As a supplement to our Cigar of the Week segment on Half Ashed, Craig and I are offering up a weekly Epilogue Review as well. This week, we took a look at the Ramon Allones Eminencia (2005 Edicion Regional – Switzerland). Every CotW for the first six months of shows will be a cigar that one of us really enjoys, and that the other may or may not be familiar with at all. In keeping with what is becoming tradition, I will be furnishing this brief review as I have never had the pleasure of smoking the Eminencia. I smoked the first example of this cigar earlier in the week leading up to the show. Giving it an initial once-over, I notice it has a quite dry wrapper – not in the sense that it isn’t properly humidified; just dry to the touch and devoid of any perceptible sheen or oils. I notice neither soft nor tight spots, and no voids. It feels evenly packed throughout its length. I detect very little in the way of wrapper aroma, but at the foot it is noticeably cedarlike in character. It’s what I suppose I would call a corona gorda, being about 5 5/8″ X 44 ring. The unlit draw provides a slight tartness, tempered with a sweet cedar reminiscent of the abovementioned aroma at the foot. The draw is a bit tighter than I would typically prefer, but within the normal range.
Upon first light, I am amazed at how readily it took to fire. It seemed to “want” to be lit, lighting very quickly and evenly (as Craig would later say during the show….nothing Half Ashed about it). The early flavors are a bit of white pepper – not exceedingly spicy; in fact, I find the provided spice very pleasant. It is tempered with the sourness I was getting before lighting. To avoid confusion, I want to point out that this sour, or tart, flavor description is not meant to imply anything negative or offputting. I find it enjoyably mouthwatering. My experience with Cuban cigars is very limited, but this sweet and sour interplay is exactly what I think of as the prototypical “Cubanesque” profile.
The burn continues with its early perfection throughout the cigar, with only one minor touchup about halfway through when it developed a hint of a scalloped edge. In all likelihood, this would have self-corrected. But, being a bit obsessive with burn, I went ahead and preemptively trimmed it out. At about the halfway point, I picked up on a bit of the sweet spice I’ve mentioned before.
It reminded me of a sweet paprika, but was very fleeting. Going into the final portion of the cigar, it developed an occasional woodsy character that would send my memory to a very specific time of life. I spent many years working in furniture plants, and at one time the company I worked for produced hardwood flooring. The woodsy flavor in this cigar immediately took me back to this time, and specifically when Walnut flooring was being planed or tenoned on the production floor. The aroma then was very similar to what I perceived toward the end of the Eminencia. It was as crisp and clear a memory as I think I’ve ever drawn from a smoke. As I wrapped up the final inch of smoking, the Eminencia was less “mouthwatering” than earlier, and produced considerable dryness on my palate. It maintained some of the earlier sweet spice, but became more of a “bright” earthiness – not the typical damp hardwood forest floor earthiness, but lighter and less pungent. Overall, the Eminencia was another home run from Craig. I truly enjoyed this cigar. Given the opportunity, I would probably choose the 1998 Montecristo Especial we smoked a couple weeks ago over today’s cigar, but would never shy away from this one at all. In fact, if by some outlandishly odd circumstance you had the opportunity to pick some of these up, I would heartily recommend you do so. They are an outstanding way to spend a couple hours….
If you’d like to find Episode 005, where we discuss this cigar and other news, you can find that information here.
If you tuned in or downloaded 
So…let’s get on with it! The cigars I received from Craig are about 7.5″ long, and by my measure somewhere around a 38-40 ring. They have a small twist, or pigtail, atop the cap. The wrapper has an inherently smooth surface, but an overall rumpled appearance (presumably from the nice, lengthy rest period to settle and constrict). It telegraphs every bump and crevice beneath, and is a light to medium brown. This first one I’m smoking for today’s Epilogue is remarkably light in weight. It has a faint wrapper aroma of a warm tobacco barn. At the foot, the aroma is similar but slightly sweeter and more potent than the wrap. After clipping, the unlit draw really catches me offguard. It’s considerably sweeter than I expected. Honestly, I don’t know what I was expecting…but the sweetness was a surprise. It provides a fair amount of cedar as well; I’m not sure if that’s from the blend, the age, the tobacco, or storage conditions….but I like it. At first light I’m caught by yet another surprise. I suppose I imagined a cigar with nearly 15 years of time at rest would be much more sedate than I find this. This stick jumped into the fire with both feet in terms of flavor.
