Partagas 898 Varnished

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Partagás 8-9-8 Varnished Review

The Long Back: A Night of the Partagás 8-9-8 Varnished

The chips were clacking — that rhythmic, hollow snap that embeds itself into your soul after a few hours spent sitting at the table. That basement was Big Mike’s, a kind of cellar that reeks of old wood, discarded beer cans and memory. It was just amundane Friday night for most of these guys. For me, it was a comeback.

Product Specifications

It’sbecause you see, that leaf was something I’dlet go ofthree years before. I was not scared into it by news of impending global health disaster, no Grand Poobah-style pledge — I just one day got up and felt like I had tried everything. The spark was gone. So, I butted the cutter and left.

But tonight was different. We were doing this for Sal’s promotion, and the atmosphere was charged with that “anything goes” vibe. I’d been sitting for two hours, and let’s face it: I nursed a club soda andplayed tight, glancing up at the blue smoke rising toward the rafters from everyone else’s sticks. And Mike goes into his cabinet and he pullsout this box.

Not just any box. It was a varnished 8-9-8. The wood glowed like new, even inthe dim basement light. He didn’t even ask.

He just pushed it acrossthe green felt toward me. I ran my thumb over the lid. That smooth, shiny finish was cold, andmore soothing than anything else. I knew what was inside.

I knew the history. And I figured if you were going to break a three-year fast, that’s the way — that is it. I swung the latch and smelled that Nappy Vuelta Abajonose — earth, cedar, a hint of something spicy like”welcome back”. I grabbed one, got a sense of its heft and knew that I had been telling myself bullshit for three years.

I had not reached peak hobby. Not by a long shot. The Transition
That smoke? The

Partagás 8-9-8 Varnished. “It’s not just a cigar; it’s a sign of commitment.

It’s a Lonsdale, something to force you to sit down and pay attention for at least an hour and a half, preferably more if you’re one of those people that are like me: one of them slow burners. It’s of the old school, a vitola that survived all those trends of “bigger is better,” and never wavered in its faithfulness to an elegant, slender frame — even as it dished out punishment on its behemoth 60-ring cousinsnow crowding its way across the market. Construction: How does it feel in the hand?

Let me put it to you this way, the first thing that pops out at you with the 9-8-9 is not even its cigar but rather it’s package. Their name comes from the part of the cooler where they’re stowed — eight on bottom, nine in the middle and eight up top.

It ever-so-slightly flattens the cigars, just enough to give them a little bit of a squeeze, almost imperceptible: not quite box press but intentional. The sticks themselves are gorgeous. I was traded up one that with a Colorado Maduro wrapper (darker than the Rosado or Claro wrappers) which looked like dark, oily brown podium-cloth silk. It still had enoughtooth to be an indicator it was a Partagás, but immature tooth not flaky.

Holding it felt right. At 170mm it is a decent size but at ring gauge of 43 it feels very much in the comfort zone – almost lightfooted. Dunno how hard I squeezed, but it was extremely light pressure–I’ll guarantee you that much— but yep: hard all the way down; no soft spots nearby, no “plugs” just waiting to fuck up my evening. Prelight Draw: The pre-light draw was everything I remembered… Some wet earth, white pepper and a very distinct toasted tobacco smell.

It was as thoughI held a piece of history in my hand. I cut and even the cut, breathed in the unlit foot once more before I lit it up. The First Third: A Slow Burn

Fortunately the opening volleys have been stunninglypolite.

You would think that a Partags of this caliber would knock the door down, but the 8-9-8 is quite alow burner. I didn’t get that early smoke that is so great in the cigar, but it did heat up in the center. The flavors were prettyclean – some light cedar along with a bit of dry hay. Sure, it was earthy, but in a “morning in the forest” way, not “dirt on your tongue.”

I chose to just fold, not even see cards for the next several hands of a poker game.

