Ramón Allones 8-9-8 (ER Alemania 2014)

Most of the cigars Habanos S.A. uses for its Edición Regional series are new cigars for the brand, but every once in a while, the Edición Regional series will be the vehicle to see a discontinued Cuban cigar return in a limited capacity.

Such was the case in 2015, when 5th Avenue Products Trading GmbH—the Austrian and German distributor of Cuban cigars—released the Ramón Allones 8-9-8, a cigar that had previously been discontinued in the early 2000s. Interestingly, there have been two different Ramón Allones 8-9-8 releases; one measured 6 7/10 (170mm) x 43, while the 8-9-8 Cabinet Selection measured a 5 7/12 (142mm) x 42. While the cigars came in different boxes, they each came in 25-count boxes packaged in three rows: eight cigars on top, nine cigars in the middle, and eight cigars on the bottom.

When the Ramón Allones 8-9-8 returned in 2015, it was officially the 2014 Edición Regional for 5th Avenue, though like many Edición Regionals, the cigar arrived later than the year it corresponded with. The size was the longer 6 7/10-inch version, the classic vitola known as dalias within the Cuban naming system and the same size as the Cohiba Siglo V and Partagás 8-9-8.

Here’s what I said when I reviewed the cigar in July 2016:

Shortly after meeting Brooks for the first time he gave me one of his remaining Ramón Allones 8-9-8s from the late 1990s. Unlike him, I actually enjoyed the cigar and I enjoyed another sample I was given by Mitchell Orchant at some point over the years. This version of the Ramón Allones 8-9-8 does not suffer from many of the issues that some people take with Edición Regionals: it’s not substantially more expensive than a typical Cuban cigar—thanks to a strong dollar and relatively low German taxes as far as Europe goes—and it’s also not mediocre. It’s a solid cigar and far less than the $20 starting point of many Edición Regionals, but I certainly am not rushing out to buy anymore.

• Cigar Reviewed: Ramón Allones 8-9-8 Edición Regional Alemania (2014)
• Country of Origin: Cuba
• Factory: Undisclosed
• Wrapper: Cuba
• Binder: Cuba
• Filler: Cuba
• Length: 6 7/10 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 43
• Vitola: Lonsdale
• MSRP: €13.50 (Boxes of 25, €337.50)
• Release Date: Oct. 5, 2015
• Number of Cigars Released: 2,000 Boxes of 25 Cigars (50,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Redux: 1

While most of the cigars I review are stored in one humidor that is kept around 67 percent relative humidity, this cigar has been stored in a separate humidor for loose Cuban cigars with the relative humidity set at 62 percent. The wrapper color of the Ramón Allones looks pretty typical for a Cuban cigar: a lighter, tanned brown color with lots of red colors, not many oils and some very small veins. The cigar doesn’t feel that heavy, but it is dense and has a noticeable hard spot right at its center. I am unable to smell much from the wrapper, just some mild irritation thanks to acidity. The foot is medium-full and has a stark contrast in flavors. There’s some great oatmeal and chocolate flavors over some woodiness, but there’s also a medium amount of a pretty rancid flavor. The cold draws are medium-full and taste Cuban thanks to some powdered sugar, woodiness, earthiness, a bit of twang and also some of that rancid flavor. While the overall profile is medium-full, I have to work pretty hard to find individual flavors. Fortunately, the draw’s resistance is good.

The Ramón Allones 8-9-8 starts with a great woodiness that has an incredible amount of details and builds in intensity before giving way to some creaminess and a subtle bread sweetness that reminds me of frozen waffles. While I’m happy that there’s no sign of the rancid flavor, I’m still concerned that it might show up. I wait and wait and then realize that there’s a chance it might not show up. Brooks Whittington would describe the experience as, “robust is the name of the game” when it comes to the first half of the 8-9-8. It’s clearly an aged cigar, but there are layers of hearty woody flavors over creaminess, white pepper and some floral flavors. The finish has even more woodiness, which sits above some coffee and white pepper. Retrohales have damp earthiness over some unsweet floral flavors and lots of woodiness. After the smoke leaves my nostrils I taste damp woods, buttermilk, white pepper, creaminess and nuttiness. Flavor is full, body is medium-full and strength is medium. Construction is excellent.

Every once in a while, I enjoy a cigar I’m reviewing so much I end up not paying attention to it. For better and worse, that happens here. After some time, I look down and realize there’s little more than two inches of cigar left. The Ramón Allones 8-9-8 continues to be led by layers of woody flavors—including cedar and oak—over nuttiness, meatiness and damp earthiness. Unfortunately, the floral flavors are gone, which removes one dimension from the cigar. The finish has damp earthiness, some terroir-like earthiness and powdered cinnamon. Retrohales are surprising thanks to floral flavors, popcorn and some coffee—those three flavors are very different than the woody profile that I find in the mouth. The finish has oak, popcorn and earthiness, a sort of hybrid between the main flavor and retrohales. Flavor is full, body is medium-full and strength is medium-plus. I need to make one touch-up during the second half of the cigar, but that’s my only construction issue during the cigar.