Havana Cigar Factories in the early 2000

[SMELTZ]

An interesting read in APR/MAY 2003

Worse, I found many cigars tasted similar from about 1996 to 2000. Or at best, some very strong cigars such as Bolivar tasted rather insipid. I remember one cigar roller who had worked at Partagas. He recalled the floor manager telling him not to worry about what he was making. "It is all the same," the supervisor had said. "We will just change the bands." 

Lopez argues that cigars were never made that way, but he admits that the blends may have suffered during the rapid production expansion. He said that the factories are now fine-tuning blends, even going back to old styles and characters of specific brands and sizes. "For a few years we've made some changes in some of the vitolas [sizes], but we're now at a stage where we are evaluating this situation and trying to go back to the original mix in those vitolas that traditionally had a different mix," he says. "The time and the raw materials are available, so now is the time to reevaluate those vitolas and go back to their 
traditional flavors."

 https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/cubas-21st-century-factories-8247

[El Presidente]

Thank you for the retro read 

It is a little like the "back in my day" argument.  

We have all heard of blend changes in the 90's, the 00's the mid teens. I suspect most of it is imagination and perceived flavour variations, the result of normal occurring factors.

[sbsbsb1]

I go so back and forth on this...so are there truly blends which are controlled/monitored at each factory?

[Puros Y Vino]

8 hours ago, sbsbsb1 said:

I go so back and forth on this...so are there truly blends which are controlled/monitored at each factory?

IIRC James Suckling's documentary mentions that there about a dozen of old master blenders that inspect bales at central locations and determine which becomes Sir Winnies, M2s, PSD4s etc and then are grouped and shipped to their respective factories. In essence, blends are in the hands of old masters and not so much written down. Anyone else catch that? If not I'll have to rewatch. 

[Li Bai]

7 hours ago, Puros Y Vino said:

Anyone else catch that? If not I'll have to rewatch.

I remember it too, fwiw.

[sbsbsb1]

22 hours ago, Puros Y Vino said:

IIRC James Suckling's documentary mentions that there about a dozen of old master blenders that inspect bales at central locations and determine which becomes Sir Winnies, M2s, PSD4s etc and then are grouped and shipped to their respective factories. In essence, blends are in the hands of old masters and not so much written down. Anyone else catch that? If not I'll have to rewatch. 

That's why I go back and forth...how old is that documentary, how old were those blenders at the time, and has that tradition been handed down and maintained?