CA is, by and large, a shill for their advertisers. I'm talking about articles and scoring, not the obvious layout ads.
As to CCs, I think to a large extent that these articles, if you're representing them properly, have it exactly backward.
Cuban quality is nowhere near that of your average boutique NC company -- Warped, CH, Roma, Illusione -- and if you want to try to compare CC quality to a big player like Fuente? I will literally laugh in your face.
Have you BEEN to Cuba? For all intents and purposes, it is 1950 there. I was in a tobacco field in Pinar del Rio 10 days ago, and a farmer was plowing with oxen. It's 20 goddamn 17! Oxen!
Again, I am not saying that Oxen produces a better or worse cigar -- it certainly produces cigars less efficiently -- but don't go touting the high-tech, 21st century Cuban tobacco machine as a reason for quality
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The articles you reference (if they're the ones I read) are very typical of propaganda: tell them it's all wonderful and uses the most modern methods, etc., and meanwhile you've got leaf arriving at the back in a hose-drawn cart.
Having said that.
Cuban cigars are different. If you've smoked a lot of CCs and NCs, they have a different profile. I didn't used to think so, but I also didn't used to smoke a lot of CCs. Now I enjoy them at a 4-1 rate compared to NCs. I still do my best to try most every NC I can get my hands on, but I no longer buy them by the box, and the only times I do are at IPCPR (and after) and when I go to my B&M, so I can help them stay in business. All other times, I've got a CC in my hand or mouth. I have a small closely held list of NCs that tend to deliver, for me. The rest? Meh.
CCs are not better. They're different. Until you put 4-5 years of age on them. Then, they're kind of just better...