Score! Or not. Boo.

[Robb in Austin]

I was just gifted these by one of the nurses I work with. (She and her husband go back home to Cuba every couple of years.) These are about 3 years old, a little tight and dry, but I'm hoping some time in the humidor will get them back in shape.
If anyone has any insight to what they might be like I'd appreciate it.

 

[StogieNinja]

That Cohiba is not only likely to be not good for your tastebuds, it might be bad for your health... I wouldn't smoke it personally, who knows what could be inside it. And if the Cohiba is a fake, the Boli is likely to be as well... both wrappers look suspect as all heck.

 

[ChuckMejia]

@AlohaStyle Can give you some insight

 

[Xavier Dredo]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Craig Mac]

Even I can tell that Cohiba is fake....

 

[Robb in Austin]

Guess I have some research to do.

So, on the subject; I suppose the counterfeit market is alive and well in Cuba too. I'm curious if anyone can provide insight on not buying fakes there. Shopping at a tobacconist vs some guy off the street? I didn't ask where they bought them though.

 

[PamunkeyHub]

If your co-worker doesn't smoke or have a little knowledge about CC, spotting a fake will be a difficult task. You may want to let her know that they are fake to avoid wasting her money in the future. You can direct her to an official La Casa de Habano location in Cuba (see link below). Also, for your reference, the cuban cigar website (http://www.cubancigarwebsite.com) is the go-to source for descriptions and pictures of real CC.

http://lacasadelhabano.com/web/index.php/en/franchises/search-franchises

 

[AlohaStyle]

That Cohiba is not only likely to be not good for your tastebuds, it might be bad for your health... I wouldn't smoke it personally, who knows what could be inside it. And if the Cohiba is a fake, the Boli is likely to be as well... both wrappers look suspect as all heck.

If your co-worker doesn't smoke or have a little knowledge about CC, spotting a fake will be a difficult task. You may want to let her know that they are fake to avoid wasting her money in the future. You can direct her to an official La Casa de Habano location in Cuba (see link below). Also, for your reference, the cuban cigar website (http://www.cubancigarwebsite.com) is the go-to source for descriptions and pictures of real CC.

http://lacasadelhabano.com/web/index.php/en/franchises/search-franchises

This and That

Definitely only shop at the LCDH shops in Cuba. There are a few other legit shops in Havana but the person needs to know what they are doing. Stick to the LCDH shops... there's maybe 9 of them in Havana.

 

[Robb in Austin]

Thanks for all the info y'all.
I asked and she said they got them at "the store". And they don't smoke so they didn't know.
I'm still investigating the Bolivar. I asked her to take pics of the boxes when she gets home tonight. Assuming the Bolivar is fake, I'll dissect them and post all the pics.
I'm a little surprised the fakes would be offered to a native.

 

[tedp]

Thanks for all the info y'all.
I asked and she said they got them at "the store". And they don't smoke so they didn't know.
I'm still investigating the Bolivar. I asked her to take pics of the boxes when she gets home tonight. Assuming the Bolivar is fake, I'll dissect them and post all the pics.
I'm a little surprised the fakes would be offered to a native.

I think fakes are offered to anyone with money in their pocket!

 

[Robb in Austin]

I asked for pics of the boxes. Here is a link to them: http://imgur.com/a/48afr
Obviously, the Bolivar's aren't in the correct box. She was unsure if they came in the Montecristo box or if her husband gave the original box to someone.
The pics of the Bolivar show the stripes behind the medals on one side so I feel safe that it's a fake one too.

 

[PamunkeyHub]

I asked for pics of the boxes. Here is a link to them: http://imgur.com/a/48afr
Obviously, the Bolivar's aren't in the correct box. She was unsure if they came in the Montecristo box or if her husband gave the original box to someone.
The pics of the Bolivar show the stripes behind the medals on one side so I feel safe that it's a fake one too.

What a train wreck... the warranty seal taped to the Cohiba box is an especially nice touch

Sorry to say, but I don't see anything legit in those pictures. The boxes, cigar labels, and warranty seals are all knock-offs.

 

[stin187]

That Boli is most certainly a fake as well. It was a really nice thought for your friends to grab you some sticks though.

 

[Robb in Austin]

I enjoyed the tape job too.

Here's the insides:


So I drowned my sorrow with this:

 

[8ball]

Smart move. I'm no expert on fakes, but wow, good thing you didn't smoke them. Tell them thanks for the smokes, they were great and leave it as that.

 

[Robb in Austin]

So, today, she brings this in. From brief searching, I'm not sure on this one. If it's fake, it's a good one. The Cohiba is embossed, hologram. What is throwing me off is the numbers under the little V thing on the end and the fact that the squares are cut off on the right side.

 

[CVAC085]

So, today, she brings this in. From brief searching, I'm not sure on this one. If it's fake, it's a good one. The Cohiba is embossed, hologram. What is throwing me off is the numbers under the little V thing on the end and the fact that the squares are cut off on the right side.View attachment 81973 View attachment 81974

That looks alot more legit. I believe that's a newer cohiba band. I'm nowhere near a CC expert though, still learning!


Sent from my cellular device via Tap to Talk

 

[PamunkeyHub]

So, today, she brings this in. From brief searching, I'm not sure on this one. If it's fake, it's a good one. The Cohiba is embossed, hologram. What is throwing me off is the numbers under the little V thing on the end and the fact that the squares are cut off on the right side.

It's either a very good fake or a very poor legit label.

Real Cohiba label from cubancigarwebsite:

The little details stick out to me:
* The "COHIBA" font placement is slightly off.
* The white squares are cut off on the ends.
* The hologram appears to be embossed which I do not believe is correct.

 

[stin187]

It's a nice fake. The Cohiba font is different and if it came from the same place they got the other fakes then there is no question at all it is not real. 99% of the time if you have to ask if it's fake .... it's fake.

 

[99TRILLS]

one item leading me to thinking the cohiba band is fake is the spacing of the white border around the hologram head. Seems like they overlap where they should not. But also I'm fairly new to the counterfeit vs real game.