In 2005, Habanos S.A. released the first cigars in the Edición Regional series, a program that made limited edition cigars available for specific regions, who would have exclusivity on the cigars for one to two years. The first year saw four different cigars released in two different marcas—Punch and Ramón Allones—but the series grew quickly after that, with its most extensive year being 2011 with 25 different cigars produced under 12 different marcas.

The 4 11/12 (125mm) x 52 Ramón Allones Petit Belicoso was an Edición Regional for Great Britain that had a total production of only 50,000 cigars, and each box of 10 was individually numbered.

Ramon Allones Petit Belicoso  ER Great Britian 2012 1

  • Cigar Reviewed: Ramón Allones Petit Belicoso Edición Regional Gran Bretaña (2012)
  • Country of Origin: Cuba
  • Factory: n/a
  • Wrapper: Cuba
  • Binder: Cuba
  • Filler: Cuba
  • Size: 4 11/12 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 52
  • Vitola: Petit Belicoso
  • Est. Price: $24.50 (Boxes of 10, $245)
  • Date Released: 2012
  • Number of Cigars Released: 5,000 Boxes of 10 (50,000 Total Cigars)
  • Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 2

Covered in a honey brown wrapper that is quite smooth to the touch, the Ramón Allones Petit Belicoso also exhibits quite a few veins up and down its length. It is firm when squeezed, but not overly so, and there is no oil visible that I can see. Aroma from the wrapper is a combination of milk chocolate, cedar, cinnamon and manure, while the cold draw brings an a some array of flavors, including sweet citrus, leather, oak, hay and nuts.

The first third of the Ramón Allones Edición Regional starts off immediately with a dominant toasted almonds note, interspersed with flavors of cedar, bitter espresso, leather, earth and tart lemon. There is a touch of a floral sweetness and white pepper on the retrohale that both seem to be getting a bit stronger as the first third burns down, along with a slight bitterness on the finish. Both the burn and draw are excellent, and the smoke production is slightly above average so far. Strength-wise, the Ramón Allones barely hits a point halfway between mild and medium by the end of the first third.

Ramon Allones Petit Belicoso  ER Great Britian 2012 2

The citrus note really picks up in the second third of the Ramón Allones, reminding me strongly of lemongrass, while other less dominant flavors of creamy almonds, coffee, cedar and cocoa flit in and out. The finish is quite creamy, and it combines nicely with the white pepper that is still present on the retrohale. The burn and draw continue to impress, and the smoke production is still above average, while the overall strength almost makes it to the medium mark by the time the final third starts.

Ramon Allones Petit Belicoso  ER Great Britian 2012 3

The profile of the Ramón Allones Petit Belicoso takes a major shift in the final third, with the lemongrass citrus taking a back seat to a combination of almonds, nutmeg and sweet brown sugar. There is a bit more pepper on the retrohale compared to the previous two thirds and really sets off the other flavors of cream, hay, vanilla, cinnamon, leather and earth that come go. The smoke production has decreased, but is still within normal limits and both the burn and draw remain excellent until the end. The strength finally hits a solid medium by the time I put down the cigar with less than an inch to go, and the nub never got hot on me.

Ramon Allones Petit Belicoso  ER Great Britian 2012 4

Final Notes

  • The Ramón Allones Belicoso was made in 2005, the same year as the Edición Regional program debuted. The cigar did not have an Edición Regional secondary band, but it was made solely for Great Britain.
  • The cold draw on this cigar was one of the best I have tasted in a while, a distinct combination of sweet citrus, hay, nuttiness, oak and leather that all worked extremely well together.
  • The construction for both samples was excellent, and the ash did not fall for the first time until just before the halfway point on both cigars.
  • In 2010 the secondary bands referred to the United Kingdom as Reino Unido, United Kingdom. By 2012, releases switched to referring to it as Gran Bretaña, Great Britain, starting with the Bolívar Británicas.
  • After watching it three times, I honestly can’t tell if this video review of the same cigar is meant to be a farce or not.
  • Hunters & Frankau is the distributor for Habanos S.A. in the U.K.
  • The cigar smoked for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
  • The final smoking time for both samples averaged just over one hour and 20 minutes.
  • I was surprised to find that you can still purchase these at various online vendors, something that is not aways the case with Edición Regionals.
91 Overall Score

The Ramón Allones Petit Belicoso is a prime example of what a Cuban cigar can be: a rich and complex profile that is constantly changing, easy to smoke and excellent construction. While I am not a huge fan of the vitola, there is no doubt it worked well with the blend, and at no point did it distract me from the smoking experience. A very nice cigar that should continue to age well, I wish I had a box to test that theory.

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Brooks Whittington

I have been smoking cigars for over eight years. A documentary wedding photographer by trade, I spent seven years as a photojournalist for the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star Telegram. I started the cigar blog SmokingStogie in 2008 after realizing that there was a need for a cigar blog with better photographs and more in-depth information about each release. SmokingStogie quickly became one of the more influential cigar blogs on the internet, known for reviewing preproduction, prerelease, rare, extremely hard-to-find and expensive cigars. I am a co-founder of halfwheel and now serve as an editor for halfwheel.