Don't get me wrong I do enjoy some habanos but their consistency does suffer.I absolutely enjoy a good Boli PC,RC or PSD#4 but I would never order multiple boxes from a certain year without first trying that year.I order multiple boxes of AF Magnum R 44's without giving it a second thought.Some years are better than others across the globe but it's damn funny to me the Fuente Family and Litto Gomez continue to put out consistent products year in and year out.Always perfect rolls,draws and flavors.The same cannot be said for Cuba.I have a few boxes of Habanos dated after 08 but damn few.My personal feelings are they have reached peak production and pushed beyond and are now releasing inferior products.I hope my observation is incorrect but as we near the end of the embargo I just cannot see Cuban cigars getting any better as millions of Americans who feel as though they've been deprived jump into the Habano market.

They seem to be up already.

I can't agree less. While those Fuentes you listed are fine smokes in general they retail for $10 - $20+ sales tax and state tax each. For those prices I can have many Habanos that float my boat and cost less. Nothing from Nic, DR, etc has that twang. This does not mean I don't enjoy them but viva la difference.

Yes, they have their inconsistencies but so do all such products that are subject to the whims of nature and mother earth from year to year.

DED

Whereas most of my cigar smoking is mainly Cubans,I do enjoy a non-Cuban now and again. However,most are premium non-Cubans,such as Padron Anniversarios and Davidoff. God,how I wish Cuba could meet Padron and Davidoff rolling standards. However,due to world demand,they cannot supply the world and maintain quality control. They have to use many inexperienced rollers and the quality suffers. What I don't understand is why their problem tends to be with overfilling.
IMO, the answer is Cuba sending it's tobacco to Padron and Davidoff but that ain't never gonna happen.
So's I smoke my smokeable Cubans and age the rest until the tobacco shrinks enough to smoke them.
Also,IMO, Cuban tobacco is the best hands down. X