jncasey

Picked up a pair of Exclusivo Natural and Diplomatico Maduro. Interesting box shape. Trying out the Exclusivo Natural now with a glass of Eagle Rare. Very smooth and peppery. Are the 1964 Anniversary Series fairly easy to find at local shops or did I just get lucky?

Hello I'm admittedly a novice when it comes to cigars. Looking for size & shape recommendations on a Padron 1964 Anniversary Maduro. I've found many positive reviews on Diplomatico & Torpedo. Is it really just personal preference? Thanks! Jonathan

What a difference the 365nm UV light makes compared to 395nm.

Noted. The Esplendidos box I recently acquired had a totally bogus warranty seal. Downright laughable. Barcode not consistent with verification check, barcode # came up as Maduros, no UV Cuban crest, micro serial #'s not matching and coming up as Montecristos, warranty label light green, hologram clearly fake, transit seal exposed... list goes on. I was so ignorant and had no clue when purchasing. At least I know now. The cigars taste good though haha. My risk. Other than a quick visual inspection, I can't imagine pulling out a UV blacklight and running a Habanos verification check in front of a "seller" either...

At the coast. Between Beaufort and Wilmington.

Unfortunately, I can't speak to the age difference. One of them is from April when I traveled to Cabo. The upper band also has UV squares and CBH. I would agree the font is more yellow instead of orange. Attached is another photo showing four bands (lower two were previously compared in original post). The upper two are from the same box and have no UV squares or CHB, presumably fake. For your enjoyment, I cut one open yesterday what was sold to me as an Esplendidos after smoking one. Looked mostly like long filler FWIW? No triple cap. Tasted okay. Also, I checked the Cuban crest on a box of Montecristo No. 2 that I had and noticed what looks like "00012" in the crest. Research indicates I got fooled again. Shame on me.

Hello - my name is Jonathan and I'm a new member here hailing from North Carolina. I'm 34 yo and have been smoking an occasional cigar for about 10 years (still a novice though). In the past 12 months, I have taken up smoking BBQ and enjoying nice bourbons and of course, cigars. I recently purchased my first humidor and frequently visit a local shop as well as cigar locations OCONUS. This past weekend, I ended up sadly disappointed after realizing I have spent a pile of money on fake Montecristos and Cohibas by using a simple UV light. That said, pursuing real Cubans now feels like a challenge that interests me. However, I'd like to learn more about other quality cigars that are just as enjoyable yet affordable, e.g. Nicaraguan. Thanks!

Hello! My name is Jonathan. New here. I've done a ton of research this weekend on spotting real vs fake Cohibas. Ended up sadly disappointed over past purchases as have many others. Going through my saved bands, I have one that I think is legit and the other is a decent fake. I believe the top band is real. The bottom band has poorly cut ends and the yellow appears faint under UV light (395nm). I purchased a 365nm light on Amazon today. However, the bottom band does have 4 blue diagonal squares and the UV label "CHB063." The top band (presumably real) only has two blue diagonal squares and UV label "CHB192." Also, the top band is the only band I have where the ring gauge numbers on the left side are in orange font. The bottom band is cut off before the ring gauge numbers. None of my other saved bands compare to the top band. What do you think? Thanks for looking!