Help with IDing Suspected Fake

[cuppajack]

I recently purchased a Double Corona sized "ISOM" Hoyo De Monterrey that I suspect might be a fake.

I got it from my boss, who has "a guy." He sold me the stick for a paltry $6, and I assure you he wouldn't take a loss.

What are the tell-tale signs to look for? My red flags were: $6 seems really cheep, and the stick has a very odd odor (kind of grassy or like hay) that I haven't noticed in other ISOM cigars that I've handled (admittedly not very many.)

I was the one that opened the shipping box that contained the cigars (as I handle all the incoming shipments for the company) and they were shipped in ziplock bags (no factory box) with bands but no cello. In addition to the box of HDM double coronas there was a box-worth of Robusto-sized Cohibas.

I unfortunately cannot get a look at anything but the one stick in my possession.

Any thoughts? Suggestions? Things to look for?

Or should I just call it a Cuban, smoke it, and never look the other way?

 

[Ginseng]

I recently purchased a Double Corona sized "ISOM" Hoyo De Monterrey that I suspect might be a fake.

I got it from my boss, who has "a guy" (that he obviously trusts) that he regularly buys boxes from. He sold me the stick for a paltry $6, and I assure you he would never take a loss.

What are the tell-tale signs to look for. My red flags were: $6 seems really cheep, I wouldn't be surprised if my boss was in the habit of unknowingly purchasing fakes, and the stick has a very odd odor (kind of grassy or like hay) that I haven't noticed in other ISOM cigars that I've handled (admittedly not very many.)

I was the one that opened the shipping box that contained the cigars (as I handle all the incoming shipments for the company) and they were shipped in ziplock bags (no factory box) with bands but no cello. In addition to the box of HDM double coronas there was a box-worth of Robusto-sized Cohibas.

I unfortunately cannot get a look at anything but the one stick in my possession.

Any thoughts? Suggestions? Things to look for?

Or should I just call it a Cuban, smoke it, and never look the other way?

My advice: take some photographs, call it a cigar, smoke it, tell us how it was. :thumbs:

Wilkey

 

[Black Plague]

It probably is a fake.

You wouldn't believe how bad it is...it's estimated that 99% of the foreign cigar market is counterfeit! :0

Unless you buy it from a "Casa del Habanos" (world-wide chain of tobacconists that get their franchise from Habanos SA itself and that guarantee their products' authenticity), you can almost be certain it isn't legit.

BUT it still might be a good cigar! Many fakes are made in Cuba, with Cuban tobacco, by Cuban rollers (this might've changed now, but last I knew, cigar rollers in Havana were only employed to get that year's cigars rolled and are then unemployed the rest of the year, so many roll on the black market to make extra dough), so it might actually be a good fake...

...and then again, there are some pretty nasty fakes too.

For the sake of your job, it's probably best not to tell the boss he's smoking fakes. But like Gensing said, light it up and try it out, it might be a good cigar anyway. :thumbs:

 

[Jan Primus]

I'm pretty sure that those would cost more than $6 in Cuba, so based on that I suspect it's a fake.

 

[tigger]

Unless you buy it from a "Casa del Habanos" (world-wide chain of tobacconists that get their franchise from Habanos SA itself and that guarantee their products' authenticity), you can almost be certain it isn't legit.

I know you're trying to emphasize the scope of the counterfeiting problem. And while I agree that the problem is huge, I have to take exception to your statement above. Pretty sure the folks at Hunters & Frankau and their customers would as well.

There are plenty of legitimate shops around the world that aren't Casas. Many aren't legit as well. Research and common sense go a long way toward figuring out the difference.

As to the OP's question, according to Moki's site, the Price of a Hoyo DC in Cuba is $14.80. Anything lower than that raises eyebrows. Less than half of that, I'd give heavy odds that it's fake.

I'm pretty sure the Cigar Asphixionado site has some fake HdM bands in their Counterfeit Gallery. Couldn't hurt to look there.

 

[Black Plague]

Unless you buy it from a "Casa del Habanos" (world-wide chain of tobacconists that get their franchise from Habanos SA itself and that guarantee their products' authenticity), you can almost be certain it isn't legit.

