21 replies to this topic

[Ginseng]

A member of another forum posted about some Cohiba Panetelas that he was gifted. From the pictures and information he posted, it was very unlikely that these cigars were authentic. Still, being as curious as I am about counterfeits, I contacted tiptone and asked if he'd be willing to send me a specimen to examine and write up. Tiptone graciously agreed. Here is my report on the Tiptone Paneteloids.

1. Preliminary Examination
As tiptone observed, these cigars are far too long. Genuine Cohiba Panetelas are of the Laguito No.3 vitola de galera and measure 4.5" x 26 ring. These, however, were 5.125" long or about 5/8" longer than they should be. This is well out of the range of variation one should ever see. Ring gauge was also slightly larger than the specification.
(IMG:http://i61.photobuck...Panetelas03.jpg)

In this photo of two authentic and the two tiptone specimens side by side, you can see the difference in cap construction. The two real Panetelas have well constructed, multiwrap vuelta-style caps as seen in larger gauge totalmente a mano Habanos. The circular cap piece on one of the real Panetelas, second from the left, does not sit entirely smoothly on the head but this in and of itself is not necessarily a problem. In contrast, the two tiptone cigars have rather sloppy appearing heads that lack the classic triple cap appearance. One of these, second from the right, also has a wrapper texture that is just grotesque.
(IMG:http://i61.photobuck...Panetelas07.jpg)

So, superficially, these cigars certainly appear problematic. What will happen when I take fire to the foot?

2. The Smoking
It was a sunny, windless 50-degree day and perfect for smoking. First up was the reference, a genuine Cohiba Panetelas. After an easy lightup and a few puffs later, this classic Habanos started to deliver its signature sweet espresso and cocoa. Though tiny by modern tastes, with every draw this cigar drenches the palate with oily, dense tobacco flavor. Every sip of smoke is concentrated and decadent like few fat ringed sticks made today. The ash was a fluffy medium gray and striated like my other favorite in this vitola, the Montecristo Joyitas. This cigar has been and remains a quintessential Havana cigar.
(IMG:http://i61.photobuck...Panetelas06.jpg)

Up next came the tiptone cigar. It lit well and drew smoothly...and that is where the goodness ran out. Although a medium tobacco foundation was present, the cocoa and espresso were non-existent. In its place was a strange, medicinal woody flavor coupled with a raw, hay/straw note. Here is how it started.
(IMG:http://i61.photobuck...Panetelas05.jpg)

And here are how the two cigars ended up. I just couldn't smoke the tiptone any more than about 2/3" as the taste was just odd. In fact, I had left about an inch of the genuine article unsmoked so I could dissect the stub but after choking back the Fauxhiba, I relit the Panetelas and smoked it down to the last 3/8" until my fingers sizzled.
(IMG:http://i61.photobuck...Panetelas09.jpg)

Some counterfeits smoke well and others abysmally. This one was strange and sort of offensive. Would a person reasonably experienced with Habanos in general and Cohiba specifically be expected to tell that this was a knock-off from the smoking? In my opinion yes, and with moderate certainty.

Now I will highlight particular features of the bands.

As you may have noticed in the second picture, above, the bands on the genuine article and the tiptone cigars look different. Some of these differences are inconsequential in determining inauthenticity. Others, though, are dead giveaways. There is a third class of features that are not definitive in their own right but might be when coupled with other information. Let's start by taking a second, closer look at the bands on these four cigars. I would hope that even an Habanos amateur would get a gut feeling that two of these might not be kosher. Identifying the specific aspects that differ and assigning them to real or fake takes a bit more scrutiny though. That is why I often find it puzzling that folks are willing to offer "definitive opinions" based on web-quality photos. I always begin an analysis with a healthy degree of skepticism.
(IMG:http://i61.photobuck...Panetelas04.jpg)

Ok, now that you've seen these two labels, what catches your eye? What doesn't look right? Are you sure? What might these features mean? Let's begin with a picture of the two bands laid out flat. It is always easier to make a good determination with the bands off the cigars. In this case, numerous differences can be seen. Four obvious ones stand out.
(IMG:http://i61.photobuck...Panetelas10.jpg)

1. the dot patterns are different
2. one band says "La Habana, Cuba" while the other says only "Habana, Cuba"
3. the script fonts are different
4. the proportions of the "Cohiba" and box on the counterfeit are incorrect

Of these four things, only the last two are definitive on their own. Why not the first two? The reason is subtle. That dot pattern and wording were used on Cohiba bands between 1992 and 2003. However, the gold hot stamped "Cohiba" was used only from 2003 onward with the new dot pattern and wording. So, with respect to the first two features, only the presence of the gold lettering indicates their inauthenticity.

