Old school Cuban Flavours

[El Presidente]

I received an email this morning asking which current Cuban cigars are most representative of "Old School" cuban flavours. 

Automatically the Partagas Presidente came to mind followed by the Romeo y Julieta Cazadores.  However that is more a reflex response because I just  don't think that those cigars are the "beasts" that they once were.  They may have been the last of the "hold outs" but to my mind they are a different animal today. 

Chip in if you have any suggestions 

 

[NSXCIGAR]

As I bring up quite frequently I think Party Chicos are about as close as I ever get to what I tasted in the 90s. And it is pretty much the most unlikely candidate. 

I don't know what tobacco goes into them but they have the rich, pure earthiness that has been tamped down in modern Partagas and is hanging on by a thread in modern Bolivar. 

As one-dimensional as they are, they are rich in this in every puff. The intensity of it is missing in just about every hand-made cigar. I can't imagine a long filler or even a short filler vitola with this same tobacco...it would be blockbuster. 

And they have tasted this way for at least the 15 years I've been smoking them. Even MRN remarks about the old school qualities of the Chicos and calls it--yes, an ICT Puritos--one of his favorite cigars. In fact, it is the only ICT cigar in the book. 

[canadianbeaver]

Great topic for discussion, especially sometimes when a few of us are sitting around smoking different cigars we love. In Toronto, the crowd has been at it for years and their comments have such depth.

And if one or more in the circle is smoking a favorite that is NC? Even more interesting.

CB

[shrink]

I'm thinking Partagas 8-9-9 V, but I haven't had one younger than 2008. 

[Smallclub]

When we talk about "old school" flavours, everybody name a Partagas (Chicos, Presidente, 898, and I's add the Super Partagas), which is coherent, but let's not forget the "mild side", ie cigars that aren't spicy and often cited for offering "tobacco flavours": H. Upmann! To me the Upmann No.2 is an old-school cigar.

I also see the RyJ churchill and the cedar wrapped RyJ offerings as old school cigars. The "cedar/woody" side…