So, its been months and months since I’ve even been on here. My last post was way back on November 20th of last year. Holy fuck, where the HELL did the better part of the last six months go?!?!
That last post was my wrap-up after last November’s trip down to Havana for the Friends of Partagas Festival. I know, I know – like so many other things on here from the past year plus, I know I still need to do further updates. Your text messages and emails have reminded me of such, lol! I still have to publish a number of posts on some work stuff, some TASO missions, and other goodies. And yes, further on that last Havana trip, as well as oodles of cigar reviews and tastings from last year. I’ve got a SHIT-TON of this stuff to catch up on, as well as getting to some emails and other things. Hell, I haven’t even been on the FOH forum in just about as long, and I opened up my email the other day (for the first time in about four-and-a-half weeks) to find 1189 emails wating for me! Lol.
Actually, it was a text message / pic sent from a former co-worker that reminded me I need to get stuff caught up on here. A picture of me porning-out over street-meat when we were in Germany doing the Syrian refugee flights in Nov/Dec 2015:
So his message reminded me to get going on here again.
Likewise though, I could also post photographic proof that shows that black men have apt skills when it comes to deep-throating pork products. So, c’est la vie. Lol
In all fairness though, it’s been a busy if not productive chunk of time for me. My wife and I basically gutted our house and refinished it, all except for the kitchen itself. Main bathroom refinished, downstairs bathroom completed, new carpets and specialty flooring throughout, some upgraded electrical and Cat6 and “smart home” stuff, reclaimed wide-plank hardwood flooring, all-new baseboards and trim throughout, rebuilt front foyer and custom wrought-iron balusters and railings, new LED lighting throughout, etc., etc. All with fresh coats of paint top-to-bottom, refinished kids’ rooms, and a redone master. This “jack-of-all-trades” definitely had his hands full, and I was especially grateful when I had two local specialty-contractors (good family friends) come help me out with two tricky things. Lots of pictures were taken (even of the Mrs. in yoga pants and smashing out flooring tiles!), so I’ll do some posts on that series of projects too I guess.
We’re in the home stretch finally though. About two weeks of relatively minor finishing touches to get done. My schedule is going to be freeing up more after this week and upcoming holiday weekend. I’ve got lots of rough sketches in place for blog posts, so it all will definitely (and finally) be coming down the pipeline shortly.
In the meantime, how about this???…….
I looked back on some notes, and I’ve nary even smoked any cigars since the last Havana trip ended back on Nov 19th or so. A fucking travesty, I know! Some of those cigars make up my last actual notes on cigars smoked. I do remember I had a fairly good custom “robusto largos” (from Jorgito at the Club Habana LCDH [of “Monsdales” fame], Nov 2016 rolled) back at the tail-end of March for my birthday while soaking up a starry evening and hanky-panky in the hot tub, but I’ve got no detailed tasting notes or general info on that one (lol).
So, while your tardy scribe has been sitting here compiling this, he’s been enjoying a Ramon Allones EL 2011 Allones Extra. Short review? “Mmmmmmm – YUM!”
I do believe ithis stick was from an “RAE, Ago 2011” box (which has generally been a great box code, for what it’s worth, be it with these or any other Partagas/Ramon Allones/associated cigars). Start was at 2:00 pm, enjoyed with the remnants of a bottle of Burmester 10-yr Tawny Porto (that I bought in either Prestwick, Scotland or Lages, Azores , Portugal early last year), and followed up with big cupfulls of blended strawberry daiquiris with what can only be described as way-too-much Bacardi white and Havana Club Anejo 7 Anos rum (hindsight being 20/20….hiccup!) A hot, breezy day (27 degrees Celsius, 54 % RH, and 37 kph winds) that honestly reminded me of smoking cigars in Cuba, but a just reward for nearly wrapping up on the home remodel stuff, and getting the “great outdoors” / yards-and-back-deck all ready for spring and summer enjoyment.
The cigar started off with a kick to the nuts. Powerhouse flavours from the get-go; dried cranberries, raisins, nutmeg, sweet molasses, all wrapped in heavy-/rich-and-oily tobacco essences. Smoke volume wasn’t overly impressive, nor was it particularly viscous on the mouth-feel. That said, the flavours definitely let me know I was in for a treat. Strength and flavoursome all wrapped up together, with a bit of faint aged-elegantness starting to come into play now with nearly six years on them (coupled onto the two-plus years of age that the EL cigar tobaccos have to start with). A few relights (due to winds and such, though I was relatively sheltered on the back deck).
I’ve generally always been a fan of this cigar. I’ve had some lackluster boxes, and some stellar ones. I know it’s one of those polarizing cigars that people either like or don’t. I’ve even bought some boxes from others who weren’t fans, and those have turned out to be wonderful boxes for me. But these are performing so consistently for me over the years, and are starting to hit such a finessed stride now, that it’s hard for me to not recommend them to anyone and everyone willing to give Ramon Allones / stronger / Limited Edition cigars a try. A great brand, a wonderful retro band, classic RA box styling, an EL cigar at a reasonable price point (boxes initially sold for $279 USD, I believe, for a 25-box of corona-sized stick), and great burn and flavours…what’s not to love? If you can still get any, I’d say to jump on it – even for upwards of $400-470 USD at this point, at least, if you can still find them anywhere. I’ll definitely be savouring my five-plus boxes remaining.
An easy 94 – maybe even upwards of a 96 (but points deducted for heavy booze on the palate affecting the informal scoring, lol). Finished at 3:25 pm. And savoured well.
Here’s to many more!
Cheers all.
Lights, Sirens and Cigars 