I get a good deal of zing through the nose, although it’s certainly not uncomfortable; just letting me know it’s there. The background flavor palette for that “zing” is toasty with a small amount of black pepper in the first few minutes. It doesn’t take long for the nasal tingle to dissipate, though. Within the first inch it has faded quite a bit, and has been replaced with a pleasant coffee, or mocha flavor that seems ever-so-slightly salty or astringent – more feeling than flavor. Those of you who follow my reviews will know that’s a great place for me to be.
Going into the final portion of the Montecristo Especial No. 1, I find it a little stronger than I had earlier noted. I would still place it squarely in the medium range of the strength spectrum – but full in flavor. It takes on more of a leathery character during this final stage of the smoking for me, but still with that overarching dry cocoa that I have enjoyed throughout. The astringency (for lack of a better word) I mention above is more of a perceived dryness to the mouth while smoking, rather than a comment on the flavor characteristics of the cigar. I find some increase in this dryness toward the end, which I don’t regard in a negative light; I only mention it in passing. Overall, I truly enjoyed this cigar. I can clearly see why Craig is such a fan. The flavors are bold and clean, and this one smoked like a dream. They’re not exactly easy to get hold of….but given the opportunity one day I could see myself investing in these in the future for sure.
A couple weeks ago, I published a 
So, moving on to the review…..the first thing I’m struck by when I removed the 5 Anniversary from its cellophane is the wrapper. It is a nice, even chocolate-brown color – but what I actually noticed first was the feel. It is very supple; not oily in the sense that there is a sheen to it, but quite smooth to the touch. From all appearances, it is expertly crafted. The pressing is sharper near the foot, with a slight fade as you move backward near the head of the cigar. There are moderate veins, which are visible but restrained from the press. The aroma from the wrapper is somewhat faint, but that from the foot is very bold – hay, raisins, and figs all come to mind. This is quite appealing to me. I literally had a salivary reaction to the aroma from the foot of this cigar. It’s not uncommon to hear someone say a cigar is “mouth-watering.” It is rare (for me anyway) to have one literally cause that physiological reaction.
I clipped about a quarter-inch from the head of both 5 Anniversary’s I smoked for this review, which gave me about a 3/8″ opening. This seems to be optimal, providing a near-perfect draw for me. Some mild resistance, but completely free. The prelight draw was surprisingly sweet – even with the aroma from the foot. The sweetness is reminiscent of plums, but a bit “brighter” to use pipe tobacco terminology. In my strangely convoluted way of thinking, it has the flavor quality of plum, and the pitch of cherries. In any event, it’s very pleasant…but I’m too anxious to fire it up to dwell any more on it. Cigars are for smoking, right?
Progressing into the second inch of smoking, the 5 Anniversary has mellowed a bit. The strength at this point is on the fuller end of the medium range to me. The flavors continue to be fantastically entertaining. I find the balance in strength to flavor just as impressive as the range of flavors themselves. I think the Cuencas’ did their homework when bringing AJF and others into the process of creating the blend. If you took the time to read the press release, you know that they brought some of their patrons into the mix by having them act as testers for the blend. They have invested the time into working with customers to develop their own personal palates and tastes in cigars, and are now reaping the benefit of having them contribute to making a better cigar. I love this idea. Who better to help design a product you sell than your customers?
