Greatest. Gift. Ever.

[RedSoxFan]

September 28th my wife and I had our first child, a beautiful, healthy baby girl. Over the next couple of weeks, we recieved some very nice gifts from friends, family and people that I didnt even know I knew. All of the gifts were very nice, but as aspected they were all for the baby and typically pink.

Then I got call while at work yesterday. My wife opened a package she thought was a baby gift, but once opened she realized was for me. It was "some cigars" she said. I was immediately pretty excited, I asked her what kind? She said she didnt know. Expecting that he sent me some singles, I told her to read the band... She said all the band says is Habanos. Figuring it was a Habano blend that several cigar makers have, I gave up on trying to solve what brand it was and said I'd look when I got home.

Once home, I immediately asked the wife where they were. She pointed to box... On top was a note that said "Job well done, congrats on the arrival of the baby." Underneath were the pictures below. My jaw dropped...

A box of Cohiba Esplendidos.

[Demasoni]

Awesome! Enjoy brother, and congrats!

[Herf N Turf]

Dang! Talk about a reason to breed?

Congrats on the bambino and the splendid smokes! Now you know what youre going to smoke on her birthday for the next 25yrs!

[Frinkiac7]

Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

Now you know what youre going to smoke on her birthday for the next 25yrs!

That's a pretty good idea!

[smelvis]

Wow now that's a gift! Congrats on both babies! LOL

[RedSoxFan]

My only dilemma now is where to age them. I've got one 150 ct desktop that is close to overflowing, plus I dont want to screw these beauties up getting in and out of the humidor and blending them with my usual smokes. Guess I'm shopping for a new one!

[JCK]

Congrats on the new child! I'm know that you're a proud papa. I'm sure you'll enjoy those cigars to commemorate the event.

Not to take away from the thought of such a gift, but you may want to investigate the source of the cigars a bit. Those bands look suspect.

[Herf N Turf]

Originally Posted by RedSoxFan

My only dilemma now is where to age them.

Well, if you take my advice and smoke one on each of her birthdays, you're talking WAY long term. You might consider looking for a local B&M, or cigar lounge that offers lockers. Let someone else do all the maintenance.

One problem with aging such fine cigars at home is the constant temptation to smoke them.

[RedSoxFan]

Originally Posted by JCK

Not to take away from the thought of such a gift, but you may want to investigate the source of the cigars a bit. Those bands look suspect.

That was my initial thought too (not based on any appearance, just because I know these are frequently copied). Did my homework, inspecting the box and the cigars, and I'm 99% certain (not an expert so I cant say 100%) these are the real deal. Plus he his a cigar guy with the means to give such a gift.

[Herf N Turf]

Originally Posted by JCK

Not to take away from the thought of such a gift, but you may want to investigate the source of the cigars a bit. Those bands look suspect.

Yikes! Holmes!

Block dots are cut off and I see no embossing... They need to show three, distinct rows of blocked dots and fairly pronounced embossing of "COHIBA". the box however, looks pretty kosher.

The plot thickens and the game's afoot!

More, better pics are in order.

[JCK]

Enjoy the gift!

[mlbar1153]

Originally Posted by RedSoxFan

Expecting that he sent me some singles, .

Congrats and sorry if I missed it but who is "he"?

[RedSoxFan]

Originally Posted by mlbar1153

Congrats and sorry if I missed it but who is "he"?

Sorry I left that out. It was from my uncle.

[RedSoxFan]

Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

Yikes! Holmes!

Block dots are cut off and I see no embossing... They need to show three, distinct rows of blocked dots and fairly pronounced embossing of "COHIBA". the box however, looks pretty kosher.

The plot thickens and the game's afoot!

More, better pics are in order.

By embossing do you mean raised and shiny? They are that. May be the camera, its old and I had a hard time getting a picture without the flash taking over the whole pic.

[JCK]

A couple things I noticed if you're still curious about the cigars.

First photo. I'm not sure what countries are using hologram stickers now, but typically the hologram sticker. e.g. bottom right hand corner was reserved for boxes purchased directly in Cuba. The hologram stickers are not placed on boxes for export to other trade countries. That's not to say other Habanos regions don't use their own holograms.

The bands themselves.

1. You should see three clear rows of dots. The gold embossing and white letter box area should not cut off any of these three rows. In the third photo, the third cigar from the left has the gold embossing for the white letter box between the 2nd and 3rd rows of dots.

2. The gold embossing for the letter box should be within the boundary of the letterbox and is typically a little bit wider than the gold pinstripe I see on these cigars.

You could chalk it up to a REALLY bad printing day in Cuba, but I've never seen anything this bad on a box of Esplendidos.

There is another quality check you can do for the clasp of the box. Habanos only uses one manufacturer for the Cohiba boxes but I don't recall who they are. I think you could probably google for an answer.

There are some other checks you could run on the warranty seal as well, but you'd have to look at a better photo or up close.

Beyond being a great site for general info on some rare cigars, this is a good primer and one I refer to when I've got questions regarding authenticity of Habanos.

Vitolas - Fake Cuban cigars

The Ultimate Counterfeit Cuban Cigar Primer