Cigars.ie

The Lonsdales of Christmas, Day 18 - Ramon Allones 8-9-8 Varnished

Day 18 and I have left the best for last; today I will be smoking a Ramon Allones. Ramon Allones is one of the brands that is highly appreciated by connoisseurs and collectors. The brand was registered in 1845, and although it has changed ownership many times, it’s production has been uninterrupted. The cigars are released in very small quantities and the brand has less than 2% of Habanos exports. Although older Ramon Allones were thought to be medium bodied, recent vitolas seem to be medium to full, or even full bodied. One of the highest regarded Lonsdales one can smoke today is the discontinued Ramon Allones 8-9-8 Varnished.

The 898V is a Dalia, measuring 7.7″ in length by 43 ring gauge. It shares its name with the Partagas 898V as it was presented in similar 3-layer varnished cabinet, while in production. According to MRN, the 898V seemed to have disappeared around 1990, only to be found again from 1998 in limited numbers. The cigar was sadly discontinued four years later, in 2002. Let’s see how this cigar has been aging since the last time I smoked it…

Appearance 14 /15

The Ramon Allones has a beautiful dark, smooth and oily Colorado wrapper with very few veins. The bunch is firm and consistent without any soft spots and the triple cap is rounded and well applied. Strong aromas of earth, wood and cedar emerge from the foot of the cigar and the prelight draw is firm, but not tight.

Flavour & Body 24 / 25

Plenty of flavours from the beginning, with a lot of coffee and wood, with sweet and spicy nuances. The finish is long and lingering, with tones of dark chocolate. Not long after the first inch, the profile of the cigar has already changed; spicy and cedary, with a background full of caramel, leather and salted peanuts, and a medium to full body to round it off, this cigar is delicious! When I thought that the cigar had settled to a certain flavour profile, it changes once again. It is now earthy and woody, with the sweet and nutty flavours starting to recess. The finish is long and sweet now, rather than spicy. The body is still medium to full. On the last third the cigar gets full bodied and settles down. Strong woody and earthy flavours dominate until the end, with some spices on the finish. I tried to smoke it until the very end, but it was a little too strong for the circumstances and a got a little hot. However, I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it!

Draw & Burn 23 /25

On the first half the cigar has a draw that is a little tight. However, after the second third it opens up and smokes like a chimney! The burn is even and the combustion is good, with the cigar delivering clouds of thick and creamy smoke. The ash is dark grey, with good texture and falls off every inch.

Overall 34/35

While I was smoking this cigar, I was tryig to get my head around why was this cigar discontinued. Not selling well? Too thin for the current trend? I really don’t know. It is a pity though, as this is an amazing cigar and it smokes perfectly right now. I haven’t found as much power and complexity in another Ramon Allones so far; even the Ramon Allones phoenicios seems mild in front of this. A real powerhouse! It did not become overwhelming though, but kept me on my seat trying to take notes of the flavours that kept appearing. I was so taken by it that I even forgot to take pictures of the cigar while it was smoking! This is as good as a Lonsdale gets and as good as the Siglo V, my top rated Losdale so far.

TOTAL 95 /100