How to avoid buying counterfeit Cuban cigars.

[Nomad]

Many folks go away to Mexico , Dominican Republic and other vacations spots and buy " Cuban" cigars often the famed Cohiba . Now counterfeits out number real ones by more then 10 to 1 and time after time friends have brought me fakes, and years ago I fell for them as well, here's my advice.

First off there are NO glass top Cohiba boxes !!! Oh they sell millions of them ,ALL are fake like this one, which by the way was bought in CUBA . The only real Cohibas sold in Cuba are sold in Gov. shops , not street corners or back rooms , by " employees " who get " deals" on them .......

Cohibas cost around $20 a piece ( and some Way more ) depending on the size that may be a clue when you,pay $100 or so for 25 .

What you are buying may be a decent cigar that was Rebanded, or often banana leaves and floor sweepings, enjoy !

Cohiba cigars are made perfect , the people working the sorting tables can tell 60 shades of the same wrapper and groups them accordingly, the caps and foots are perfect with a 3 ring cap noticeable .

Look at this cigar , way to vainy and lumpy, the cap is crooked . But the band tells the story, those little white squares? The top row should have black spacing above it , never will it be cut though the squares or this close to,them like here . Where the band is glued together , the spacing between the squares and the line up should be perfect , here they over lap and run at an angle .

Avoid glass top boxes , buy only from large well established cigar shops or Gov. Shops ( in Cuba) , look the cigar over it should be smooth , solid , and prefect in every way and all the cigars in the box should be the same length , shade and shape, and look the band over.

I post this because so,many ( most are getting fakes ) these were bought by a camera man who was in Cuba filming a game, he was thrilled to pass a couple out to,select friends back home. I did not have the heart to tell him, but at the same time these people are not getting a treat .

Edited May 9, 2016 by Larry302

[ants]

Good to know….

[turkeyfeathers]

What if they smell like Monica Lewinsky ? Real or fake ?

[Nomad]

I'd say real, Bill almost certinaly had the real deal .

[ants]

What if they smell like Monica Lewinsky ? Real or fake ?

I say Fake!! Some S.O.B probably slipped a Cuban band over a Jimmy Dean sausage link

[Hunter1]

Thanks for the info

[Pygmy]

Speaking of Monica,  do you realize that she just turned  42  ??

 

They grow up so fast...Seems like just the other day she was running around the oval office on her hands and knees putting EVERYTHING in her mouth....

[Hock3y24]

Mmmmmmm

[Marion]

Mmmmmmm

Totally fugayze

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[Lawdwaz]

Good information here!

 

I don't have to worry though, I know my Garcia Vega English Coronas are the REAL deal.  Right off the rez..................

 

 

[BizCT]

Not Cubans, but these were very good nonetheless. Puerto Rico, sister in laws parents house.

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Edited May 10, 2016 by Biz-R-OWorld

[Nomad]

That's nice Biz!

I'm no cigar snob, I order from JR Cigar mostly, I seek a balance between what I enjoy and price point . I turely understand that old saying , " what this country needs is a good nickel cigar ! " Although today I'd settle for $4 to $5.

We have we have a shop here that has a roller on site and they have the tobacco shipped in .

Nice cigars , I just don't like paying $10-$12 a stick all the time .

Lately I've been into Gurkha , had my first on a beach in the Bahamas , I slipped off from the family and was enjoying a cigar I picked up a few days prior, when a woman approached me and asked what I was smoking..... Turns out she was a Gurkha rep.and gave me some.

[BizCT]

I typically buy from Moms Cigar Shop in Central Ave (Hartsdale/Scarsdale/Yonkers area). I like their homemade no label cigars, especially their 2-tone ones. They are like $6.75 and last like an hour

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[ants]

Isn't there a shop right in times square? Two levels?? Went there a few years back.My wife and daughters spent two days shopping. If it wasn't for that cigar shop and hotel bar, I would have jumped into traffic>>>>>

[GreeneHunter]

Or just don't smoke ?

[ants]

Or just don't smoke ?

No thank you

[BizCT]

Isn't there a shop right in times square? Two levels?? Went there a few years back.My wife and daughters spent two days shopping. If it wasn't for that cigar shop and hotel bar, I would have jumped into traffic>>>>>

 

Lots of them in NYC.

[coonhunter]

I lucked out Monday. A guy at work has a brother that is a cigar rep for one of the chain smoke shops in the northeast. They went to a Drew Estate function over the weekend. He said it was a mix of casual  dress to tuxedos, and tons of cigars.

 

He brought me back a mix of Rocky Patels, Acid, and a couple random Drew Estate cigars. Darn nice of him because it is well over $100 worth of cigars if bought by the single. He said it was a fun time, and very information filled if you chose to participate.  

[Fletch]

I lucked out Monday. A guy at work has a brother that is a cigar rep for one of the chain smoke shops in the northeast. They went to a Drew Estate function over the weekend. He said it was a mix of casual dress to tuxedos, and tons of cigars.

He brought me back a mix of Rocky Patels, Acid, and a couple random Drew Estate cigars. Darn nice of him because it is well over $100 worth of cigars if bought by the single. He said it was a fun time, and very information filled if you chose to participate.

I would of been in heaven! I am a big fan of Acid lately. Rocky Patel has always been a favorite.

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[nyantler]

I haven't had a Cuban yet that I've enjoyed more than any other good cigar... I like the spicy and peppery tastes in a medium to full habano wrapper cigar. I have a few that I get from Cigar International that I really like and have been able to get for $2 a cigar. They are Oliva seconds... 3.5 x 60 habanos... great burn, great taste and always consistent. I have been smoking good cigars for over 20 years and have learned to find just what I like for a great price. I buy roughly 60-80 cigars a month. Sometimes I buy cigars based on what drink I might have with them, different flavors for different drinks. I must say that when I just want to sit back and enjoy the taste of a good full flavored cigar it will be any 60 ring Partagas Black.

[raymerlo]

How about those DeNobli's,they will put hair on your chest

[ELMER J. FUDD]

Arthur Ave!

[raymerlo]

The last time I was there there was a guy rolling them in the public market,bought a couple not bad

[G-Man]

Isn't it a fallacy thay the best cigars are cuban? The manufactures and rollers fled when the communists took over. I forget what they changed their name to.... kind of paying for a name and getting an inferior product ..