Ok... so I'm browsing Craigslist a few nights ago and I type in "humidor" in the search function. The past several times I perused Craigslist for cigar paraphernalia I found crazy deals. The last two deals I found on Craigslist I obtained a collectors Montecristo desk organizer/humidor for $100. The most recent one was a couple of weeks ago when I happened to come across an ad for a cabinet humidor that was going for $300 and normally retailed for 2500 back when the company was still around. Anyway, low and behold the first post that pops up is an ad for Cuban Cohiba Esplendido cigars in a collector's humidor. So of course, my first instinct is to check it out.

So I take a look at the pictures and then of course I shoot the guy an email and immediately start doing some research on these cigars. I looked for counterfeit threads on CS and websites that gave tips and tricks to spotting these popularly faked cigars. So the things I managed to take away from my little bit of research included: holographic Cuba sticker, Habanos sticker, Seal of Cuba sticker, Habanos paper that's found inside, and last but not least the cigar band.

While looking at the pictures that the guy posted, I noticed one strange thing... the humidor he took pictures of and the one that is offered online are different in shape. The ones I found online were all cylindrical and the one he took a picture of looked more boxy. I was pretty reluctant at first but I still decided to get in contact with him. So after a few emails back and forth I decided to go check them out the next day. I was so excited I couldn't even wait till the end of the week.

When I got there to check them out I proceeded to check the authenticity carefully. The humidor was still in plastic wrapping, all the seals and stickers were underneath the plastic. I unwrapped it and took a box cutter to the seals/stickers to keep them intact as possible. It all looked legit from there. I popped it open and found the Cuban guarantee sticker. I noticed impeccable packing with padding to ensure the cigars arrived safely. The lid of the humidor has a hygrometer and humidifying device. I opened up one of the packages and took one of the cigars out. I took a real quick glance at the cigar and noticed the cap had a small defect but then changed my attention to the actual cigar band. The band is embossed just like how they were illustrated online. The cigar wrapper is a little veiny but has a very nice aroma and a firm feel. It didn't feel spongy at all like the last fake Cohiba I had. Last I asked if I could smoke one. He was a cigarette smoker and didn't mind me lighting one up right there. I lit it up and the draw was good even though the humidity read 50%rh. I tried to get as much flavor out of it as possible and it tasted pretty good. It wasn't exactly what I expected in taste but I've only had 2 Cubans in my lifetime. I was pretty satisfied with my authenticity investigation and made the purchase but I am still not 100% confident that they are indeed Cuban Cohibas.

And now I am here. I'm posting with some eye candy to see if any of you can notice anything fishy or reassure me that these are indeed the real deal. Thanks in advance for your input.














-Rich