Fake Cohiba Esplendidos, Right?


Hugomarink

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I know these are fake. I got them from a friend who knows little about cigars who says he gets them through a friend that regularly travels to Cuba. And he doesn't pay that much for them. All the usual signals that you're dealing with fakes.

BUT, I have examined the labels carefully and compared to pics of real Cohiba labels and they seem to check out pretty good except for the slight miscut along the top on a few of the samples where you can start to see another line of white squares. And those are triple caps, right?

I even smoked one and it wasn't a bad smoke. In fact, it was actually pretty good. Cuban, probably not, but it was a decent smoke. And for the record I have smoked real Esplendidos in the past and have always been pretty underwhelmed and consider them to be a cigar that is mostly overrated. In other words, the Esplendidos I've had have been "decent smokes" but nothing earth-shattering. Just my opinion.

I also cut one open to see if it's filled with short filler and crap like many fakes are and this was all long-filler and pretty good looking tobacco.

I have no box to see what these actually came out of as my friend brought them on a trip to Vegas and had them in a ziplock bag.

Anyway, I know these have to be fakes, but just wanted to get other opinions based on the pics below. Please let me know what you think.

2014-08-07205305_zps54c22973.jpg

2014-08-07205252_zpsb568e97f.jpg

2014-08-07205356_zpsd31cdf2e.jpg

2014-08-07205347_zpsd7360705.jpg

2014-08-07205322_zpsc7b997e2.jpg

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Bad haircuts on the band tops for sure, printing/fonts a bit sketchy. Quality, while not always a positive indicator, does not appear good.

That and the provenance, my bet would be on the counterfeit side.

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Pretty rough looking from what QC on Cohibas is supposed to be. Plus, the one on the bottom/right has some slight tooth. I'm guessing Nicarauguan.

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Here are my observations:

1. The caps are not properly placed

2. The bands are not properly cut

3. The gold-printing looks splotchy

4. The cigars look way too rough to be Esplendidos (usually have a more colorado color too)

5. Wrapper looks Nicaraguan to me

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"I have no box to see what these actually came out of as my friend brought them on a trip to Vegas and had them in a ziplock bag"

Vegas..........

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Thanks, everyone who chimed in. Yeah, I knew there was no way they could be real. The infamous Vegas trip where I got these from my buddy was over two years ago. I told him right off the bat they were fakes and explained why. He seemed to understand and gave me the rest of them when we departed. I was going to just toss them but ended up keeping them in my "junk" coolerdor (which holds a bunch of cigars I've obtained over the years that I'll probably never smoke).

And, for the record, I brought my own legitimate CCs on that trip because even though my friend told me ahead of time he was bringing Cohibas, I knew they wouldn't be real. The only reason I pulled these out the other day is I noticed they had a bit of mold on them. I doubt I'll smoke them and will probably just toss them. I don't like not knowing where my cigars came from. :-)

I was really just trying to find out here if there were obvious signs these were fake (besides knowing my friend got them from "a friend who goes to Cuba" and that he got them for dirt cheap compared to what Cohiba Esplendidos should cost). Yeah, they're pretty ugly for an Esplendido, but the pics I think make them look a bit rougher than they do in hand. And the bands, while not perfect, are pretty good compared to some fake Cohiba bands I've seen. Construction is a bit rough, but the one I smoked drew and burned just fine. So pretty decent fakes when you get down to it. At least they weren't filled with short filler floor sweepings and old shoelaces. :-)

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rotfl.gif Actually, I couldn't quit laughing when I saw those because my first response was, "EEEWWWW, them is yoooogly!" Raggedy, splotchy - red string stuck in the mix...DEFINITELY missed the quality control table. But I've had and seen worse in the way of fauxhibas that also actually smoked pretty good too. Use your own judgement on what and how to deal with these babies since they seem reasonably flavorful to you! doctor.giflifepreserver.gif

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  • 2 weeks later...

I had a similar experience with a "Cohiba Esplendido" while on my honeymoon in Mexico. Now I know what you're thinking, anything in Mexico is fake, but I was staying at a 5 Diamond resort, and they had a large humidor on site. To me, the resort did not seem to be inclined to sell fakes. Plus, the sticks were all priced at $35 USD. To me, for that price I was going to get a legitimate CC.

However, this is what I purchased:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/olf2b85tfzctyw9/2014-06-17%2018.45.47.jpg?dl=0

Very similar in appearance to yours, with a sloppy band.

Not bad smokes overall, but being that I was on my honeymoon I think I ignored my gut instincts and purchased them anyway.

I'll be back in Mexico this February, but then I will be bringing my own CCs as opposed to buying the overpriced fakes they sell even in places that purport themselves to be reputable.

Tom

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I had a similar experience with a "Cohiba Esplendido" while on my honeymoon in Mexico. Now I know what you're thinking, anything in Mexico is fake, but I was staying at a 5 Diamond resort, and they had a large humidor on site. To me, the resort did not seem to be inclined to sell fakes. Plus, the sticks were all priced at $35 USD. To me, for that price I was going to get a legitimate CC.

However, this is what I purchased:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/olf2b85tfzctyw9/2014-06-17%2018.45.47.jpg?dl=0

Very similar in appearance to yours, with a sloppy band.

Not bad smokes overall, but being that I was on my honeymoon I think I ignored my gut instincts and purchased them anyway.

I'll be back in Mexico this February, but then I will be bringing my own CCs as opposed to buying the overpriced fakes they sell even in places that purport themselves to be reputable.

Tom

*Those look as authentic as a three dollar bill...*

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I have some that were given to me from Cuba,I'm 99% there farm cigars,actualy there pretty good cigars,there sublimes! What the hell if there good smoke them,if not toss'um! The price was right! peace.gif

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