Why else is it useful to examine bands off the cigars? One reason is that you can look at features of the embossing on the reverse that might otherwise be obscured by the colors and patterns on the front. In this case, I saw that the embossing die was qualitatively different on the counterfeit.

Now, from the close-up of the four bands above, one could probably tell that the embossing and gold hot stamping are misregistered. Are these things indicative of fakery? The answer is an emphatic NO. Misregistration is a common manufacturing variation in printing of this type and should be completely disregarded as it provides almost no useful information. Never, ever use misregistration of colors, cutting, or embossing to confirm or disconfirm a cigar's authenticity. Here is a perfect example why.

In this photo, you see what you would normally expect to see. The colors, band trimming, embossing, and hot stamped gold are in reasonably good registration. These are a real and fake specimen from the four pictured above.
(IMG:http://i61.photobuck...Panetelas02.jpg)

In this next photo, you see horrific misregistration of the cutting (see that the topmost row of dots are chopped), the gold emboss, and the embossing under the gold "Cohiba." Atrocious! Yet, once again, we have the real on the left and the fake on the right. Again, from the four pictured at the top of this post.
(IMG:http://i61.photobuck...Panetelas01.jpg)

These are just a few of the many features and combinations of features that can be seen in the Cohiba band. The fact that Cohiba is the most widely counterfeited marca means there is plenty to study. But keep in mind, every marca has its own characteristic features and simply knowing a static profile or image is often of little value. The reason is that things change in time and knowing how they change, either intentionally or as a result of particular production processes is very important.

Thanks again to tiptone for sharing his cigars with me. Tucked in one's humi, a counterfeit is a novelty. Dissected and analyzed for all to see, they can become valuable opportunities to learn and to teach about not only the methods of counterfeiters, but also the critical comparisons that can be made.

Speaking of dissection, here are the guts of the tiptone cigar. The wrapper had dried out to the point where it fragmented as I tried to unwrap it. The two leaves of binder came off intact. When burned, they had a bitter smell that contributed to the chemical scent I picked up in the smoke. The filler was stemmy and very dry which is unusual in genuine cigars. Granted, I did not smoke it long enough to generate much internal moisture but they were still more fragile than is normal. In a cigar of this type, there should only be 1 or 2 filler leaf pieces.
(IMG:http://i61.photobuck...Panetelas08.jpg)

I hope you've found this installment as entertaining and as informing to read as it was for me to carry out.

Wilkey

[Black Plague]

I love your counterfeit investigations. It's like watching CSI: Havana!

[Black Plague]

Also, you're perfectly correct....misregistering doesn't always mean fake. I've seen many legit bands in my day where the printing was really screwed up and misaligned.



Oh, and my favorite pic ever...just to show you how poor of quality legitimate Cuban cigar box/band printing can be....



This is from an Australian vendor on whose forums some you probably go. Both came straight from Pacific Cigar, the official Habanos importer for most of Asia and Oceania, so their legitimacy is assured. And Castro claims that 99% of Cubans are literate!

[Ludwig]

Also, you're perfectly correct....misregistering doesn't always mean fake. I've seen many legit bands in my day where the printing was really screwed up and misaligned.



Oh, and my favorite pic ever...just to show you how poor of quality legitimate Cuban cigar box/band printing can be....



This is from an Australian vendor on whose forums some you probably go. Both came straight from Pacific Cigar, the official Habanos importer for most of Asia and Oceania, so their legitimacy is assured. And Castro claims that 99% of Cubans are literate!

Damn....that is funny!

[Ginseng]

Thanks BP! I remember that picture. One of my all time favorite "that's Cuba" photos.

Wilkey

[antaean]

I hope you've found this installment as entertaining and as informing to read as it was for me to carry out.

Wilkey

Nice study and nicely done.

Cheers,
antaean

[tigger]

It's like watching CSI: Havana!

Great job, as usual Wilkey.

[Aventinus]

Great post. The burn pattern on the fake looked really strange. Who knows what they used for a wrapper.

[smokelaw1]

Great, as always, Wilkey.

