Partagas Astorias 2002 (FRWMay24)

[CaptainQuintero]

  Another one from the ever dwindling vault sadly, slightly scary thinking these had only been gone a few years but then realising they had last been churned out of Cuba way back in 2002!

  A classic Cuban Corona that is much missed. Good draw, well packed tobacco and still a rich spicy leather aroma coming off, even after a few decades sleep.

  Right off the bat it's that very familiar old Partagas; sweet cream sprinkled through with baking spice, light leather, like a freshly baked crisp butter biscuit. I can almost hear the snap and brush crumbs off my shirt.

 Right away the draw tightens up some, it's not humid at all out so maybe it's just one of those things. Not at all a difficult draw but a tad tight.

  Kicking along at a decent pace, the draw opens back up and the cigar as a whole develops into if an Upmann PC had been laced with Christmas spice, there's a hint of ginger, definite vanilla and buckets of nutmeg. It's all rounded off and balanced by a core of sweetened milk/cream. Like dipping shortbread in an overly milked latte.

  The evolution on these never disappoints and it adds a slightly sad note remembering that they are gone forever. The final third brings a milk chocolate note and that familiar blueberry compote that a good Partagas blend brings in for the finale. Nothing left the cigar from start to finish, just a constant adding of flavours in layers upon layer. 

 A touch under medium bodied and what a perfect cigar for after breakfast in the sun.

9/10