4 offers no complexity or depth.

Draw & Burn 19/25

From the beginning the draw is very tight. A very small amount of smoke is delivered through the cigar. The draw is even and the ash is dark grey in colour and firm. No changes are noticed all the way through and the draw never really helps the cigar to reveal its potential. It did, however, burn until the very end without going out and without getting hot.

Overall impression 30/35

The Exhibicion No.4 is a cigar I won?t be rushing back to, as it showed no character. The flavours were flat and one dimensional and the draw was annoying! Even if the cigar drew better, there did not seem to be any flavours there to be amplified. One of the shortest reviews on this series, as there wasn?t really much there to write about. In my opinion, the Hermoso No.4 is a mild to medium, straightforward cigar, that would be decent for an easy morning smoke, or for a beginner smoker. Maybe they should rename it to ?Romeo y Julieta Open?! The next time I fancy a Romeo in robusto/hermoso size, I will stick to the Short Churchill.

TOTAL 80/100

[jdawg]

nice review!

The only R&J that I have had is the Short Churchill, which I liked. I will be sure to stay away from these.

[HabanoSy]

What a fantastic thread...

Thanks, Yiorgos...

Nice work...

Cheers, HabanoSy