Just got my counterfeit cubans!

[Morris]

I will wait for this thread to develop a bit more and then take some of the opinions from it to help formulate my response.

Thanks for everyone's input thus far. And thanks to the original thread starter.

[tippexx]

The amount of lapsed time isn't really the issue. And isn't it better to try doing something than do nothing. Even if you get a bad response, you'll feel better for having had a go!

[Morris]

I originally ordered 25 Cuaba Exclusivos from the vendor in question and these arrived with Mold. I asked for the D4s as a replacement and told them to check them before sending. The box arrived with the seals broken (so it had been opened for checking) however, they did not re-seal the box in plastic for shipping so it spent a long time losing moisture during its transit. To cut a long story short, I had waited ages for them to arrive so decided to keep them. I did however email them to voice my displeasure and to assure them I would not buy from them again.

Since then I have learnt more about cigars and now know that the standard expected of them is not to be found in the box I was sent. I think that perhaps too much time has passed since I got them for me to send them back now. They will inevitably ask why I didn't send them back earlier. If they are fake I don't believe the company knew it. They are indeed one of these that ship from a warehouse. In the same delivery I received a cohiba robusto single and Bolivar gold medal single that were both definitely not fakes.

[tippexx]

I'm pretty new to cigars. Yet to be honest I don't like the 'look' of what I'm seeing in those pictures. Have you first considered contacting the vendor and voicing your concerns. Whilst your cigars should have been inspected before despatch, a reputable vendor will want those back for re-inspection, firstly for the sake of their own professional interest and reputation, and secondly to maintain a valuable on-going client/customer relationship.

[Luis]

The burn issues don't mean much, I get those regulary from cigars from every sources , and mostly when they come from the cigar shops in Paris from which I stopped buying. Overhumidified cigars, problems with lighting techniques might be as much a reason or more than construction default. Not much too worry there. Bands look a little dodgy, went to check some D4 I got from a very reputable vendor and some are not particulary well tapped either, so I wouldn't overly worry. Yet how they seemed to stick on the box, reminds me of a review on fakes stating that would happen mostly with fakes because they wouldn't let the box dry properly after manufacturing it, but there are a couple of discrepancies on various of their claims (think I have the link on favourite but on another favourite). Wrappers look fine.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to send one or two of those sticks to a volunteer, or just dissect one, it would suck to learn that some vendors with a good rep on this forum are selling fakes, even on recent regular production, just having doubts is not good.

But note that several of those vendors are discounters shipping out of Switzerland, they just ship the next box on the pile without opening it to check for the contents, and it's obvious subpar boxes are part of their stock.

[Deano]

From smoking one I can tell if it's a D4 or not that's for sure, and that's only after 18 months of smoking.

Those bands do look absolutely horrid, but hard to tell otherwise.

[Morris]

Sorry for the covertness of my posts! I didn't realise they would appear so small!

Thanks to Dave though for providing the link. If you follow that you'll get to the photobucket account where you can access larger versions.

As for taste, I've only been smoking cigars for 4 months and these were my first D4s. I have nothing to compare with. They don't burn that evenly though and one or two have tunnel burned (but, I understand burn issues are more likely to happen with young cigars, plus I was smoking outside on one occasion)

If we don't come to a satisfactory conclusion on here I will gladly post out one of these cigars to a seasoned D4 smoker in the New Year for their opinion. I don't want to name and shame a company if I am wrong!

(to note, the company I bought them from are well recommended and often discussed on this website)

[daverave999]

Click here for sensible size pictures.

[Bender]

We got a genuine covert operation going on here

Pics are too small to notice anything out of thee ordinary mate.

[jdawg]

Your pics are way to small to really see any details.

[whisky77]

WTF?

LOL.Welcome to the most cryptic thread since the inception of the internet.

[tupacboy]

hey morris,

for some reason your pics are really small... while the pics posted by skyhigh are large... anyone else have this problem? or am i just special?

[tupacboy]

"-The first cedar insert has a stamp that is not perfectly centered.
known to happen...

-The cigars are off-colour from my genuine d4's.
if every cigar was suppose to look the same color... then you're assuming they use the exact same color leaf... and in this case you are also assuming this with a year between the cigars... its nature... variance will happen... go to any cigar shop and look up boxes... from different dates... you will see that they have color variance...

-The wrappers have the right gold but the red is too red and not slightly purplish like the real ones.
If you look at dave's link on the montecristo.... the last comment by me... will answer this...

-A few wrappers are not properly glued together...meaning the two ends don't meet parallel to one another."
I am assuming that you mean the outside wrapper holding the cigar together... can you show me picture of what you mean? I just want to make sure...

And lastly, if they smoked good... you can't fake taste

[kingcohiba]

im not expert on these types of things....but they do look a little weird i think. best to wait and see what these other guys think. how do they smoke? that usually tells it all.

[Morris]

off to bed now. I shall await your responses tomorrow.

Thanks for your help.