1837: The Galician's Triple Revolution in Havana

Ramon Allones and his brother Antonio jointly founded this eponymous brand in 1837. They were Galicians -- from the region in northwestern Spain known for its spirit of emigration, Atlantic mist and rain, and Celtic musical traditions. With the sharp eye of entrepreneurs, they arrived in Havana, then the world's most important cigar-making city, and over the following decades completed three innovations that made the entire industry take notice:

Lithographic Box Art: Ramon Allones was the first manufacturer to use color lithographic decorative labels on cigar boxes. Before him, Cuban cigar packaging was almost uniformly plain wooden boxes tied with grass cord, with virtually no brand identity to speak of. Color lithography was itself an expensive craft in that era; he introduced it into the cigar world, turning the wooden box into a work of visual art at the same time. This tradition continues to this day and has become one of the origins of the "appearance as taste" aesthetic across Havana-style cigars.

8-9-8 stacking format: He pioneered the 8-9-8 three-layer box-packing method -- 8 cigars on the bottom layer, 9 in the middle, and 8 on the top -- allowing each cigar appropriate space for air circulation and avoiding flavor damage caused by long-term compression. This format is still regarded as the highest standard for packaging top-tier Cuban cigars. Not every brand adopts it, but every connoisseur understands its significance. In the collectors' class at W Cigar Bar, the first lesson introduces the origin of 8-9-8 -- and its name is Ramon Allones.

Band (Anillo): Ramon Allones was one of the earliest manufacturers to place branded bands on cigars. Today, bands are taken for granted, but in the 1850s, wrapping a paper band printed with the brand name around the body of a cigar was a bold declaration of brand identity and changed the visual language of the entire cigar industry.

These three revolutions made Ramon Allones products a visual focal point in gentlemanly social settings throughout the British market in the 19th century. In 1924, their product catalogue listed a full 62 different formats -- a diversity that astonishes collectors today, and also illustrates the extraordinary prestige the brand enjoyed in the global market at that time.

The British Golden Age: 16 Years of Hunters & Frankau

In 1911, the brand underwent its first major change of ownership: the top British tobacco importer Hunters & Frankau took over the operation of Ramon Allones and held it until 1927.

These 16 years of British management carried profound market significance. From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, Britain was the world's most important consumer market for Cuban cigars. The area around St. James's Street in London -- the core district where elite gentlemen's clubs such as White's (1693), Boodle's (1762), and Brooks's (1764) gathered -- was one of the most decisive places in the world for the reputation of Cuban cigars. Hunters & Frankau's voice in this circle was unmatched. They deliberately maintained Ramon Allones' brand image as "powerful, masculine, and absolutely uncompromising", elevating its reputation in the British market to a historical peak.

Even today, if one visits Davidoff Bond Street or La Casa del Habano Sloane Street in London and asks senior staff for their view of Ramon Allones, the response is often still one of old-school respect. That is a memory of gentlemanly lineage spanning more than a century, not something marketing language can replicate.

1927: The Partagás Family and the Permanent Takeover by the FPG Factory

In 1927, Ramon Allones was acquired by the Cifuentes family, the owners of Partagás. This merger had a deep logic of character: Partagás itself is a symbol of the powerful Cuban style, and Ramon Allones' brand DNA is highly aligned with it, merging without losing each brand's individuality.

From that time onward, Ramon Allones has been produced at the FPG -- Francisco Pérez Germán factory (Old Havana, commonly known as the "Partagás factory") to this day. This factory is one of the places where Cuban handmade cigar craftsmanship has been most completely preserved. It is especially known for its rolling standards in large ring gauge Robustos and Churchills, and FPG artisans hold a special craft status within the entire Habanos system.

After the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the brand and factory were nationalized together, and ultimately integrated into today's Habanos S.A. system (51% Cubatabaco + 49% Allied Cigar Corporation; in 2020, Allied formally took over from Imperial Brands).

Modern Formats: Four Flagships of Minimalism

Modern Ramon Allones is a deliberately streamlined brand. Habanos S.A. once positioned it as a "local brand", giving it a relatively low status within the flagship system. Yet this restraint has instead created a kind of purity: every Ramon Allones currently on sale exists for a clear reason.

Specially Selected (Robusto vitola, 50 ring gauge x 124mm): The flagship line, officially launched in 2011. It has a distinct cedar base note, with layered flavors of dark chocolate and aged leather appearing in the middle section, and a finish carrying refined peppery spice. Appreciation time is about 50-60 minutes, with Medium-Full strength. In the eyes of connoisseurs, this is one of the textbook specimens of "Cuban strength" -- structured, but not rough. Compared with Partagás Serie D No.4, the SD4 has a heavier earthiness, while Specially Selected leans more toward the refined direction of leather and minerality.

Small Club Coronas (Minuto vitola, 42 ring gauge x 110mm): An old soul among slender formats. Its slim body allows the tobacco's original strength to become more concentrated and direct, making it possible to experience the brand's personality completely within 30 minutes. It is suitable for a brief midday appreciation and is also an entry format for first encountering Ramon Allones.

Gigantes (Gran Panatela vitola, 43 ring gauge x 233mm): The most elegant line in the brand. Its slender 9.2-inch body requires nearly two hours of focused companionship. Production is relatively limited, and when it appears on the market, it often sells out quickly. This is Ramon Allones' true "collector's format", suited to a solitary afternoon worthy of waiting.

Allones No.3 (Corona vitola, 42 ring gauge x 142mm): A format added in recent years, using the traditional Corona size to recreate the brand's 19th-century character, with an appreciation time of about 45 minutes. For members who want to experience the Ramon Allones style within a standard framework, this is another entry option.

2024 Edición Limitada: Absolutos (49 ring gauge x 156mm): The factory internally refers to this format as "Nuevos". It features a double-band design and is presented in a 20-count deluxe wooden box. This is a large limited new vitola rarely seen from the brand in decades. It was first launched in the British market at the end of 2024, and allocations have also flowed into PCC authorized channels in Taiwan. For Ramon Allones collectors, it is an annual acquisition opportunity not to be missed.

Brand Pairing Philosophy: Strength Needs a Strong Opponent

Ramon Allones Specially Selected has a sufficiently distinct personality, so its pairing partners need comparable weight to avoid being overwhelmed:

• Whisky: Highland single malt aged 12 years or more, or lightly peated Islay expressions (using the smoky quality of peat to echo the leather base note); sweeter Speyside styles may instead create imbalance
• Coffee: Espresso double shot (without sugar), allowing the bitter structures to reinforce each other rather than clash; this is the most traditional study-room pairing
• Cognac: VSOP level or above; Armagnac is especially well matched -- the earthiness of Gascony can perfectly echo the mineral base notes of Specially Selected

Pairing with Champagne or delicate white wine is not recommended -- the powerful personality of Specially Selected will make these elegant beverages seem diminished, to the detriment of both sides.

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Sources of procurement: Cuban cigars from four major official channels (PCC authorized dealers, Cuban official state-run stores, Swiss general distributor, Spanish general distributor).

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W Cigar Bar Gentlemen's Cigar Lounge, written and planned by Cigar Prince Wilson Tsai.