A bit of history about the Cuban Cazadores cigars
There was an article and tasting in the ECCJ (nowadays Cigar Journal) from 1997 which focused on Cuban Cazadores-type cigars. The Cazadores of old times mentioned in the article were the following. "Pricelist of Jos. Feinhals, Bayrischer Hoflieferant zu Cöln, Dezember 1906: - 1905 Cazadores Imperiales von Don Quijote (Juan Cueto y Hnos.) - 1903 Cazadores Extra, 1905/06 Cazadores del Eden von Eden (Calixto Lopez y Ca.) - 1904 Cazadores sombremsa von Flor de P.A. Estanillo (Justo Alvarez y Ca.) - 1906 Cazadores Imperiales von La Gloria Cubana (J.F. Roch y Ca.) - Cazadores a la Conserva von La Devesa (Pedro Murias)" and also the Villamil Cazadores Especiale, which was a part of the tasting. Regarding the characteristics of the Cazadores, there are some discrepancies in literature:
- Anwer Bati described the Cazadores as being made from floor sweepings. - ECCJ/Mario Scheuermann says they are made with special care and special tobaccos - high content of Corona-, Medio Tiempo- (remember the Behike discussion about this leaf) and Centro-Ligero leaves of high fat content and Oscuro to Negro-shad wrappers. - Raul Pendaz (then "Director commercial" at Habanos) said "the Cazadores are defined by the Corona-Leaves for the capa and the Ligero content of the capote" (Probably he meant "in the capote). Generally speaking, he says, Cazadores are made from the upper half of sun grown (Sol ensartos) tobacco plants and specially selected filler and wrapper leaves. -Todays low availability of the Cazadores might be caused by the lack of properly trained workers for that task, Mario Scheuer supposed. I suspect the authors described practics, which weren't in use at the time the article was wrote, but common practice until - maybe - the late 80ties. Todays Cazadores - I sampled them back until 1997 - are missing these characteristics and even then got gradually dumbed down in richness and strength. The cubans probably decided to continue the Romeo Cazadores as a regular cigar made from regular leaves in a somewhat stronger blend. Anwer Bati might have confused the Cazadores and the Brevas, since the later were indeed made from shortfiller leaves, which he might have confused with floor sweeps. I only know the German issue of his book. It might be lost in translation. The Cazadores from Villaamil were also discussed here by WayneN years back in the International Cigar Club.