Brand: Don Ramos
Maker: Camacho Cigars
Vitola: Robusto
Ring Gauge: 50
Length: 5.00
Wrapper: Maduro
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Honduran
MSRP: $3.50 $6.05 purchased individually.

Brand:

The Don Ramon Maduro is a creation of Camacho Cigars as a house blend for H.J. Bailey Wholesale Distributors. The Don Ramon line is available in two types, a Natural and a Maduro. Cigars are packaged twenty-five per box and come in four sizes; a Churchill (48 x 7.00), Robusto (50 x 5.00), 660 (60 x 6.00), and a Toro (50 x 6.00).

Pre-Light:

After removing my Don Ramon Maduro from its cellophane sleeve, I gave it a quick once over. The first impression was that the wrapper was very dry with virtually no oily sheen. When pinched, my initial though was contradicted as the cigar was pliable. I was unable to find any soft or hard spots throughout and the cigar felt evenly packed with tobacco.

The wrapper color was deep brown with a darker coloring toward the head. There were several medium sized veins, however, they did not feel as though they added any negative sort of texture. The cap was crooked but cut cleanly with a pair of cigar scissors.

First Third:

After a quick toast and light, I had my Don Ramon Maduro evenly lit and producing smoke. The first couple of puffs were a bit rough around the edges and not overly pleasant. This settled out fairly quickly and transitioned into a more enjoyable flavor with medium body. The finish was neutral, in that it was not dry or creamy on the palate.

The flavor department was a little lacking. The level of flavor is best described as Medium with its natural tobacco core taste. After the primary flavor subsided, I was left with a very light maduro flavor.

The burn line was thin and even while producing a light resting smoke that was easy on the nose. The draw was free with a little resistance and produced plenty of smoke with each puff. The burn rate seemed about average and made for a well constructed cigar at this point.

Second Third:

After about forty minutes, I reached the second third of my Don Ramon Maduro. At this point there was a slight climb in body, but the cigar never left the medium realm. The finish remained neutral and didn’t exhibit a dryness or creaminess.

The flavor of the smoke remained that of natural tobacco as well as typical Maduro flavors. During the second third I began to experience some slight harshness as an aftertaste. The flavor level is best described as medium, no single flavor stands out. With the lack of flavors this cigar seems flat.

Throughout the second third, the burning characteristics were impressive. The burn rate remained about average and produced a thin and even burn line. The ash was fairly light in color while being firm and compact.

Final Third:

After about an hour of smoking, I reached the final third of my Don Ramos Maduro. After a long stretch of flat flavor and medium body, things were finally beginning to pick up. The body moved more towards medium to full while the finish was developing into more of a creamy sensation.

The flavor profile popped as well. I could now taste a much more pronounced Maduro flavor that brought about bitter chocolate and dark roasted coffee. After those flavors subsided, the familiar natural tobacco flavor settled in until it was time to take another puff.

The burn rate seemed a bit elevated while the burn line was thin and even. The resting smoke was light and un-offensive while the draw was free with a touch of resistance. Each puff produced a mouthful of dense smoke which was easily passed through the sinuses.

Final Thoughts:
I think that this was a solid cigar in the construction sense but was disappointing in the amount of flavor it provided. It seemed like a typical Camacho product in terms of smoke texture and construction but failed to deliver the type of flavor I find typical of a Camacho cigar.

For a smoker looking for a medium bodied stick with medium flavor, this is something worth looking into. The price point at roughly $3.50 is very comfortable for a cigar of this nature. The flavors toward the end were very nice but it seemed as though they were too little, too late.