In the final portion of the 5 Anniversary, the strength has picked up a bit. It is definitely full-bodied at this point, but very manageable and never overbearing. I’m still loving the toasty quality of the flavors. The sweetness, coupled with a toasty charred-oak flavor, has presented itself front and center, and the spice has moved a little rearward in terms of boldness. As has been the case throughout both the cigars I’ve smoked for this review, I’m really – REALLY – impressed. Oftentimes, a cigar shop that wants to release a housebrand or line of cigars with their name on it will make the mistake of simply finding a manufacturer with an availability of inexpensive tobacco, throw together a decent (at best) blend, and go with it. Clearly, this isn’t the case for this cigar. The tobacco is obviously of good quality, the blending is well thought-out, and the construction is impeccable. For my tastes, the 5 Anniversary is an absolute winner, and falls dead-center into my wheelhouse of preferred flavor (to quote the great Dale Roush). If you have the chance, I wouldn’t hesitate in the least to recommend giving it a try. For my money, this is entirely worthy of a box purchase. In fact, this has turned out to be one of my very favorite cigars from the past 12 months. I have never been to the Cuenca store on any of my trips to South Florida, but I foresee a stop the next time I’m down…
I received today’s featured cigar with an order of cigars I placed with 
Aside from the PA wrapper, one of the things that interests me most on the first glance is the sharp press on this cigar. In fact, it is commonly referred to as the Tempio “Extreme Box Press.” Luis uses a closely guarded method of pressing cigars into such a sharp shape; a method he says requires up to three weeks to perform. Whatever he’s doing, it works – I have had the pleasure of smoking a few different cigars from LTC produced in this fashion and I am consistently amazed at the draw he is able to preserve in such a press. The color of the wrapper is fairly uniform, reminiscent of well-oiled leather, with some slight mottling. At the risk of carrying the leather analogy too far, I’d use it in describing the feel of the wrapper as well. There is no discernible sheen to it, yet it feels very supple. The veins in the leaf are readily visible, but very smooth from the intense press. On both the wrapper and foot, I get very little in terms of prelight aroma. There is just the faint sweetness of tobacco. The flavor of the cold draw is also very sedate, and retains a bit of the sweetness noted in the aroma. Remarkably, the freedom of draw is still dead-on, even with the extreme press.
Entering the midsection of the smoke, I find that cedar frequently popping its head up for a puff or two, but the predominant flavors to me are still quite toasty – that of a sweet charred oak in my mind. I’m reminded of the aroma you’d find emanating from an old whisky barrel. If you enjoy smoked meats or a smoldering hardwood fire, you’re bound to find something you love in the Tempio. The burn during this portion of the cigar still has a bit of a roaming nature, but is still well within normalcy. I mention this merely in passing – it never becomes bothersome, nor distracting…and I have been known to fidget obsessively with the burnline of a cigar on many occasions. I have noticed that the press will loosen slightly as the burn approaches it. However, it retains much of the squared profile up until the last minute before combustion. As for potency, I’m finding the Tempio to be quite centered within the medium range. It never builds into what I would call full-strength by today’s standard – yet you’ll certainly not forget that you’re smoking a cigar. Going into the final stretch with the Tempio, I find an occasional sweet citrus flavor that is a very pleasant surprise. It’s fleeting, but makes for a nice diversion. The toasty flavors continue to build and develop, and have become quite “dark” by this point. This citrus, in addition to the sporadic cedar that creeps onto the palate, really stand out and create a nice backdrop for the leathery, charred wood in the profile foundation. The contrast truly makes them pop. The burn has corrected into the sharp, well-behaved line I was familiar with in the first two of these I smoked.
I found the Tempio to be a welcome addition to the market, and my repertoire. I do wish it were more widely distributed, and I am sure it will become so in the coming days. The dark, toasted nature of the flavors presented appeal to me greatly, and the lighter flavors that make occasional appearances throughout form a perfect substrate to really showcase them. Personally, I find this to be a great asset to a cigar. The flavors are very complementary, and make for such an enjoyable experience all around. This is definitely a cigar worthy of investing a carefree afternoon. Given greater availability, I would not hesitate to keep some squirreled away in my humidor for just such an occasion.
I first came into contact with the guys at 
The Reagan is medium brown in color with some mild mottling. There are moderate veins present, although the coloration and square pressing disguises them. The wrapper is smooth to the touch, with a light oily sheen and no tooth to speak of. Giving it a quick once-over, it is firm to the touch but without noticeable hard (or soft) spots. The construction is sound, with an expertly applied triple cap and tight, wellbuilt seams. The prelight aroma of both the foot and wrapper is of lightly sweet tobacco with a mild hint of cocoa. Flavor from the unlit draw is more cocoa and/or chocolate, and the draw itself is slightly firm, but not overly tight (especially considering the press).
