Fortune cookie says ...

[Nino]

Hi,

been decompressing after my long Cuba trip and busy selecting pictures and collecting my experiences.

So far 8 out of a planned 24 posts on many topics from factory visits (La Corona and El Laguito), cigar dinners, tobacco grower visits, casas particulares and paladares, Partagas encuentro, etc. have been posted many of them featuring Punch Joe Jose who spent much time with me and our common friends.

One of my favourites is this experience I came across in Havana's Chinatown while waiting for a table at a Chinese only eatery - a crew of Chinese hustlers selling fake Cohiba Esplendido boxes by the truckload to an official Chinese trade delegation ..... poetic justice indeed to be outfaked by your own .

It was rather more fun sharing good cigars with North Koreans.

The link :

http://www.flyingcigar.de/travel_cigars/2011_11_havana_smoking_wirh_north-koreans_out-faked_chi.php

Nino

[maverickdrinker]

those were great pictures Nino.

A

[mazolaman]

A thought provoking post, Nino.

It's hard to believe anyone would fall for some cheap street cigars, but maybe they are less cynical than we westerners, and maybe they are relying on the honesty of their compatriots.....

There's one born every minute.

Maybe they and their relatives are quite enjoying their "cahibos"!

Great to read your posts,Nino.

[Ghabanos]

Poetic justice... Hilarious

Thanks for sharing Nino

[riazp]

Exellent post Nino, Great read! Poetic justice indeed!

[anacostiakat]

Thanks Nino!

[cottierm]

Wonderful read, Nino, thanks for sharing it!

Best,

Michel

Hi,

been decompressing after my long Cuba trip and busy selecting pictures and collecting my experiences.

So far 8 out of a planned 24 posts on many topics from factory visits (La Corona and El Laguito), cigar dinners, tobacco grower visits, casas particulares and paladares, Partagas encuentro, etc. have been posted many of them featuring Punch Joe Jose who spent much time with me and our common friends.

One of my favourites is this experience I came across in Havana's Chinatown while waiting for a table at a Chinese only eatery - a crew of Chinese hustlers selling fake Cohiba Esplendido boxes by the truckload to an official Chinese trade delegation ..... poetic justice indeed to be outfaked by your own .

It was rather more fun sharing good cigars with North Koreans.

The link :

http://www.flyingcigar.de/travel_cigars/2011_11_havana_smoking_wirh_north-koreans_out-faked_chi.php

Nino

[Styler]

I find it amazing that anyone going to Cuba, with a mind to buy expensive cigars, would neglect to do their homework beforehand. It wouldn't take long to come across a forum like this or a journal like Nino's warning of the dangers of fake cigars.

[riazp]

Well these people try to target tourists who dont know anybetter. My wifes friends were in cuba last week and her friends sends me a text message telling me that she could get 30 cohibas for 50$ in holguin...I quickly denied and told her not to buy those for anyone as they are fakes. But had she not asked me before hand she would have bought them, thinking that she got a helluva deal and doing a nice gesture for me.

[FrankBlack87]

i always love nino's posts!

[randomhero1090]

LOL that's great.

[CanuckSARTech]

Poetic justice indeed. It would be interesting the know what the chemical content might be in some of the "filler" of those cigars, compared with some of the Chinese crap lately with lead, arsenic, fouled baby formula, dangerous children's toys, etc., etc., etc.

I'm tired of seeing the Chinese get away with some of this crap.

[nubchin]

They might end up producing Cahibos Suspendidos Cojone Selecion copied from a Cahibos Sorprendidos with Chinese Java wrapper rolled some were in Hong Kong.

Poetic justice

If a tiny percent of the Chinese population end up being a BOTL ,,,, I would end up with out any CCs for sure

Pump those fakes to China LOL

[Ginseng]

Barrio Chino! When my relatives started coming over to the West, some settled in Cuba before the Revolution. Oh how I wish I could walk those streets. Perhaps some day.

Wilkey

[android]

I'm not sure about poetic justice...I hate to see anyone get ripped off.

Exactly

Nice work Nino and great pics as well

[nick17]

thats just as funny ass the fake Cohiba's i encountered yesterday with a persons name and flags on the band and box and they where Cohiba pyramids with a LE band from 08... fake much

Thanks for sharing Nino

[bolivr]

That is gold Nino. I bet you could hardly believe what you were seeing. Thanks for the great story.

For everyone on FoH, it is worth following the link to Nino's blog with more pictures

http://www.flyingcigar.de/travel_cigars/2011_11_havana_smoking_wirh_north-koreans_out-faked_chi.php

It's pretty sad though to see how skinny those Nth Korean guys are.

[Nino]

My pleasure -

I could believe it alright, seen and been hailed by enough Jineteros selling fakes in old central Havana in the last 7 years to ignore them.

What is stunning is the blatant openness here, the guys had their bags full of boxes and more boxes and they were openly selling outside and inside the restaurant. And of course the "parade" of their satisfied customers clutching the boxes like trophies in the open.

It was harder for my Cuban friends to believe what they were seeing ...

As for the North Koreans, yes, very skinny indeed so imagine what their compatriots out in the countryside must look like if this is a privileged "traveling" group.

I bought them sandwiches and drinks first before inviting them to cigars.

Have managed to post a dozen reports so far on my site, another dozen will be posted in the coming week.

This evening is pharmacy cigar gathering so no reports - I will reward myself with a pre-release RyJ Gran Reserva from the official tasting panel and a farm cigar rolled by Hector Luis' tabaquero Miguel.

For the cigar club's Christmas dinner this Saturday I have a treat for myself and my pharmacist : A Dulcinea, also a sample from the vitolas that may re-appear. It is a longer and thinner Diadema and should make us happy for a few hours after the roasted goose ...

Cheers

Nino

[Plato]

I read the article on your site. Great site by the way. The photographs and writing are both top notch.

I book marked your site. I look forward to reading through it tonight.

Thanks for sharing your experiences online!

Happy Smoke Rings,

Mike

[Peter11216]

I looked at the website too, and laughed when I read the caption: "Making sure the fakes are in the box," below a picture of two guys examining the contents of their boxes.

And boy, oh boy, the pictures of the North Koreans make them look a little unhealthy . . .

Great Read, Thanks,

Pete

I read the article on your site. Great site by the way. The photographs and writing are both top notch.

I book marked your site. I look forward to reading through it tonight.

Thanks for sharing your experiences online!

Happy Smoke Rings,

Mike

[cigcars]

Gross gut, Nino! And vielen danke for a very interesting story!

[Mistakl]

Great site by the way. The photographs and writing are both top notch.

+1!