Sicklo vi? Or siglo vi?

[Jringe1109]

Hey guys,

This is my second suspect box of cigars in one week. Lucky me. The montes turned out to be real but ugly.

These look 100% fake to my untrained eyes. There three problems that i can see.

1- the bands are faded and look like they were printed on a computer.

2- the warranty seal looks circa 2009. How many boxes of 2009 siglo vi do you think are laying around. My gut says not too many. And especially wothout a premium price tag.

3- the half finished triple cap. There is only three cap lines halfway around the cigar. And the wrappers look like crap. also the bands are not glued evenly they are crooked in the back.

4- the box seals were cut upon arrival and an invoive was inserted into the box which was odd considering this retailer has always shipped sealed boxes in the past.

Thanks for the helping a newb habano smoker out once again.

I learned one thing though. Im only ordering from Czar in my future orders. I cant keep loosing sleep over the possibility of my hard earned $ being wasted on garbage.

Thanks

Jeremy

[CaptainQuintero]

They look fine to me, you just got chucked some crappy looking ones again sadly, the pictures are upside down though and now my neck hurts

Gibraltar?

[Jringe1109]

Haha thanks. No theyre from ireland. What do you think about the 2009 or earlier warranty seal though? Thats real fishy to me. I smoked one right off the truck and it left an acrid taste on the roof of my mouth. Not how an "aged" cohiba should taste. Granted ive only had a couple in the past.

[Jringe1109]

Ohh and what about the half finished triple cap? Is that normal?

[CaptainQuintero]

I think I know the source, and it just adds more to them being fine. In the UK and Ireland it's quite usual to have stock with a few years on, I bought some Upmann no 2 two years ago from the Fox store in London and they were 2002 vintage, they weren't advertised as such that was just the box they had on hand at the time, stock doesn't tend to move that quickly in the UK sometimes

edit- personally I find all Cohiba quite acrid and bitter.harsh until the five year mark generally. If you let them rest for a month or two you will probably find them more softer after they have recovered from their journey

re triple cap, I might have the wrong end of the stick here but I think triple cap is a US term? I have had some Cubans with caps that look like they have been spat onto the cigar and others that look like a 'quad cap' etc etc I think it is down to the roller on the day and how he/she likes to apply caps. As far as i know it is just a certain technique that gives them impression of three caps, not three actual separate pieces of tobacco. Some rollers tuck the pigtail into the head of the cigar too etc, I think it's more a mark of different techniques used rather than quality

[Blakes]

I echo, everything already said by Shlomo and the Captain.

I think to find a box of Cuban cigars that where all were identical and perfectly rolled would be more "suspect" LOL

[Jringe1109]

Ha thanks for all the great info guys. I was just under the assumption that all cubans had triple caps being that the few that i have and have had, had them. Yes i think the term triple cap is a US term. We use it to descripe the three distinct lines that form from the cap being rolled into place and then being capped off. Good to know that its not a requirement to be legit.

Sorry for my newbness. But when it comes to habanos its a new world for me and im learning something new every day.

So i appreciate all of your responses.

As far as that warranty seal goes i guess thats what they used to look like then correct?

[Ryan]

That plain green H&F stamp is used by Hunter's and Frankau for Ireland, Gibraltar and The Channel Islands. I've been told by Hunters that they have a record of which sticker serial number goes on each box.

If you still have concerns, call them up or email them with that serial number and they'll be able to tell you what box that went on.

I don't know which retailer you used but nothing about those cigars says fake to me.

I wasn't aware of the small warranty seal used on packets like that changing over the last few years but I know that a couple of years ago the law here changed requiring the health warning stickers on tobacco products to be bilingual Irish/English, before that it was English only, like yours. So those cigars have a few years age on them.

Again no big deal, cigar shops here (and there aren't many) have Cohibas on the shelves with 10 years plus of age on them, at no premium.

[Jringe1109]

Ryan,

Thanks thats good to know. I wouldnt have any concerns had the seals been intact upon arrival. Ive been burnt in the past amd im just now starting to get back into ordering habanos online. The two cohibas i have had were almost perfect in appearance so when these showed up i had red flags popping up.

Shlomo,

Thanks for all the info. I was expecting more from one of cohibas priciest vitolas.

Im going to put an order in with rob for a whole bunch of different singles. At least i know theyll be real in the future.

Thanks again.

[Ophidion]

As you develop a good working relationship with a. Vendor, a few will hand pick for you. I personally use a wide variety of vendors that I have developed relationships with over the years because if I rely on only one, the variety of cigars available to me is very limited.

There is a newbies guide to buying cigars that I have followed and I have had great success with that method. Specifically always thanking them for a successful shipment and giving praise where it is due.

I'd wager that a good deal of people never send follow up correspondence when they have a good/great experience with their vendors.

[jangoman88]

As you develop a good working relationship with a. Vendor, a few will hand pick for you. I personally use a wide variety of vendors that I have developed relationships with over the years because if I rely on only one, the variety of cigars available to me is very limited.

There is a newbies guide to buying cigars that I have followed and I have had great success with that method. Specifically always thanking them for a successful shipment and giving praise where it is due.

I'd wager that a good deal of people never send follow up correspondence when they have a good/great experience with their vendors.

Just curious where would this guide be? Im definitely a noob to cigars

[Skyfall]

Just curious where would this guide be? Im definitely a noob to cigars

http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=53384&st=0

[garbandz]

Expecting perfection from every box of cubans is going to drive you nuts.Cuban sticks are the least consistent and least attractive sticks out there.

You will benefit from studying " Cuban Cigar Website." Add it to your favorites,it will come in very handy if you continue on this path.

[mk05]

theyre from ireland.

for real?

[silvano10]

sicklo