Going into the middle segment of the Reagan, the early spice remains at about the same fervor to my senses, but has changed slightly in character. It is possibly a bit milder, but that could very well be palate acclimatization. There is more of an acidic tone – and I intend that to be a positive remark. The acidity is just enough to activate the ol’ salivary glands, so it is literally a mouthwatering cigar. Very pleasant. The spice continues to complement the flavors in a sweet vs. savory interchange. I have paired today’s Reagan with a cup or three of plain black coffee, which as it turns out is a beautiful, beautiful thing. I have smoked one other Reagan previously without accompaniment, and the coffee really seems to draw out and emphasize the subtle flavors therein. The burn remains quite well behaved, consistently producing the aforementioned black and white ash.
Cigars come and go. Cigar companies come and go. But from all appearances, the guys at Ezra Zion are here for the long haul. I have to admit that early on I reserved no small amount of skepticism about a company so ambitious as to go after the über premium market with their initial release(s), and wondered if that market would support a new brand without an established history. As is often the case, I find myself chowing down on a good bit of crow over those thoughts. The Inception was an absolutely phenomenal cigar, and the Reagan no less so. Both are impressive, each in its own right. While drawing the initial puffs from my first Reagan, my thoughts were that I preferred the Inception. Shortly thereafter, however, I had reversed course faster than most of our contemporary politicians. At this point, I’m not entirely sure which I prefer…but I’m sure as heck enjoying the continuing process of figuring that out. Being a strong proponent of doing things correctly or not at all, I am fully onboard with the philosophy behind the brand and I look forward to the coming days as Ezra Zion continues to create new blends and lines. It’s a great time to be a cigar smoker.
As you may recall, I recently did a 
With the application of fire, the Emerald takes a light readily. The initial puffs are surprisingly floral, and the early retrohale is lightly peppery and somewhat astringent; think white pepper rather than black or vegetal. The spice is well within the pleasant range for me – not overpowering in the least. The astringency sticks around throughout the first inch or so of the cigar, as do the above-mentioned flavors. The burn proves to be reliable, with only a slight wobble within the first few minutes, which soon self corrects. After the first inch of smoking, at about 1.25″, an unexpected sweetness developed in both examples I smoked. I found this very pleasing on the palate. The spice remains upon retrohale, but is complemented well by this sweetness. For the life of me, I’m failing as a cigar reviewer…I can not attach a specific flavor assignment to it. With both cigars, I caught myself overpuffing just to try and get a better grasp of what I might call it, and having to purposefully slow down. I have to admit the Emerald performed well, and never gave even a hint of harshness with the abuse. I simply reigned myself in to avoid rushing the smoke and/or getting lightheaded from a nicotine rush. In the end, I still can not put a finger on what would effectively communicate the sweet flavor, except to say that it was very attention grabbing. If pressed, I might cede a very, VERY faint butterscotch note. I would be reluctant to even do that – I am not a fan of butterscotch by any means, yet I found it quite intriguing and pleasant. The burn remained essentially maintenance-free, with only a rare touchup. In the final stretch, the sweetness did fade considerably, taking a back seat to the nutty flavors and becoming more polished. The flavor quality is still there, just somewhat more sedate.
I found the 1502 Emerald entirely enjoyable, and would not hesitate in the least to keep them around once my regular retailer(s) pick up the line. Judging by the sheer volume of “New Retailer” posts coming from the folks at Emilio, this should be in the very near future. My opinion means very little in the grand scheme of things, but I think Gary Griffith’s move into distribution of such gems as these is brilliant. In every instance that I’ve had to try the lines he has picked up, I have found great cigars that complement his own offerings. The exposure for some brands I might never have otherwise heard of is win-win-win in my book. Growth for Emilio, exposure and growth for the lines he distributes, and more variety and availability of some great cigars for us enthusiasts! It just doesn’t get any better than that…
