I have smoked 200 Cohibas....glad to know that 2 of them were likely real.
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All you gentlemen make & have a valid point. Which is why I started my statement as" I PERSONALLY DON'T BUY " I was speak for myself & personal experience with the "Cohiba Brand". I know that talking about CC's in most cases is stepping on toes. But in no way, shape or form did I try & recommend anyone else to do so. I know some folks here have a far more superior knowledge CC's than myself. So if I ruffle any feathers I can assure you those were not my intentions.
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No worries, Rico, my feathers are firmly in place. :-)
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I'm with Tom, Rio. My feathers aren't ruffled. And I don't think I or anyone else had issue with your statement that you personally don't buy Cohiba. Your second statement (claim) is what I/we think is BS.
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I have nothing to add to this... other then it is helpful to read these threads as a noob and learn what to look for when judging the authenticity of a CC.
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I hear you Rico; personally: I don't buy Cohiba's either.

They are probably amazing smokes, but sadly I'll never know unless I wind up getting one in a sampler or something to that effect. My local B&M's start them off at $20, and for that price I can get 2 very decent cigars -- Hell I believe they have a Padron Anny around the same price range.

I'd love to try a Cohiba -- The only one I've smoked was a fake, and I knew it was a fake, but I took one for the team so I knew what fakes tasted like.
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Correct and now back to the topic... the only glass that should come with a cuban cigar is one that is full of rum. :-)
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I'm sorry, but it is very doubtful your local shop is claiming to sell Cuban cigars. And while Dominican Cohiba's are authentic, they are hardly a part of this conversation. :-)
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I was speaking specifically about Non-Cubans when referring to buying them from a store. My buddy had a fake DR Cohiba to top it all off. I realize this thread was about the CC counter-part, and even Rico was talking specifically about CCs being fake.. I'm speaking about them in general. I know they are different species all together, the NC vs CC.. I just don't think I can justify owning either at this point in my life.

Trust me, if the shop I frequented tried selling me a "Cuban", I'd walk out and never return.
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Was "Habana" written on there with a Sharpie? :-)
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:-) NO! May as well have been. I hadn't really thought about "glass top" cigar boxes being a dead giveaway.....
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My sentiments & feelings exactly.
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Could you describe the band on the possible fake one that your friend received? It might not actually be a fake DR Cohiba as there used to be another company distributing cigars in the US under the Cohiba name until General Cigar won their infringement lawsuit against them.
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CC or NC... Cohiba's... in my most humble of opinions... are priced prohibitively high... when you throw in the fact that they are also the most counterfeited brand... It makes me even more cautious about buying them...

The NC's I had were good... some were even great... but I got them as gifts or in a sampler... I have been interested in acquiring one from the island... but with my noob-ness I am almost sure I would end up with something fake... It is very helpful when you CC aficionados talk about the specific trademarks that let you know it is real... (like the only 3 dots or the non glass boxes) are there any other "red flags" that let you know your being scammed?
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I have never seen any evidence that Dominican Cohiba's are being faked. That is not to say is doesnt happen, but a retailer has very little to gain by selling fakes. I have only heard of Padron and Opus fakes in recent memory.

The only way to know you are purchasing authentic Cuban Cohiba's is to know and trust your vendor. :-) Cigars can easily be rebanded with authentic labels and packed in legitimate boxes. But a trusted retailer will not risk reputation and future sales to trick a few unsuspecting souls. :-)
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It was in a Glass Top Dominican Republic EL box. The band was the typical Cuban Cohiba band, but it said Dominican Republic. It was also of the Candela-esque in color. I have the band laying around. I'll take a snap of it later. I didn't want to take a picture in front of my buddy of the cigar, because he was adamant about it being authentic -- but I kept the band for comedy sake.. It was had for $8 at a local shop that he refused to reveal because he wanted to have some kind of.. I don't know.. "Advantage" over me in the cigar world.
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And here we are:

Image
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Glad to know what I should be looking for... Can anyone post an Authentic band for comparison?
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http://www.cubancigarwebsite.com/bra...x?brand=Cohiba
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Thanks Markem...
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