A look at the Don Ramon 660M (Maduro) cigar.

Don Ramon 660M (Maduro)

Dimensions: 6x60

Made in: Honduras

Wrapper: Honduras

Binder: Honduras

Filler: Honduras

Construction Comments: Well-rolled, firm and solid with no blemishes or veins. Nice cap and attractive band. The Don Ramon 660 M is a dark brown Maduro that looks quite nice.

Pre-light Aroma and Flavor: Little to no pre-light aroma, seemingly mild. The pre-light flavor was also faint with just a hint of tobacco and leather.

Burn: I lit up with a torch lighter out by the pool on a nice March afternoon in Florida, 75 degrees and no humidity. The cigar lit evenly with a nice crackling sound of the burning tobacco, and started to form an even white and gray ash.

Drink: Diet Coke. (It’s almost “The Real Thing”)

Smoking Notes: The Don Ramon 660 M started off uneventful. It lit well and evenly with a white / gray ash. At the first few puffs it seems like Goldilocks would enjoy this cigar. (Just check her ID before she lights up.) It is not too strong and not too light. There was not much flavor in the beginning. It was kind of plain.

The first ash fell off at about 1 inch and left an almost perfect straight line. It is still fairly mild and somewhat bland.

Overall Experience and Rating: The Don Ramon 660 M is well made. It is attractive and has a nearly flawless burn. These are important aspects as the true premium cigar smoking experience is about affecting all the senses. The Don Ramon comes through very well for the eyes and ears. (Remember the crackling sound of the tobacco lighting?) It also has a nice white ash. The ash crumbles a little in the beginning, but mostly holds together. An ash that doesn’t hold and constantly falls off, crumbling in your lap makes for a bad smoking experience. This is not a concern with this cigar.

When it comes to taste though, the The Don Ramon 660 M is just “ok”. It starts with almost no taste. As it progresses a little flavor comes through, but it is still one dimensional and plain. I don’t find any of the nice flavors like coffee, cream, nuts, leather … not even burnt Madagascar vanilla. (That last one was a joke.)

The best thing I can say about the flavor, put in the vernacular of casual conversation, is that it doesn’t suck. There’s just not much going on here. When it comes to taste, it’s just a “plain ole cigar”. It burns great and holds a 1” – 1.5” ash. Whoever is rolling these is doing a great job. The tobacco is just average though. The flavor opened up a bit half way through and improved a little more towards the end.

If you want to be delighted right away, this cigar won’t do it. This would be a good cigar to smoke while you are busy doing something else at the same time, like working on a project, mowing the lawn, golfing, walking on the beach, etc. It will be a little disappointing to smoke when you have quiet time to relax and you want your cares to be melted away by pure enjoyable complex taste.

On a 1 to 10 scale I give The Don Ramon 660 M a 5 or 6.