There is no doubt that the name alone, certainly doesnt represent what genetics you exactly are getting.
10 years ago eg. I grow a very nice Afghan from Nirvana, a keeper for 5 years until I lost it.
Anyways that and other Afghans I tried back then didnt have sweet taste/smell like the ones I have grown since then.
Eg. an Afghani from Home Grown Fanta Seeds grown by myself was a completly different animal than the Afghan from Nirvana, like day and night.
Some time ago I read a comment here on RIU regarding the taste and flavour of White Widow, claiming this is a sweet strain, all the Widows I have ever grown and had as clones, were not sweet, more dark and earthy in the flavour, no signs of berries anywhere.
Its clear that when you get some smoke and you are told that its so and so, you expect it to be that and when you then later grow seeds of that name, you can get something completly different.
Had a friend 15 years ago, who had a "White Widow" which he was very happy with, at one point I got some of the smoke and could tell him that he had a Haze strain of some sort and not a White Widow.
So I will state, that you cant always be sure, what you get, a name is just that a name