I was speaking to a habanos old timer yesterday.

[David67]

I smoked my first Havana in 1983 (before that I had just smoke cheap Dutch cigars) I was born in 1967 so was very young. I have always thought they tasted differnt to the fresh cigars Cuba makes today. I seem to remember the aroma was stronger (pre-light) , there was more going on with the taste. However I was 15 turning 16 and was far too inexperienced to make a proper judgement, yet my gut tells there was something special about them.

[Colt45]

And I did just that Colt. Very interesting. So maybe there is hope that the blenders are doing their job.

I think there are some passionate, talented people within the company - I'd have to believe many give their all to what they do. But I also feel that tasting blind is more difficult than we might imagine

[cigaraholic]

After 40+ years of loving Cuban cigars I can say that I'm deeper in love than ever.......I have witnesses.

As an almost old timer the last thing I want to say is "back in the good old days".....these are the good old days!

There are fantastic cigars coming out of Cuba.

The difference to me is there are a lot of just good cigars now.

For 30 years I expected and got cigars in the 90-95 range, very rare to get anything else. Today there's lots of 85-89 cigars that just didn't exist before.

I think we all have a preconceived idea of what we want a cigar to taste like. I want Italian leather with my Partagas, cherries with my R&J, earthy espresso and cocoa with my Montecristo's. But what I really want is a great cigar, it doesn't matter what the band says, it's the tobacco that counts.

Lots of bland, tasteless cigars today....especially in 07.

The one brand to me that that seems to have changed the most is Upmann. I love shortbread cookies as much as the next man but Upmann use to be a powerhouse brand, always reminded me of tasting like walking thru a forest after it had just rained.

I do have a box of Shorts that jogs my memory, but lots of PC, 46 and 50 cookies............but who hates cookies.

[Squarehead]

Very interesting and enjoyable reading.

[khomeinist]

i have to laugh at some of the specific flavor associations. These will always be based on individual experience and cultural background. I don't get much vanilla wafer in a Partagas SDC 3 or Bolivar PC...

retrohale guys. the brands at their best still have unique identities....