Cigars/Fake or Not?
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Question
My co-worker went to the Pargegas factory in Havana last week and bought me 15 Cohiba Siglo IV's in the cardboard tubes.
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I'm very concerned about the band around these cigars. Everything I've read seems ligit about the band, ie: raised gold lettering...thinner gold box around the word Cohiba but what bothers me is the white squares. I have 5 rows of squares and then a 6th top row that is cut-off. ie: only have a row. I don't know how precise their printing and cutting process is but this error seems to be on all the bands.
I feel like I've been ripped off...but then again, he bought them at the factory store. What do you think?
Hi Marc,
I think your cigars are genuine and the bands were just not cut correctly. I have some Cohibas purchased from reputable shops in Cuba and from La Casa del Habanos shops here in Canada and the bands look like that too. If your cigars were purchased at the Partagas factory, you shouldn't worry. The Partagas factory does not sell counterfeit cigars.
I hope this helps. If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.
Regards,
James
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James 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 19 dedicated years of cigar smoking 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.
Publications
Maple Leaf Gardens: Memories & Dreams 1931-1999 (1999; ISBN: 0920445616)
50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do (2006; ISBN: 0452286654)
The [London] Times (October 8, 2009)
Education/Credentials
B.A. University of Toronto
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