So, I've tried a lot of cigars so far...

[TheStig]

Wow, what a list. You had some really good smokes. As far as the Flor de Oliva. It is a "budget" cigar so you have to expect a certain percentage of the box is going to have some problems. You probably just picked a bad one. I have smoked a bunch of the Flor de Olivas and enjoyed them, especially for the price. Try one again.

I want to know what you think of the RP Edge. that's my current "go to" Stick.

As far as that Cohiba being a cuban. I doubt your B&M owner has the cojones to risk his biz and finances by selling a stick from the ISOM.

[GTCharged]

Well, I smoked the rest of them today in the shop School was cancelled today! Thank god! I mean.. err.. Damn, school was closed, that sucks...

Anyways, The Edge was very good, had great burn, very flavorful, and had a great smell to it. I can see why that's a go to.

About the cubans, I found a source. Not the shop, but I know a guy now

[Snake Hips]

Originally Posted by GTCharged

Well, I smoked the rest of them today in the shop School was cancelled today! Thank god! I mean.. err.. Damn, school was closed, that sucks...

Anyways, The Edge was very good, had great burn, very flavorful, and had a great smell to it. I can see why that's a go to.

About the cubans, I found a source. Not the shop, but I know a guy now

You "know a guy?" I wouldn't buy "Cubans" from that kind of source. Only buy from legitimate Habanos retailers, such as La Casa del Habano. Anything you get from a guy who knows a guy who has a brother who came from Cuba where his aunt's dog works in the factory is going to be fake. End of story.

And the Cohibas you saw at your shop are not Cubans. This is what the Cuban band looks like:

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by Snake Hips

You "know a guy?" I wouldn't buy "Cubans" from that kind of source. Only buy from legitimate Habanos retailers, such as La Casa del Habano. Anything you get from a guy who knows a guy who has a brother who came from Cuba where his aunt's dog works in the factory is going to be fake. End of story.

But my guy who knows a guy who has a brother who had an Uncle that lives in Cuba and works for Castro...his cigars gotta be ligit, right?

[Snake Hips]

Originally Posted by icehog3

But my guy who knows a guy who has a brother who had an Uncle that lives in Cuba and works for Castro...his cigars gotta be ligit, right?

Well, you got me there. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what his guy's story is

[GTCharged]

Originally Posted by Snake Hips

And the Cohibas you saw at your shop are not Cubans. This is what the Cuban band looks like:

That is the band, no red dot in the center, the colors are spot on.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by GTCharged

That is the band, no red dot in the center, the colors are spot on.

You can still find non-Cuban versions of this band around, the difference is it will say "Dominican Republic" instead of "Habana, Cuba".

If your shop has ones that say "Habana, Cuba", 99.9999% chance they are fake.

[Kayak_Rat]

Originally Posted by GTCharged

Now I'm not entirely sure if it said Habana or Cohiba...

Crap, now I want to go there just to check.. It's 3 miles away, and my mother says every wednesday I can't smoke a cigar.. She'd get suspicious if I said I wanted to go..

Ah well, there's always tomorrow. There's a high chance there will be no school due to the wind chill. It will feel like -15 to -20 Degrees Fahrenheit!

There are many counterfeit cuban cigars on the market......similiar to Rolex's. Also, alot of NC brands use very similiar bands to the cuban cigars of the same name. These ARE NOT the same. Also, alot of cigars advertise being cuban due to using cuban seeds....these are grown in different regions, therefore not cuban. The cigars in your shop are doing thier job....the marketing is getting you to associate them with the cuban ones and therefore buy them.

Also, when sampling cigars, I say try a few times before making a decision. Alot of people say try two....great idea. If they are from the same box, and that days production was bad, you might still get two bad cigars. Try the same cigar from different boxes or stores before forming a solid opinion. You are well on your way to a fun and rewarding hobby.

[JCK]

Here's an example of what you might find at your local shop here in the States. (Notice text Republica Dominicana on the band). Note all the following have been gifted to me by those unaware.



Here are some examples of some not so good knock-offs.

[Shaz]

Originally Posted by JCK

Here's an example of what you might find at your local shop here in the States. (Notice text Republica Dominicana on the band). Note all the following have been gifted to me by those unaware.

Hey, JCK
I have the Dominican Churchills, same as the one you showed, I think. The only information I can find on Dominican Cohibas are the red dot ones. These were gifted to me and they smoke fairly well for the most part.
Is there anything you can tell me about these?

[wolfmonk]

Here are a couple links to sites which compare fake and real bands. Some of the fakes take some close inspection.

Vitolas - Fake Cuban cigars/Fake Cohiba band (new style)

Spot a Fake

[JCK]

Originally Posted by Shaz

Hey, JCK
I have the Dominican Churchills, same as the one you showed, I think. The only information I can find on Dominican Cohibas are the red dot ones. These were gifted to me and they smoke fairly well for the most part.
Is there anything you can tell me about these?

Here is the previous discussion on the example I had.

http://www.puff.com/forums/vb/questi...h-smoking.html

[Shaz]

Originally Posted by JCK

Here is the previous discussion on the example I had.

http://www.puff.com/forums/vb/questi...h-smoking.html

Thanks JCK
Kinda confirms something I saw once about a copyright scwable over the use of the name. My brother in law gifted me a box of them. They came in a glass top, so that made me concerned. But it's glass top Cubans that have always been known to be fake. I've had them for almost a year, and they seem smoother. Like most, I find them fairly mild and nothing extraordinary. But I do enjoy them.
What did you think when you smoked yours?

[JCK]

It's been probably 2 years since I smoked it. From what I recall it was very light, had a little bit of flavor, and burned quickly.

It was better than the Cohiba XVs I've smoked in the past. Not something that I would purchase in the future, but I'm still alive to tell about the experience.