I would say "different" - not superior. the issue is that Cuban cigars require aging to settle down - so the mark of a really good supplier is how many years of stock they have on hand (which is why Asia is an amazing place to buy). If the market opened today, I would still buy overseas to get the older stuff. I would expect the quality to go down or the prices to get insane. In either case, there are alternatives from other countries, or stockpile like Kennedy