Consistency, questions, & a theory

[RevSmoke]

I was just reading the thread about the La Flor Dominicana special release. In so doing, I reminisced about some of their blends - many of which seem to be non-existent, and it got me to thinking about other makers and what they produced in ages past and what they produce now. Have they any vitolas that have stood the test of time and are still available? Over time, have they remained consistent?

And by time, I am talking going back at least 10 years, or even better to the 1990s (minimum), and even longer.

What I mean by a cigar that is consistent, is that when you get another box of them, the taste will be the same, or at least very, very similar. I should be able to pick up the same vitola I got 2 years ago, and it should be consistent, that should at least be what is expected. Unfortunately, it seems that is not the norm in today's market. I picked up a couple 5ers around Christmas of some "name" brands that I enjoy. I thought to add them to my dwindling supply of that marca and vitola. As always, I tried one after a time of rest from travel and was disappointed, they were not the same cigar at all.

I do not smoke everything I used to smoke, and some of my tastes have changed a bit, but...

So, I did some thinking about this.

I know I can go get an El Rey del Mundo Robusto, Robusto Larga, or Robusto Suprema and it will be pretty much the same cigar I smoked in the 1980s & 1990s. I lit one up while walking the property up north last spring and was just amazed, I wasn't really paying attention and all of a sudden I was reminiscing - I realized that without any conscious thought, the flavors and aromas were so family that I was transported back in time, they are that similar.

Other cigars that have that same consistency from the past are Punch Rothschilds and Hoyo de Monterrey Rothschilds (I am not sure of their other vitolas as I do not smoke many of the other sizes, but these are definitely very similar to what they were).

Paul Garmirian, the Gourmet line, has also shown and incredible consistency. I can grab one of these and know exactly what I am going to get. Same is true of the Padron 1964 series.

AF Hemingway Short Stories however are an example of one vitola that I smoked regularly which has lost something over the years. It was an incomparable smoke - rich, sweet, spicy, complex. Today's version, while good, lacks much of what it had.

Padron's regular also seems to have changed a bit. This is not to say that it is lacking, as with the AF Hemi SS, but that it is different. I think it is stronger and a bit less complex.

Of course, there are a couple brands that, while the manufacturer is still making cigars, certain marcas are simply gone. One that was truly impressive was La Tradicion Cabinet Series Perdomo Reserve - a gorgeous box-pressed (you could almost cut yourself on the edge) line made by Nick Perdomo. What an incredibly rich, smooth, spicy, and tasty stick. But I do not know where it has gone. You see other versions of the band in the Perdomo Reserve lines, but it is simply gone.

So, has anybody else noticed this? Am I all alone? Are there some cigars you have had over the years that are consistent? Some that stand out that are blatant examples of inconsistency?

I wonder about these overnight wonders and HTF cigars. Are companies going to these sorts of things because they cannot get the quantity and quality supply of tobacco to be able to string a blend along to keep that consistency from year to year? Are some just cashing in while they can, finding and buying tobacco that smokes well now?

I guess part of my question arises from the fact that I have some cigars that have aged very well - those with great consistency above are among that group. I have others that have not fared so well, and some have lost absolutely everything that makes them enjoyable after only 2 or 3 years in the humidor.

So, what are your thoughts.

Peace of the Lord be with you.