Video Review - Partagas 898 - TLE AGO 20

[MoeFOH]

 

[Kaptain Karl]

Great review! 

[AusDyer]

If you guys are going to review D4s again, how about doing a series of doing all the major Cuban robustos from similar 2020 dates?

 

[El Presidente]

7 minutes ago, AusDyer said:

If you guys are going to review D4s again, how about doing a series of doing all the major Cuban robustos from similar 2020 dates?

 

Will organise it 

[benfica_77]

I wonder how the fish taste. Di wasn't around when they were "Donated" hmmm interesting indeed. I'm sure the Vietmanese restaurant has a big smile when Rob comes to visit!  

Partagas cigars are a nice change of pace cigar for me. I have D4's and Shorts, will need to try the 898s. Is there a big difference between Lusi's and 898s? 

[AusDyer]

1 minute ago, benfica_77 said:

Is there a big difference between Lusi's and 898s? 

Yep. 898s are generally a bit stronger and fuller flavoured. They have more coffee bean/espresso, earth and pepper. Lusitanias are actually quite soft and mellow cigars - cream, wood, hay, sweetness (maybe a touch of caramel). Both are excellent cigars when on form and will age very well, but a good 898 has more legs before they start to soften out too much.

[foursite12]

Pre-about 2015 8-9-8s packed a whallop. I recall Rob writing that if you were going to have one, it would be your last cigar of the day.  Then, post 2015 and into 2018 before they disappeared, some of that power seemed to have been blended out. Still a great cigar, without doubt, but it did not need to be approached quite so carefully. I'd love to get Rob's and Ken's (and anyone else's, of course) view on how this post-hiatus batch stacks up in the power department versus past issues.

[Kaptain Karl]

On 1/17/2021 at 5:58 PM, AusDyer said:

Yep. 898s are generally a bit stronger and fuller flavoured. They have more coffee bean/espresso, earth and pepper. Lusitanias are actually quite soft and mellow cigars - cream, wood, hay, sweetness (maybe a touch of caramel). Both are excellent cigars when on form and will age very well, but a good 898 has more legs before they start to soften out too much.

I’d agree that my 2018’s need a lot more time. I really SHOULDNT (not like I won’t) touch them for another 2 years. Mine also were brilliant in the first year with a ton of that date sweetness/richness in the first year then they died into a more mute spice/wood/dark chocolate. 

[El Presidente]

2 hours ago, foursite12 said:

Pre-about 2015 8-9-8s packed a whallop. I recall Rob writing that if you were going to have one, it would be your last cigar of the day.  Then, post 2015 and into 2018 before they disappeared, some of that power seemed to have been blended out. Still a great cigar, without doubt, but it did not need to be approached quite so carefully. I'd love to get Rob's and Ken's (and anyone else's, of course) view on how this post-hiatus batch stacks up in the power department versus past issues.

I need to smoke a lot more of 2019/20 from different boxes before being able to give a worthwhile opinion.  Hopefully we will get the chance over the coming months. 

They don't alter  their blends lightly. It would surprise me. 

[foursite12]

The bit about not altering their blends lightly is great info. Thanks!

[Ken Gargett]

honestly, doing this one was like pet cemetery. 

[mprach024]

Loving the vitola series guys, keep them going! Robustos would be great, Corona Gordas too please!

[AusDyer]

On 1/19/2021 at 2:44 AM, El Presidente said:

I need to smoke a lot more of 2019/20 from different boxes before being able to give a worthwhile opinion.  Hopefully we will get the chance over the coming months. 

They don't alter  their blends lightly. It would surprise me. 

Yeah, I agree with Rob that they don't tend to change blends, at least of classic vitolas, very much. However, different crops of tobacco can vary quite a bit from year to year. I've found Havanas in general have quite recently become much more homogeneous in their flavours in fact, with a sweeter, caramel type flavour in most of them. I've even noticed a slight hint of a Nicaraguan-esque flavour in many Havanas over the last couple of years - that Padrón natural kind of tinge. Anyone else found this or am I imagining things?