Has anyone else found this to be the case? Seems like the cigars I have smoked from 01/02 were a bit milder. Not sure if there had been a ligero shortage in those years or what.

For example, I have some BBFs from 01 that have a nice flavor, but no punch. I also have some more recent BBFs and they are quite a bit more full-bodied.

Could just be the boxes I have been buying, too.

From my own vocabulary that I use, I would call them mostly medium bodied but full-FLAVORED
In that, I only mean that there are many more rich flavors in the smokes, even this young, but they are not so strong that they have hurt me. I can only say from the experience of BBF and Monte2, but those are pretty good examples. I may try a short from 04 this weekend, too.

Weather is a dominant factor on those natural product. For taste and power, I have no idea on it since I really smoke many diff. brand and size. I only notice that it is not easy to have a cigar with dark and oily wrappers compared with 5 years ago. Even I buy HDM short corona or just a Dip#4, they can be comparable to the EL series recently,(soemtimes more oily than EL). It seems that the yield for those dark wrappers are dropping.

Even

The 03/04 RyJ Churchills have been awesome. A much richer cigar than those from the last couple of years. They have been a pleasure to smoke.

I've definately noticed this, but I would agree more with what NoLa said- more full flavoured versus full bodied.

Fresh cigars are always more potent. Based on my rotation, I believe that there is about a 10% loss in strength with each year a cigar is aged.

I don't mean flavor. I am talking about pure knock-you-on-your-butt nicotine power. Sure, cigars mellow as time goes on. But some cigars don't begin that strong.

They still have finesse, something that is very rare in NCs. Don't get me wrong.

For the most part, I tend to stay away from too much power, so I have less of a chance to notice it. But like I said, I have gotten alot more flavor for my money this last year or so.
I guess with more ligero tobacco making for a richer, more complex smoke, the power just comes along for the ride. For alot of people I know, they'd say "about damn time!"

seco gives you the flavor, ligero the ride...

There are 3 parts to the 'tripa'...seco, volado and ligero. The tripa is bunched into 'capote,' or binder, and a 'capa' (wrapper) is applied.

I've had cigars that were made with all ligero...and others made with all seco...the seco is actually a very nice, powerful, flavorful smoke. The volado helps with the combustion and burn and balance.

Cigars vary from within the same box, from month to month, factory to factory, and so on, and certainly there are variations. But the generalization made is NOT true. There was a time in mid-2000 where some of the lines were affected in terms of flavor and power, in particular, the Bolivar line. But the industry has been fairly consistent, and anomalies are few and far between, except insofar as draw problems here and there that people have reported.

The July 04 box of RyJ Cazadores I received is so strong it's a challenge to smoke. Need to let them rest a couple years 7 stick with the 01s.