How do you spot fakes?

[tomcoul]

Hi there all,
Just returned from a fantastic trip to Cuba.I enjoyed a number of fantastic cigars and purchased a box of Cohiba Esplendidos from the woner of my Casa Particulare. I read somewhere on this site that they're the most faked cigars - how can I tell if they're genuine or not?
All help appreciated!

[TJCoro]

Real or Not...that is the question here.

Hi there all,
Just returned from a fantastic trip to Cuba.I enjoyed a number of fantastic cigars and purchased a box of Cohiba Esplendidos from the woner of my Casa Particulare. I read somewhere on this site that they're the most faked cigars - how can I tell if they're genuine or not?
All help appreciated!

Smoke 'em, dude. Ultimately, that's the best way to spot a fake.

What did you pay for them? Were they in cellophane wrappers? Did they come in a glass-top box?

Names TJ, TJCoro, and they sell counterfeit puros in Cuba, too!

[Deano]

Get us some pictures and upload them here.

Get us the top of the box, close ups of the seals, the bottom of the box, close ups of the cigar ends, and the cigar bands.

I suspect they're probably fakes if they're not from a retail store mate. Sorry.
(Especially as they're Esplendidos which must possibly be the most faked cigar ever).

[TJCoro]

Yeah...where da' pics??

Get us some pictures and upload them here.

Get us the top of the box, close ups of the seals, the bottom of the box, close ups of the cigar ends, and the cigar bands.

I suspect they're probably fakes if they're not from a retail store mate. Sorry.
(Especially as they're Esplendidos which must possibly be the most faked cigar ever).

As you can see, senor Tomcoul, Mr. Deano is a very serious hombre, very serious, indeed.

Just what this forum needs to keep some of the characters in line.

Names TJ, TJCoro, and my head is spinning.

[Deano]

Shuddup ya face

[TJCoro]

What'd I tell ya'

Shuddup ya face

Exactly!!!

[Bender]

Your best bet is to do some research on various websites.

http://www.cigarnexus.com/counsel/counterfeit/index.html

http://www.cubancigarwebsite.com/

^those are 2 of the best sites that I know of. I spend a ton of time on there doing my homework for stuff.


But like TJ said, the best way is to just smoke the darn thing. I hope you have had a genuine cuban before so you have some reference to go by.

Another thing, I would let them sit in your humidor to stabilize a bit. I've noticed that any cigar cuban or NC, will taste funky if you smoke it right out of the shipping box. If you just came back from Cuba then they might have been out of a controlled environment for some time. Let em sit for a month if you can control yourself.

[tomcoul]

Thanks for the info/ links etc chaps.
Due to technical difficulties it'll have to be next week for the photos. Certainly no glass lid or cellophane involved and the cap on the cigars look good. What makes me think they're fakes is the fact that they were only $80! Having said that, my guide book did say that any Cuban who knows anyone will be able to get the few consumbales there are in Cuba at huge knock down prices on the black market - this I certainly found to be true with other goods.

One other q on this topic - how bad would a fake smoke? a real stinker?

[Stevieboy]

You could sacrifice one cigar by cutting it open to see if it's made of long filler leaves rather than a load of chopped bits of leaves. You'll soon know if you've bought fakes

[Deano]

They're defo fakes at that price, unless they're stolen from the factory - and that's pretty hard to do.

[TJCoro]

You be the Judge - smoke 'em

They're defo fakes at that price, unless they're stolen from the factory - and that's pretty hard to do.

Doesn't mean they won't be any good. I had some counterfeits that weren't too bad - smokable. But I have also had some that I tossed.

Silver lining - at least you didn't pay to much for the bounty.

Names TJ, TJCoro, and sometimes you do get what you pay for.

[Bender]

$80 for a box of ESPLENDIDOS??? Wow. That does sound toooo good to be true. I agree with the above poster, take the cigar to biology class

I'm willing to bet they are fakes tho...sorry mate

[bigjohn62]

as

$80 for a box of ESPLENDIDOS??? Wow. That does sound toooo good to be true. I agree with the above poster, take the cigar to biology class

I'm willing to bet they are fakes tho...sorry mate

as the saying goes you do get what you pay for, we all have been there chalk it up to experience.

[Bender]

There is a silver lining to all of this, at least he only spent $80 and not $400 for the fakes.

[TJCoro]

It's been said...

There is a silver lining to all of this, at least he only spent $80 and not $400 for the fakes.

Is there an echo in here?

Names TJ, TJCoro, and I'm told that imitation if the sincerest form of flattery.