AboutJames Yee Expertise My main area of expertise is Cuban cigars but I can also assist you with cigar etiquette, humidor maintenance and troubleshooting. Unsure of a certain cigar brand? Wondering what a certain cigar tastes like? Have any questions about Cuban cigars? Just let me know! I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. (NOTE: My main focus is on premium, hand-rolled cigars and not cheap, machine made, convenience store cigars.) IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT PROVIDE CIGAR OR CIGAR-RELATED APPRAISALS. If you have a vintage cigar item and you want to know if it's worth something, please contact an antique dealer that specializes in "TOBACCIANA".
Experience I currently have 15 dedicated years of cigar smoking (an average 4 cigars a day) and counting. I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. For 5 years, I studied with Cuban torcedores (rollers), catadores (taste testers) and revisadores (inspectors) on every aspect involving the production of the Cuban cigar and I am currently writing a book that will help beginners understand everything they need to know about cigars and cigar smoking.
I just received 2 boxes of cuaban cigars which a friend says they are fake. 1 box is Bolivar Royal Coronas, that have the Cuban seal and habana label but when opened the cigars are some what square not round. The second box is Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure No 2 that have the Habana band as well as a second band that says epicure no2 on it he says these are fakes because of the second label. Both boxes were bought in Switzerland and made in May of 08 and june of 08.
Answer Hi Martin,
In 2008, Habanos added the second "Epicure" band to their Epicure cigars. This additional band appears on the Epicure No. 1, No. 2, and Epicure Especial cigar. The cigars in the picture you attached looks 100% genuine.
Bolivar Royal Coronas are not box pressed but it's not uncommon for the cigars to appear box pressed after they have been packed too tightly into the cigar box. When this happens, the cigars eventually take a compressed, slightly square-like shape. This doesn't automatically mean that the cigars are fake. I've seen this occur with genuine cigars at La Casa del Habanos shops so it can happen to genuine cigars. If the cigars are slightly square-shaped but still look round (as if they were round to begin with but packed too tightly into a box), they're most likely genuine. If the cigars are extremely box-pressed and have extremely flat and level sides (as if they were purposely put into a box-press mould), they are most likely fake.
I hope this answers your questions. If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.
)