Damn, that sounded so good, I might need to go home and smoke one of my favorite small cohibas tonight!

[Ginseng]

Copyrighted material removed by author.

Edited by Ginseng, 11 January 2009 - 03:19 PM.

[Sunward]

Well done inspector Wilkey! I too enjoy Panatela, and picked up two fivers at a rest stop east of Havanna Cuba, at the bridge. The clerk ran them thru the register, the boxes were spot on. When i opened them later that day, to my dismay, they were 28 ring, and the wrapper had a greenish ting. The length was off 1/4 inch too. They smoked aweful, i got half way thru before tossing them.

So, I went back to Barcelo Marina Palace Hotel, (same place Jabba stayed) and asked the man at the cigar counter if it was possible for a Pan to be 28 ring. He said absolutely not. i picked up a "real" Panatela from a box at the counter and immediately noticed the coffee/peppery full bodied flavours associated with the real deal.

My overall impression, i was took by very good packaging, thinking they dont sell fakes in fives.
Moral: open and look before buying, even in Cuba!

[Ginseng]

Well done inspector Wilkey! I too enjoy Panatela, and picked up two fivers at a rest stop east of Havanna Cuba, at the bridge. The clerk ran them thru the register, the boxes were spot on. When i opened them later that day, to my dismay, they were 28 ring, and the wrapper had a greenish ting. The length was off 1/4 inch too. They smoked aweful, i got half way thru before tossing them.

So, I went back to Barcelo Marina Palace Hotel, (same place Jabba stayed) and asked the man at the cigar counter if it was possible for a Pan to be 28 ring. He said absolutely not. i picked up a "real" Panatela from a box at the counter and immediately noticed the coffee/peppery full bodied flavours associated with the real deal.

My overall impression, i was took by very good packaging, thinking they dont sell fakes in fives.
Moral: open and look before buying, even in Cuba!

Ouch! Sorry to hear that, Edward. I'm glad that you were able to find and enjoy the real deal though.

I am just amazed at just how readily counterfeits can be found in Cuba itself. Where do you suppose the tobacco and packaging for these "in-house" fakes are coming from? I can't imaging fakes that are 1/4" too long fitting well into a package made for the real thing.

Wilkey

[junkman_56]

Thanks Wilkey for this GREAT write-up.
It really helps newbie's like myself understand what they are looking at when confronted by questionable cigars.

I have turned it into a Word doc for future reference.

[Lemon]

Very interesting and, as always, well written. A real pleasure to read. Thank you.

[Devil Doc]

Sherlock Holmes was able to identify 144 different types of cigar ash. But you, Wilkey, have surpased his sigular achievment.

Doc.

Edited by Devil Doc, 04 January 2007 - 08:20 PM.

[Diselfitter]

Wiley as usual you have done a great job at dissecting and analyzing the world of faux.

You have such a wonderful gift at writing/explaining and photographing the faux cigars vs the real deal, hell you should be a Professor or something.

Thanks for taking the time to do this, I learn something new each time you do.

Deez

[Ginseng]

Hey Robert,

Nice to see you drop in. Thanks for the kind words.

Thanks everyone. I've got some really fascinating stuff coming up and a little something going on in cooperation with Moki's vitolas.net website.

Wilkey

[AVB]

Are you sure your doctorate isn't in forensics?

[Ginseng]

Are you sure your doctorate isn't in forensics?

I always thought Sam was the real brains behind Quincy.

Speaking of which, I just read a book titled "Bones: A Forensic Detective's Casebook" by Dr. Douglas Ubelaker and Henry Scammell. It's all about the career of Ubelaker, an anthropologist and frequent consultant to the FBI. Compelling stories and great tecnical information but the writing was sort of dull. You do get a good sense for the type of approach that inform the Quincy and CSI programs though. Good photos.

Wilkey

[Sunward]

Yes Wilkey, I enjoyed that single panetela immensely, with a view of the gulf and sandy beach. (last trip for a while cuz baby is coming!)

I decided to add a pic i took of the fakes a while back, on the left is the fiver, with the single fauxiba on top. To the right of the fiver, is a box with the genuine deal. I noticed the dark oily wrapper, and flat topped triple cap , and spot on dimensions as visual clues.




Further to Wilkey's question of what was used as filler, i can say it was likely generic leaves, as opposed to the smaller leaves from the plant that are used in genuine Panetela.

Below is a disected specimen of the fauxiba from the fiver:



Edward