Suspicious Cohiba

[iGrizz]

An older gentlemen I work with who also enjoys cigars as much as I do but knows nothing of Habanos received an interesting gift from one of our drivers. As soon as I saw the band at a distance I thought "Nice! A Cohiba, don't know if it's real but if it is you got something really special". However after looking closely I notice it is not what I initially thought it was...

I have not come across anything from the Dominican Cohiba with this band.

[gigabyte056]

There are Cohiba cigars from the Dominican republic.

They have nothing to do with the original Cuban Cohiba apart from having the same label (of sorts).

[randomhero1090]

Yes, General Cigar (I believe), owns the rights to name in the US. But that's what you call a "Red Dot" Cohiba, given the red dot filling in the "o" in Cohiba.

I have never seen that band on a DM Cohiba. Looks like a poor take on the Cuban band.

I am sure it's a counterfeit.

[cigcars]

Another "Montecristie" special...

[Ophidion]

Just going to put this right here:

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/16483

[iGrizz]

I have no doubt they are counterfeit. I just am puzzled that if it is indeed counterfeit why did they put Republica Dominacana on the band. If someone were trying to counterfeit a real Cohiba they would have included on the band Habana, Cuba. I have searched high and low and cannot find another band like this one.

Ophidion, I wonder if this may have come from that shipment?

[canadianbeaver]

It is so intriguing the trouble these folks go to to fake these labels. Someone had to do the design, the artwork file, the printing, the assembly... Why not scan a real one and recreate it? Why make such a goofy one?

[cigcars]

Well, a few things I will add; I'd read in years past that the counterfeit cuban cigar industry is as lucrative as the illegal drug trade. Don't know if this is still current or not, yet it does give credence to the wise old saying that "A good thing sells itself...a bad thing wants advertising." Because, I suppose, that Cuban cigars have proven their great desirability throughout the CENTURIES, what kind of bombastic, hard-driving, back-to-back-to-back-to-back unending hammering of advertising do they need to do - NONE. Just a small little ad here and there stating their name, their availability, and that's THAT! Yes, this is a stab at the by now totally crass, headache causing, gone-too-far commercial industry plaguing some of us in the western part of the world. WHOOOAAA, I hate having to wait for a movie or program soundbite with my commercials, and will just forfeit watching anything to get a break from these BANG-BANG-BANG advertisements! To end with another wise old head's observation; "Anything good you don't have to force on people...they will STEAL it".

[daggersarge]

I think you guys are missing the point. These aren't fake CUBAN Cohibas. They are fake DOMINICAN Cohibas. The same as if someone tried to sell fake Padron cigars.

Sarge

[iGrizz]

I don't care if it's Cuban or Dominican I just think it is funny they counterfeited the Cuban band and stuck Republica Dominicana.

[Ophidion]

Just read the article I posted, it pretty much explains this.

[Rays98GoVols]

This is the way the Cohiba Dominican Republic band USED to look like before the Lawsuit. After the Lawsuit they had to change it to what we know now as Cohiba 'Red Dot'....it may be a real Dominican, but the band is a cross between the old Dominican Band (which look EXACTLY like) the Cuban Cohiba Band (Except the Habana, Cuba is replaced by Dominica Republicana) and the current raised letter with gold letters Cuban Band. It is a mutant...