Two suspect Cubans for your consideration

[Kid Montana]

For those of you who haven't read my other thread, I'm in Iraq where various suspicious looking Cuban cigar brands are available from local vendors operating under license on the larger US bases. I've been snooping around hunting for the real ones because I know the genuine articles are out there, obfuscated by the fakes.

Today I stopped into a newer vendor's hut where after rooting out the obviously fake I spotted a small selection of these two cigars, a Cohiba Maduro 5 robusto and a Partagas Series D No. 4.


The Partagas looks pretty dang good, the Cohiba is a little more suspect though they are both well constructed, triple capped etc.

First lets look at the label and cap of the Partagas.



It all looks very very good. Almost perfect.

Now scrutinize the Cohiba Maduro 5 and consider whether its authentic. I question the Cohiba because the Habana Cuba script is much closer to the gold border around the Cohiba label than examples of authentic labels I've seen. Additionally, the top row of white checks is cut off.

 

[grateful1]

I like the look of the Cohiba cap better...but is the 'cohiba' in gold 'raised print'?

...and the CM5 seems a little too 'shiny'.

 

[Kid Montana]

I like the look of the Cohiba cap better...but is the 'cohiba' in gold 'raised print'?

...and the CM5 seems a little too 'shiny'.

Yes, the "Cohiba" is raised embossed print. The problem with that is I've seen exactly perfect bands on some obvious fakes around here. Somebody is cranking out near perfect, embossed, gold flake paint multi-stage printed labels for Cohiba cigars. This wrapper is the first I've seen that had deviations, namely the white checks cut off and the Havana, Cuba scroll so close to the gold border.

The thing is, these were sold for half what you'd expect an authentic Cuban, but the build quality is superb. After they rest in my humidore for a week I'm going to smoke them and the tasting will determine the final authenticity, I think. The fakes I've had before were very flat tasting with a single one dimensional flavor.

Here are some pictures of the cigars' feet.

The Partagas' foot:


The Cohiba's foot:

 

[ironpeddler]

Damn nice photography!

Once you smoke one you'll answer all your questions. Let us know how that goes.

Gf1 is right, that maduro wrapper on the Cohiba is usually rougher looking....at least the ones I have are.

 

[Satchmo]

Don't quote me, but I think you have too many rows of dots on the Cojiba. I thought there were only four.

I would also think if a vendor has some definite fakes, the chances of finding the genuine article in his inventory are slim.....

Good luck on your hunt. Smoke and see what you think!

 

[JHolmes763]

I would also think if a vendor has some definite fakes, the chances of finding the genuine article in his inventory are slim.....

Exactly. And why support him even if you can find the real deal when he's scamming all of the other Joes that have no idea?

Support a CP retailer and smoke Nicaraguan cigars, which are better than Cubans, anyhow! My opinion, of course.

-John

 

[insight]

FWIW the 'smoke one and find out' approach may not be totally effective because well, you may not know what the real deal is supposed to taste like. Or your palate may suck... or you may have an off day etc. On another note I can't imagine why you would buy from a vendor that is a known purveyor of counterfeits. You will NEVER be able to have confidence in those smokes and they are permanently tainted for any future trading purposes as well.

 

[Kid Montana]

FWIW the 'smoke one and find out' approach may not be totally effective because well, you may not know what the real deal is supposed to taste like. Or your palate may suck... or you may have an off day etc. On another note I can't imagine why you would buy from a vendor that is a known purveyor of counterfeits. You will NEVER be able to have confidence in those smokes and they are permanently tainted for any future trading purposes as well.

I honestly hadn't thought about it but FWIW, I'm willing to bet these guys have no idea what a good cigar is, what an authentic cigar is, or if they even c are. There is one shop that only sells authentic Cubans but they are pretty old, slightly banged up and not cared for. And they only sell by the box and I'm not ready to shell out $350 for a box of un-loved Siglo II's.

 

[DirtyDave]

Based solely on the pictures of the feet, I'd lean toward fake. It looks like you have some bunching in the middle but leaves wrapped around the outside. Maybe it is the binder I'm seeing, but it looks too thick for that. Especially on the Cohiba.

I'm a noob, so take it for what it's worth...

Good luck on your continued search.

 

[juddster]

I have a few different Cohiba's in my humidor..CoRo, Sig VI they are all 5 dots like the pic's for what it worth.

 

[tomthirtysix]

There is one shop that only sells authentic Cubans but they are pretty old, slightly banged up and not cared for.

Wait, I'm confused.

 

[B.HOBS]

To my eyes, and maybe this is just me...but I tend to find the head on both of these suspect, especially the Partagas. Im used to seeing a more "blunt" head on these cigars than the photo shows. It looks a bit too "in the round" on top, IMHO. As for the Cohiba, the embossing on there seems way too light, as well as the color of the yellow slightly off, being a brighter yellow and less golden than what I usually see. That may or may not be anything, due to printing issues as we all know. But my two cents anyways. Good luck! Smoking them will be the ultimate test really, if you have had genuine articles beforehand.

