Real or Fake? Cohiba Esplendidos

[jman]

Picked a few of these up a year ago. The band seems fake to me...Habana is to light and the squares are cut off. What do you guys think?

Cohiba Esplendidos

[Colt45]

Though bands aren't necessarily always definitive, this one doesn't look good. Cut off squares as you mentioned, and the "C" in Cuba

doesn't look right to me either.

Note the difference:

[Ken Gargett]

Though bands aren't necessarily always definitive, this one doesn't look good. Cut off squares as you mentioned, and the "C" in Cuba

doesn't look right to me either.

Note the difference:

doesn't seem perfect but colt, yours is on a cigar that is not an esplendido i'm guessing. would that make a difference?

[Ken Gargett]

looking at the 'C' on the esplendido on trevor's site, it seems closer to the first one than colt's but not definitive.

[Ken Gargett]

although not when you blow it up. in other words, i have no idea and have been of no help.

[niggaese]

i cant say much about the lable, but i think the wrapper looks alright to me, you cant say its real or fake, unless you burn it.

in order to say it, the best way to do it, its to purchase one from the havana express and compare with yours. Smoke the 2 at same time, make sure these cigars are not much aged different, than you should able to find out which ones are real which ones are fake, packaging is not so prefect from cuban. Even the real ones, i also got lable problem with few sticks of my behike boxes, does that means there are fake. Smoke it n find out yourself.

Hope its helpful

Cheers & happy smoking

[bas]

It may be useful to look on the box (stamps, joints, etc).

[El Presidente]

It may be useful to look on the box (stamps, joints, etc).

I am no expert on bands but I have seen plenty of Esplendido with that shade wrapper.

Comes down to your vendor (don't post here but PM if you wish) and the flavour experience.

[sepp]

Back to band comparisons, notice the spacing between the H and I in the emobssed COHIBA. The first is pinched and tight, Does not look right.

[jman]

They came from a local smoke shop, which makes me wonder? I have had a few and they taste good, similiar to other Cohibas, I've had in the past. The label is shady, I'll send more photos later on today. The habana cuba printing is pretty light to me.

[niggaese]

Just open a boxes of 25s from la casa brought over few years ago, these are from 2005

hope its helpful

[Colt45]

although not when you blow it up. in other words, i have no idea and have been of no help.

K. Gargett, our new FOH logo icon!

[Guest rob]

Just saw this thread now.

One of the most distinctive give away for fake cohiba bands is when the tail of the "C" in Cuba, cuts into the body. Therefore, in my opinion, the example in the original post is fake. I'm almost 100% certain.

You cant always tell when a legitimate band is real or fake.... but you can nearly always tell when a fake one is fake.

The photo that Colt posted is a classic example - embossing that doesnt line up properly is evident with legitimate Habanos just as frequently as they are with fakes. I have boxes of Cohibas from Pacific Cigars where the embossing is way off.

[Miami101]

It is a fake! I have a box I pick up seven years ago in my Humi.

Do you have the box they cam in? What location did you pick them up from? Don't tell me Mexico, or Miami?

Cohiba Esplendidos

[maximus]

the u aint right either

[MPS]

Looks like this one: Fake Cohiba DC's

[jman]

I never bought a box, just singles from a B&M in the US. I was a newbie at the time. I was just in Mexico and made a visit to the La Casa store, no fakes there. I figured they were fakes, just wanted other opinions. Thanks for everyone's help on this thread.

[laficion]

Sorry to say, but I think that it is 100% fake, at least for me, I could be wrong but don't think so.

1st. look at the row of white sqs. just above the name cohiba,

the white sqs. are cut by the gold strip that underlines cohiba.

2nd. The C in Cuba runs inside, it should stop on the outer line.

3rd. The U in Cuba is the same thickness as the other letters

when it sould be much thicker and noticablely blacker.

I hope that helps you some

[ajgagnon]

I have some that have the "La Habana" text in mirror image while the COHIBA text is normal... part of a street purchase fiasco on my last trip to Cuba. I also got to see up close four boxes of fakes - Bolivar Immensas, Partagas Churchills, Ramon Allones Gigantes and one other (can't remember at the moment) that were all picadura and horrible, but looked impeccable and had really nice wrappers, bands and boxes. That was an eye opener... normally I assume Esplendidos are fake, but all those other brands... that was a good job!

Look at the middle two...

[thechenman]

I have some that have the "La Habana" text in mirror image while the COHIBA text is normal... part of a street purchase fiasco on my last trip to Cuba. I also got to see up close four boxes of fakes - Bolivar Immensas, Partagas Churchills, Ramon Allones Gigantes and one other (can't remember at the moment) that were all picadura and horrible, but looked impeccable and had really nice wrappers, bands and boxes. That was an eye opener... normally I assume Esplendidos are fake, but all those other brands... that was a good job!

Look at the middle two...

Very interesting...haven't seen that before.