Reviving (possibly) dried cigars

[monkey66]

Whilst they don't look completely dried out I am sorry to say the Cohibas are 100% fake and the Montes are 90%.

Where exactly in Cuba did you buy them?

[Wigan]

shmuch is that not that stuff thats put on kebabs?

No that's the people that eat em

[Scott]

Hello and welcome to the UKCF

[Wigan]

Hello and welcome to the UKCF

Yes that's the most important point. Don't let them being fake put you off. Your very welcome here, stick around and let us find you some good smokes mate

[Thebiglebowski]

I purchased them from the shop in the Partagas cigar factory itself

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g147271-d680233-Reviews-Partagas_Cigar_Factory-Havana_Cuba.html

[monkey66]

I purchased them from the shop in the Partagas cigar factory itself

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attract...vana_Cuba.html

Did you get an official receipt, what year did you buy them. I am shocked if they came from the factory shop as the Cohibas are clearly fakes. Was it an 'under the table' kind of cash purchase?

Do you have any pictures of the boxes, packaging they came in?

[Thebiglebowski]

Nope purchased in 2008 over the counter and got a receipt, if I recall they were quite expensive and cost around ?250 for them all.

I have the original box still but not the lid.

Untitled by thebiglebowski162, on Flickr

Untitled by thebiglebowski162, on Flickr

Untitled by thebiglebowski162, on Flickr

[BushidoJP]

Oh is that a glass top? 🙈
Hello and welcome also.

[PeeJay]

Was it a shop with a gated entrance in Havana?

[Thebiglebowski]

It was the shop on the right as you walk into the factory entrance, as you go into the room the shop counter was on the right and there was a bar on the left where I had a few (very strong) cuba libres before the tour started.

[Deano]

I've seen dodgy labels on real Cohiba's but none that bad. Yet everything points to it being purchased in the factory shop, which I'd very much doubt anyone would ever sell fakes without thread of being sacked. Even has the barcode/price on the bottom of it.

[Wigan]

Sure I seen a bar code checker somewhere?

[sheppsea]

There's one on the Habanos website, but that isn't 100% accurate so real cigars might not match

And even if the barcode on the warranty seal does match, that from a guarantees they're real - if I were to make a box of fakes the first thing I would do is make sure the barcode matches a real box

[Thebiglebowski]

I cut one open although I'm not sure what a fake should look like. I checked the label against the cigar afficianado gallery and it is the correct width 15mm and some of them have the three rows of dots above the label some don't as it looks like the gold has been overprinted wrong. There is some slight embossing of the gold lettering but doesn't seem as raised as some of the other examples

Untitled by thebiglebowski162, on Flickr

Untitled by thebiglebowski162, on Flickr

[Deano]

Gone to great lengths here mate, well done!