Partagas 898 RAE ABR 15 CGDLRW

[Wailbait]

For many folks that I know, the Lonsdale/Dalia represents the perfect size.  I’m one of those people.  If pressed, I’d likely say “corona” but since there are so few coronas made, this ends up being the winner.  

Of all the production lonsdales, none seems to be as elegant as the Partagas 898 (both in flavor and packaging).  

I don’t like to sound like a conspiracy theorist but it feels like the 898 blend changed.  I have been trying to do detective work to figure out EXACTLY when it was but here goes the theory.  (Varnished) 898s until about 2013 seem to need quite a bit of a nap.  They are strong when young and their flavors mellow into harmony with time.  I have had a couple of boxes of recent 898s (2017-2018) and the blend is quite mellow when new and smokable right out of the gate.  I’m thus unsure of the aging potential of these.  I have quite a few 06-09 898s that, even after a decade, are stronger than new 898s.

So I was super excited to try this 15 as I was curious if it was the older stronger blend or the newer milder blend.  

Weight and prelight aroma were beautiful.  Wrapper smooth.  Cold draw was tight.  

I’m not going to bury the lede here.  It wasn’t great.  Marred by a kind of “leak” the smoking experience felt a curious combination of acrid and dilute.  I did get some of the classic notes that I like but there was some inexplicable construction issue that prevented me from waxing poetic on this one.

The burn was great and the room note was lovely.  

Im sure a Lonsdale isn’t as tough to roll as a lancero, but the combination of longer leaves, longer length and thinnish ring gauge must be more challenging than some other short-thin or wide/fat cigars.  I see fewer 898s than other cigars - this could be a function of demand (no one wants them) or supply (Cuba doesn’t make that many).  

 Fortunately I have more and am eager to try as I have found 2014-15 to have consistently produced great cigars.   My quiet hunch is that these 2015 898s lie in the “older stronger” style than the newer ones.  

[ac031898]

Nice review!

[Piligrim]

definetely perfect size! thanks for the review!

[TheMonk]

Very nice job!

[Kaptain Karl]

From what I’ve heard, I must agree that fresh 898’s from the current blend smoke far better than the previous blend. I’ve had 3 out of my April ‘18 box that have been spectacular. I should probably be smoking more! And you are right...lonsdale’s are the perfect size!!! 

[Wailbait]

15 hours ago, Kaptain Karl said:

From what I’ve heard, I must agree that fresh 898’s from the current blend smoke far better than the previous blend. I’ve had 3 out of my April ‘18 box that have been spectacular. I should probably be smoking more! And you are right...lonsdale’s are the perfect size!!! 

It’s interesting.  I am very curious to see how this new “blend” ages.  I think the new Fonseca 1 differs from older blend as well.