First off, sorry about not having any pics of the cigar pre-light; I accidentally deleted them all I guess. Anyways, I decided to pair this smoke with some Sixth Glass from the Boulevard Brewing Co. here in KCMO. 10.5% ABV packs a punch let me tell ya, but it was a damn good brew.
I've had about six of the RA from this box I purchased several months ago and they have been remarkably consistent. They all have a medium-colorado wrapper with a slight sheen of oil to them. This particular cigar did was not the most attractive though; kind of veiny and some sun spots. Nonetheless, the bunching felt good throughout the cigar.
Clipped the cap and lit up; a little too loose of a draw for my taste, but acceptable. This cigar, even for being so young, smokes beautifully. It started off with a medium-full and gradually became very full-bodied towards the end. There was not a whole lot of complexity to the cigar for the most part, only towards the end did it develop some more nuanced flavors. From the start, it was mostly cherry wood notes with a slightly spicy finish. It never developed what I would call a long finish, but others I have had from this box have, so go figure. Also present were dried fruit notes which I find to be characteristic of the RA brand as a whole; very distinct.
After about halfway, the cigars showed a little complexity with some leather and a certain sweetness that I can only describe as candy-like. I've had it before in some young RA, but it seems to fade away within a year or two. The burn has remained good throughout the smoke, only a minor touch up or two needed. The smoke is thick and has a great texture to it as well. Towards the end, the spice and power pick up a little bit, but there is no bitterness at anytime during the cigar.
Overall: I love these cigars. On a point scale, I would give it a 92, but others I've had from this box were more complex and flavorful. It is an interesting cigar in that it is by no means subtle, yet very nuanced and I am sure that will become more apparent with age. I would highly recommend anyone who likes the RA marca to buy some of these '07s; to me it feels like they will be classics down the road. My new favorite DC, just edging out the SLR DC.
I've had about six of the RA from this box I purchased several months ago and they have been remarkably consistent. They all have a medium-colorado wrapper with a slight sheen of oil to them. This particular cigar did was not the most attractive though; kind of veiny and some sun spots. Nonetheless, the bunching felt good throughout the cigar.
Clipped the cap and lit up; a little too loose of a draw for my taste, but acceptable. This cigar, even for being so young, smokes beautifully. It started off with a medium-full and gradually became very full-bodied towards the end. There was not a whole lot of complexity to the cigar for the most part, only towards the end did it develop some more nuanced flavors. From the start, it was mostly cherry wood notes with a slightly spicy finish. It never developed what I would call a long finish, but others I have had from this box have, so go figure. Also present were dried fruit notes which I find to be characteristic of the RA brand as a whole; very distinct.
After about halfway, the cigars showed a little complexity with some leather and a certain sweetness that I can only describe as candy-like. I've had it before in some young RA, but it seems to fade away within a year or two. The burn has remained good throughout the smoke, only a minor touch up or two needed. The smoke is thick and has a great texture to it as well. Towards the end, the spice and power pick up a little bit, but there is no bitterness at anytime during the cigar.
Overall: I love these cigars. On a point scale, I would give it a 92, but others I've had from this box were more complex and flavorful. It is an interesting cigar in that it is by no means subtle, yet very nuanced and I am sure that will become more apparent with age. I would highly recommend anyone who likes the RA marca to buy some of these '07s; to me it feels like they will be classics down the road. My new favorite DC, just edging out the SLR DC.
