Ramon Allones 898 (2002)

[Ophidion]

This cigar is my whitest of whales and I was able to grab a few with the box included for a very reasonable price. The box is currently sitting next to my Siglo VI jar in a shadowbox and they look very nice.

So without further ado...

Prelight:

The cigar isn't the prettiest thing in the world and it has a decent amount of medium sized veins. The wrapper is chocolate brown and mottled. The cigar is heavy in the hand, well rolled and filled perfectly. When squeezed there is a slight give and nothing to indicate that the cigar is over/under filled. I cut it with my xikar and did a cold draw which showed very simple flavors of tobacco and oak.

1/3:

The first few pulls were exactly what I was expecting. A bit of spice, heavy tobacco flavors and dried fruit, in this case raisins. The smoke is very thick and leaves a very significant coating on the palate. Further into the first third the flavors remain very consistent and the burn is razor sharp with a firm, dark ash that holds on like a terrified first time skydiver at the door of a plane fifteen thousand feet in the air.

2/3:

There is still a very consistent thick smoke with lots of raisin, oak and tobacco. The draw and burn remain very consistent and the smoke continues to deliver incredible amounts of flavor. At this point the smoke has smoothed out a bit and all traces of spice are completely gone. The smoke is very creamy and some of the dryness experienced in the first third is gone.

3/3:

At the last third of the cigar, the intensity of the flavors is full bore and delivers serious oak and raisin. There is vanilla that pops in from time to time but its not consistent enough to consider it as part of the flavor profile. I was expecting the cigar to have a little more variety and flavor profile changes but I am glad I was wrong in my assumptions. These flavors in this particular vitola work perfectly together.

Overall:

I was told by a negative nancy that this stick was all hype and I am glad I didn't listen to him. This cigar had everything I am looking for in a full flavored smoke; lots of intense flavors, consistently impressive burn and draw with a vitola that forces me to slow down so I can really experience everything it has to offer. I would be lying if I said this was the best cigar I have ever had to date, but it is definitely in my top three (my favorite cigar being the bolivar china release from the jar).

I highly recommend that you pick one up if you can find it because these are amazing cigars that are going to get harder and harder to find as time goes on. If I could afford or source a full box from 2002 I would do it in a heartbeat.

[maverickdrinker]

Nice review Kevin. Glad you enjoyed it

[nikesupremedunk]

These are definitely one of the cigars i have to try in this lifetime. Thanks for the review!

[dicko]

Thanks for the review

[amosnaim]

sounds like an awesome cigar.

thanks for the review

[Strada]

Good review Kev!