 

[mmburtch]

No offense, but this is starting to sound like "are my fakes good enough to pass."

You're shiny new here, and all you've done is ask questions that would have gotten the average noob run off. I have a feeling, your return address is the only thing keeping the wolves at bay.

Ease off and stop trying to find oranges in apple carts. If you are dead set on buying the forbidden fruit, find an authorized dealer local or mail order. Otherwise, there are plenty of cigars coming out of the Dominican and Nicaragua that are equal or better.

 

[vortex]

No offense, but this is starting to sound like "are my fakes good enough to pass."

You're shiny new here, and all you've done is ask questions that would have gotten the average noob run off. I have a feeling, your return address is the only thing keeping the wolves at bay.

Ease off and stop trying to find oranges in apple carts. If you are dead set on buying the forbidden fruit, find an authorized dealer local or mail order. Otherwise, there are plenty of cigars coming out of the Dominican and Nicaragua that are equal or better.

I have to agree, kid. I understand that these are the questions you have due to your circumstances. But you have to understand that all of those posts about the illegality issues were less than half tongue-in-cheek.

Both fakes.

 

[Kid Montana]

No offense, but this is starting to sound like "are my fakes good enough to pass."

You're shiny new here, and all you've done is ask questions that would have gotten the average noob run off. I have a feeling, your return address is the only thing keeping the wolves at bay.

Ease off and stop trying to find oranges in apple carts. If you are dead set on buying the forbidden fruit, find an authorized dealer local or mail order. Otherwise, there are plenty of cigars coming out of the Dominican and Nicaragua that are equal or better.

I have to agree, kid. I understand that these are the questions you have due to your circumstances. But you have to understand that all of those posts about the illegality issues were less than half tongue-in-cheek.

Both fakes.

I'm going to have to agree. And not because I actually think the cigars are fakes, but because there is enough variablity in how a cigar smokes based on the time of day, the smoker's palate, the cigar's humidification history etc. When all these factors are considered, even after smoking, as others have said, since I don't have the confidence of a reliable vendor to lean back on, there is no telling if they are real. You all have done me a great service in showing me the error of trying to find a good deal from a bad source.

 

[mjolnir01]

Local peddlers around bases in OIF and OEF are selling fakes. Period dot. End of story. If the pirated DVDs, perfumes, Rolexes and Oakleys are all fakes, then what would make anyone believe that the cigars are remotely legit?

I still have a few in my humi from my last time in OIF, well-segregated from the rest of my cigars. I purchased them when I first started smoking and even then I wasn't naive enough to think they were anything other than fake. Maybe the small bowl of brown water in the glass display case with them was a good giveaway too...

Heed the FOGs' words here, and keep your head down out there.

 

[Roy R. Frush]

Those are the highly sought after "marble head" PSD4s. Obviously very old and look to be in incredible condition considering their age.

 

[Kid Montana]

Those are the highly sought after "marble head" PSD4s. Obviously very old and look to be in incredible condition considering their age.

Lol, quite so. I smoked the Partagas Serie D No. 4 today and well, lets just say that the proof is in the pudding. I got about 1" into it and decided that no amount of wishful thinking was going to transform that tight draw, one dimensional and bitter-leathery flavor into a world class cigar. So I chopped off the lit end and did a little autopsy and here are the results. They speak for themselves. I'm just happy I didn't pay real Cuban prices for a fake. Thanks to you all for slapping the sense into this ignorant newbie.

 

[MoeCizlak]

Those are the highly sought after "marble head" PSD4s. Obviously very old and look to be in incredible condition considering their age.

Lol, quite so. I smoked the Partagas Serie D No. 4 today and well, lets just say that the proof is in the pudding. I got about 1" into it and decided that no amount of wishful thinking was going to transform that tight draw, one dimensional and bitter-leathery flavor into a world class cigar. So I chopped off the lit end and did a little autopsy and here are the results. They speak for themselves. I'm just happy I didn't pay real Cuban prices for a fake. Thanks to you all for slapping the sense into this ignorant newbie.

For those of us who have never done a cigar autopsy, can you fill us in on what we're seeing? You say the results speak for themselves but I guess I'm not sure what I'm looking at in those pictures. What about those pictures leads you to believe this was a fake cigar? Thanks in advance.

 

[Kid Montana]

For those of us who have never done a cigar autopsy, can you fill us in on what we're seeing? You say the results speak for themselves but I guess I'm not sure what I'm looking at in those pictures. What about those pictures leads you to believe this was a fake cigar? Thanks in advance.

Read some of Ginseng's forensic analysis' of fake Cubans and compare the filler in the fake to the above. Filler in a good cigar should be essentially whole leaves, not some chopped up crumbley fragments and pieces that look like crap.