I was focussing on the retrohale. Kiss of white pepper tingle, but mostly a smooth burn. If you’re looking for af lavour bomb off the bat, this would irritate you. But me after three years’ absence?

It was the perfect re-introduction. It was soft, pulling me back in without obliterating my palate. Volume The SecondThird: Partagás Soul

At some point around 20 minutes in, the cigar informs you that it’s tired of being polite. This is where the 8-9-8 helps pay off.

It started at medium and build to a fairly solid medium-full. The smoke became increasingly dense; mouth emerged with a burdensome Velcrotexture. This is where those well-recognised partagas spices started to samba. I mean baking spices — cinnamon, a mere hintbreath of nutmeg — mixed up with a very clear roasted coffee scent.

I remember whispering to Mike, “Now we’re cooking with gas.” It had a very strong leather note on this one. It reminded me of a sort of new boot or an oldlibrary chair. It was masculine, it was rugged, andit was tough as hell. There’s a reason thiscigar is such a “shining star” for Habanos.

It doesn’t swing much further; it just digs deeper. I began to pick up on roasting cacao notes, and a mocha sweetness that was rounding off the spicy wood. Itwas complicated but not confusing. Youknew what you were smoking.

FinalThird: The Advantage of Power

Then, as we beganour journey back home, the 8-9-8 dropped “medium” and went directly to full. If you haven’t eaten well for dinner before smoking on this, it willtells on you. That power smacks you in the chest and its a clean hit. The flavors were darkened up — thinkdark chocolate, and heavy cream and a cereal-like graininess that helped them stay interesting.

The acid was there, a bit of it creeping in as I sipped, but I didn’t taste anything sour; instead, something bright the way you want your well-pulled espresso to shine where all the richness absorbs light. The “punch” was real. I was a little tipsy, and it was kind of the last thing I would have thought to be celebrating getting back into my old hobby given how imbalanced things have been lately. It never warmed at all, let alone went bitter, even into the final inch.

It wouldn’t get hot, and I could take it nubs down to Nubtown before my fingers started burning. Ash was a solid light gray, holding one-inch plus chunks to the work of the Dalias factory. It’s a palate workout, but an enjoyable one. The Pairing: What to Drink

See, because I was ordering at a poker night, that was what was on the table and I went with it, but if this were me doing this again in my home there would be specific’s.

You need something to go toe-to-toe with the leather and spice without getting kneecapped. A peated Scotchcould be way too much — it’s going to fight the cigar. I would use a nicely aged dark rum, one sweet with molasses, which would bridge the gap to thosecacaoflavors. Or, honestly?

A double espresso. The coffee/mocha in the 2nd inch of this 8-9-8 is so good, some cuban coffee wouldn’t be out of place. The night I was here, I enjoyed an unpretentious bourbon rock glass, its vanilla actually working pretty well with the cedar. The Verdict

Now hold your horses, the Partagás 8-9-8 Varnished is not a “casual” cigar.

You don’t smoke this while mowing the lawn orplaying a loud movie. It’s a 90-minute commitment. This is for people like me, that really enjoy the flavors of tobacco and want to witness its evolution during a lengthy session. It’s dependable, it’s solid and it has a lineage other sticks canonly wish for.

Is it for everyone? Probably not. If you enjoy mild, tangy, “creamy” cigars that don’t take center stage, this would probably be clumsy for you as well. But if you’re seeking a cigar that can say a story in the crescendo it makes from whisper to near roar, this is certainly the one.

It’s thecigar that rekindled my interest in the hobby and so for that it has a place of permanence in my Humidor. Just be sureto dry-box that bad boy for a day or two before lighting it up—it’ll go along ways toward opening up that super-tight Cuban draw and letting all those spices sing. Solid. Absolutely solid.

Dane Cook The pokernight concluded with me $50 in the negative, but seriously? Sure that I was holding a real partagás and feeling once more the familiar blue smoke in my face. How lucky could any man get?