Cigar Review: Ramon Bueso Genesis, The Project Robusto

Is a smoke (Rudyard Kipling). Smoking has been around since the beginning of time but insofar as more recent times the home of both rum and cigars - a wonderful combination - remains the Caribbean. If you can't find a Cuban, you might try an expatriate smoke like one from Gran Papi Rodriguez and Family in Key West.
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How do you rate the Ramon Bueso Genesis: The Project Robusto (5 is best)?

5
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4
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50%
3
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50%
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Total votes: 2

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Capn Jimbo
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Cigar Review: Ramon Bueso Genesis, The Project Robusto

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Ramon Bueso Genesis, The Project Robusto

"Ramon Bueso Genesis, The Project Robusto: $7.00 and ratings in the mid 90's
Connecticut maduro wrapper, Honduran and Nicaraguan filler. A cigar that causes excitement, medium to full, emphasis full. Any cigar named The Project (limited production) was made for us, lol... "
This was one of the last two "10 for $10" cigars we'd acquired from CI, and perhaps the highest rated. This was actually a good experience in that we are learning that "full" cigars are not really for us, at least now. Medium is where it's at for us, perhaps with a medium-full finish, but full? Nada. Still we gave this one our best effort...

The review:

The Ramon Bueso gets truly top reviews. When it was first marketed it was priced at around $3, but no more. Due to its reception, the prices have more than doubled, and are now more like $7+. The build is lovely and smooth, the burn and ash are excellent. One very brief touch-up. We did notice that although the Bueso keeps lit, it required double-puffs each time (this may actually be an advantage).

Unlike the Gurka, the Ramon Bueso opens with perhaps the richest, loveliest vegetal we could imagine. We simply adore camaroon wrappers for this sensation, and the longer it lasts, the better. One of our fave's - the AF Hemingway Short Story - retains the camaroon effect for at least half the cigar before things ramp up. The first third was wonderful. Sue Sea's descriptors include robust, sensuous, and romantic. The kind of descriptors that in rum cause you to want another sip, in a cigar like this one, another puff.

The Genesis Project opens with the dramatic rich vegetal, a touch of sweetness, chocolate, cedar and a wisp of nutmeg. Full but subtle and let me explain. A well aged rum is so complex that one reaches a point where no one element predominates and it becomes ever harder to identify them. This is actually a very good thing, as the rum or cigar then achieves an identity of its own. The Bueso remains consistent as the strength starts to ramp up in the second third.

The last third was simply a continuation of the second, so we simply stopped - not because of the strength, but after having earlier been overpowered by the Gurka we'd simply had quite enough nicotine, ash and nose singing pepper. The Bueso was a relief, but the damage was done.

This is a fine cigar, at least an "8", and worth another try when our Gurka attack becomes a distant memory...
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Post by da'rum »

Sounds ok but I understand the aversion to overpowering nicotine. It can really ruin a good experience. Perhaps a shame you smoked this so close to the gurka?
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Capn Jimbo
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

A second take...


...tonight. As it turns out after years of buying Barbancout's 15, many 5 Stars, and a few 3 Stars - all wonderful rums and a perfect vertical tasting, I somehow managed to avoid buying the White. However, tonight I saw it for just $13.95 at one our Indian outlets and I could resist no longer.

More in a real review, but for some reason Sue Sea was in one of her rare moods and jonesing for a cigar, so we poured a few Barbancourt White's whilst smoking our second and remaining Ramon Bueso. It was just as above, with Sue Sea adding only oily grape leaves to better define the vegetal element. The Bueso was entirely consistent, growing only a bit less vegetal but simply darker in all the tones, right down to the final third.

Oddly (and after da'rum's suggested My Father by Don Pepin) we have come to realize that while consistency is not a bad thing, the very best cigars are rolled to produce changing sensations as the cigar is smoked. Too much consistency can become boring at a point, and once again that point is reached after the second third.

Still, a very pleasant cigar...
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