Ramón Allones: The Connoisseur's Cuban

Ramón Allones is one of Havana's oldest and most revered marques — a connoisseur's cigar celebrated for its deep, full-bodied flavour, its earthy-and-sweet complexity, and a reputation that quietly outshines its modest production. If you want a Cuban with real backbone and a cult following among seasoned smokers, this is the name to know.

• Ramón Allones, founded in 1837, is among the oldest surviving Habanos brands and was the first to use the colourful printed box and band.
• The blend is full-bodied and rich — think cocoa, roasted coffee, leather, spice and a signature earthy sweetness.
• The legendary 8-9-8 vitola, presented in a polished cabinet, is the marque's calling card.
• Beyond the standard range, Ramón Allones is famous for sought-after Regional and Limited Editions.
• Store at 16–18°C and 68–72% RH, and give the fuller cigars time to mature.

What makes Ramón Allones a connoisseur's cigar?

Many newcomers reach for the famous "big four" first — but seasoned smokers keep returning to Ramón Allones. The reason is character. Where some Cuban marques chase elegance and restraint, Ramón Allones leans into power and depth, delivering a generous, full-bodied smoke that rewards attention. It has never been a high-volume brand, which lends every box a certain quiet prestige.

The marque sits within the same stable as Partagás, and the two share a robust house style. Yet Ramón Allones carries its own signature: a darker, sweeter, more brooding profile that connoisseurs prize for its consistency and its ageing potential. For a broader view of where it stands among Havana's finest, our best Cuban cigars of 2026 guide offers useful context.

What does Ramón Allones taste like?

The Ramón Allones blend is built around full-flavoured tobaccos from the Vuelta Abajo region of Pinar del Río. Expect a rich, layered experience rather than a delicate one.

• Core notes: cocoa, roasted coffee, leather and earth.
• Sweetness: a distinctive dark, almost molasses-like sweetness that defines the marque.
• Spice: black pepper and warm baking spice, especially in younger cigars.
• With age: the edges soften into dried fruit, cedar and a creamy, honeyed depth.

It is a body-forward cigar — typically medium-full to full — so it pairs beautifully with the end of a meal, an aged rum, a single malt, or a strong espresso. A cigar like the Ramón Allones Gigantes, a generous double corona at 194mm by 49 ring gauge, gives the blend ample room to unfold over a long, contemplative hour.

Which Ramón Allones cigars should you try?

The range spans easy daily companions through to trophy releases. Here are the cigars most worth seeking out.

The everyday classics

For a shorter smoke with no loss of intensity, the Small Club Coronas is a petit corona of 110mm by 42 ring gauge — a concentrated, satisfying half-hour that captures the house style in miniature. Moving up in size, the Allones No. 3 offers a comfortable, well-balanced format for unhurried afternoons.

The icon: the 8-9-8

No discussion of the marque is complete without the 8-9-8, a Dalias-format cigar of 170mm by 43 ring gauge, traditionally presented in a varnished slide-lid cabinet of 25 arranged in three rows — eight, nine and eight. It is the cigar most associated with the brand's heritage, and the 8-9-8 (Ex. Alemania 2014) is a lovely aged example of why collectors covet it.

The collector's editions

Ramón Allones shines in its special releases. The Allones No. 2 Edición Limitada 2019 is a robusto extra dressed in a dark, oily aged wrapper — the hallmark of the Edición Limitada programme. The more recent Absolutos Edición Limitada 2024 is a thick, modern vitola that shows the marque's contemporary direction with real presence and depth.

Regional rarities

Some of the most prized Ramón Allones cigars are Regional Editions, made in limited numbers for a single market. The 40 Carat (Ex. Países Bajos) and the elegantly aged Eminencia (Ex. Suiza 2005) are exactly the kind of seldom-seen treasures that make the marque so rewarding to collect. You can explore the full selection in our Ramón Allones collection.

A brief history of the marque

Ramón Allones was founded in 1837 by a Galician immigrant of the same name. The brand is credited with two enduring innovations that the entire cigar world later adopted: the colourfully lithographed box label and the printed paper band wrapped around each cigar. These were marketing flourishes ahead of their time, and they helped establish the visual language of fine cigars as we know it today.

Despite its long history and devoted following, Ramón Allones has always been produced in relatively small quantities. That scarcity, combined with a blend that ages gracefully, is precisely why so many collectors hold the marque in such high regard. It sits comfortably within the wider world of Cuban cigars, yet it retains an identity all its own.

When is the right occasion for a Ramón Allones?

Because of its richness, Ramón Allones is best enjoyed when you have time to savour it. A full-bodied vitola such as the Estupendos (Ex. Asia Pacífico 2007) is an after-dinner cigar par excellence — ideal for marking a celebration, closing a long evening with friends, or simply rewarding yourself with an unhurried hour. The shorter formats, by contrast, suit a robust morning or a well-earned mid-afternoon pause.

How should you store Ramón Allones cigars?

Like all premium Cubans, Ramón Allones thrives in a stable, well-tended humidor.

• Humidity: aim for 68–72% RH. The lower end of that range tends to favour the marque's fuller blends, giving a crisper draw and brighter spice.
• Temperature: keep it around 16–18°C to protect the cigars and discourage any unwanted activity in the leaf.
• Patience: Ramón Allones repays ageing. The robust younger cigars mellow into something deeper and sweeter over several years, which is why aged examples and Regional Editions are so treasured.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ramón Allones a strong cigar?

Yes — Ramón Allones is generally medium-full to full in body, making it one of the richer Cuban marques. It delivers pronounced notes of cocoa, coffee, leather and earth with a characteristic dark sweetness. For that reason it is usually best enjoyed after a meal or by smokers who already appreciate fuller-bodied Habanos rather than as a first cigar.

What is the Ramón Allones 8-9-8?

The 8-9-8 is the marque's signature vitola, a Dalias-format cigar measuring 170mm by 43 ring gauge. Its name comes from the traditional cabinet of 25 cigars arranged in three rows of eight, nine and eight. Presented in a polished slide-lid box, it is widely regarded as the cigar that best expresses the brand's heritage and house style.

How long does a Ramón Allones cigar take to smoke?

It depends on the vitola. A petit corona such as the Small Club Coronas offers roughly 30–40 minutes, while a double corona like the Gigantes can comfortably last an hour or more. Larger ring gauges and longer formats give the full-bodied blend more room to evolve, so allow yourself unhurried time to enjoy them properly.

What pairs well with Ramón Allones?

The marque's richness suits robust, full-flavoured companions. Aged rum, a peaty or sherried single malt, and strong espresso all complement its cocoa-and-coffee depth beautifully. Dark chocolate makes an excellent food pairing. As a rule, choose a drink with enough character to stand alongside the cigar rather than be overwhelmed by it.