RA 8-9-8V PAR JUN 01

[Well Armed]

Celebrated my huge poker victory (it was only a 4-person game but the competition was fierce and I accidentaly bet like 35% of my chips on the 1st hand!) with a fine aged RA 898V from 2001. I have stuffed these cigars deep into the long term storage cooler and as I was searching for a SS#2 I noticed this forgotten box and knew immediately what would happen next. 20 minutes later Iw as at my home poker game and the 898 was clipped and ready. Kind of a tightish draw but almost perfect. Extremely dark wrapper that was just dripping with oils. They are stored in a 60% 65 degree cooler so they were not too wet. But they felt wet from the sheer greasiness of the wrapper. A good sponginess the whole length of the cigar told me the draw would open up and it surely did.

So back to the muted pre-light draw flavors. It was a total contradiction to the smell of the wrapper and the oiliness. I figured this cigar for a powerhouse at first glance. Upon firing it up I experienced an underwhelming 1/4" and was thinking, "OK, give it a chance - you just started. Flavor will come." Well, quite surprisingly through the first half the flavor of the smoke was unimpressive. A light bodied flavor perservered. But holy **** after 2 inches down the aroma of the cigar completely blew me away. We are talking pure toasted tobacco with an overwhelming dominance of unsweetened mocha and baking cocoa aroma. I frankly didn't even care about smoking it as I just pointed my head to the ground and let the smoke rise up into my nose. Inhaling every waft of smoke was my goal. I couldn't believe how sweet and refined the aroma was.

About halfway down the flavor started to kick in good with some gaining strength. Tobacco flavors intensified. Refined aged super quality Vuelta Abajo tobacco that we all know and love. And let's face it, if you don't like the flavor of sweet tobacco you probably don't really enjoy cigars that much. But I do and this was perfect. The aroma stayed 100% 1 dimensional throughout the entire cigar, save for the finish in which it got very stronger and intensified. The body did increase and flavors of nuts and I want to say like a custard with some dank fruit flavors emerged. Not citrusy fruit. More like a cold blackberry medley cobbler topped with dehydrated apples and plums.

Sometimes when you are enjoying something so much you say you never want it to stop. This was one case where I was ecstatic that the cigar never changed. It only got more flavorful on the palate while the aroma continued to intoxicate. Never harsh or bitter.

An unreal cigar. I said to myself and others multiple times during the game, "This is a fukcing fantastic cigar!" They only replied with, "Are you gonna play or sit there and make love to that brown thing in your mouth all night?" I played terribly and I blame it on senor Ramon Allones. I'm getting another of these boxes before they are completely gone forever.

95/100 - One of the best cigars I have had in recent memory.

[shrink]

"This is a fukcing fantastic cigar!"

I can almost hear you slurring as you gesture emphatically!

Really enjoyed this review. The RA 898V is one of my favorite cigars, and I would have said my favorite dalia, but the '06 Party 898V is coming up fast on the outside. Very good flavor descriptions. Good to hear that the '01s are smoking nice right now. Thanks!

[Colt45]

Great review! I've recently had a couple from '00, and they really are outstanding

cigars. Full bodied, rich toasty tobacco, with fruity, floral overtones.