I know you're trying to emphasize the scope of the counterfeiting problem. And while I agree that the problem is huge, I have to take exception to your statement above. Pretty sure the folks at Hunters & Frankau and their customers would as well.

There are plenty of legitimate shops around the world that aren't Casas. Many aren't legit as well. Research and common sense go a long way toward figuring out the difference.

Of course, there are reliable shops, especially in Europe, like JJ Fox in London and PJC Hajenius in Amsterdam, so there's always exceptions to the rule above. But usually as a rule when going to other countries, ESPECIALLY the Carribean or Mexico where many people here go on vacation and buy stogies, your safest bet is to stick to the La Casas.

 

[ggiese]

Unless you buy it from a "Casa del Habanos" (world-wide chain of tobacconists that get their franchise from Habanos SA itself and that guarantee their products' authenticity), you can almost be certain it isn't legit.

I know you're trying to emphasize the scope of the counterfeiting problem. And while I agree that the problem is huge, I have to take exception to your statement above. Pretty sure the folks at Hunters & Frankau and their customers would as well.

There are plenty of legitimate shops around the world that aren't Casas. Many aren't legit as well. Research and common sense go a long way toward figuring out the difference.

As to the OP's question, according to Moki's site, the Price of a Hoyo DC in Cuba is $14.80. Anything lower than that raises eyebrows. Less than half of that, I'd give heavy odds that it's fake.

I'm pretty sure the Cigar Asphixionado site has some fake HdM bands in their Counterfeit Gallery. Couldn't hurt to look there.

Excellent advice!!! :thumbs:

 

[tigger]

I agree, if I were going to buy cigars in Mexico or the Carribean, I would avoid everything but the Casas. But other than *maybe* buying a single or two, I would travel with my own smokes anyway. Research and common sense, again.

Just pointing out that the Casas aren't the only deal in town. Loyalty, I guess, to the non-CdH shops that have done right by me over the years...

Excellent advice!!!

:blush:

 

[Sunward]

i think the price is way low. i paid $10 CUC ($12 US) for a single stick at the LCDH in Cuba. Pics would help. I have an authentic one here to compare.

 

[cuppajack]

I checked out the stick some more lastngiht, and I realised it is actually a Churchill, not the Double Corona like I had previously posted...


Just for reference, here are some pics:

 

[Ginseng]

Thanks for the pictures. I'll post some pictures of a Hoyo Churchill tonight.

Wilkey

 

[ThankYouForNotSmoking]

The gold seems a little dark to me...I've seen fakes that look like that before too.

So, yeh, given the circumstances, I'm voting for fake.

 

[Sandalwood]

It does, however, still look like it might be a fine smoke now that we've seen the pictures. No veins, good cap, nice sheen. I'll give you $5 for it.

 

[Ginseng]

It does, however, still look like it might be a fine smoke now that we've seen the pictures. No veins, good cap, nice sheen. I'll give you $5 for it.

How a counterfeit cigar looks bears absolutely no relationship to how it smokes. Trust me on that one.

linkie

BTW, the shot of the foot concerns me. There's a chance you might have a pile of short filler in the center.

Wilkey

 

[Roy R. Frush]

That band is definitely phony. The details don't match up with a genuine band, and the overall appearance is far too crisp. The vertical lines in the background actually look much more sloppy on the real deal, which I'm sure you'll be able to see once Wilkey posts some photos.

 

[Ginseng]

Here are photos of an authentic HdM Churchill.

Wilkey

 

[LSUSEEGAR]

It does, however, still look like it might be a fine smoke now that we've seen the pictures. No veins, good cap, nice sheen. I'll give you $5 for it.

How a counterfeit cigar looks bears absolutely no relationship to how it smokes. Trust me on that one.

linkie

BTW, the shot of the foot concerns me. There's a chance you might have a pile of short filler in the center.

Wilkey

Wow, that's a scary post. Another reason I am scared to try Cohiba's, I don't mind buying the lesser known and less often counterfeited brands though. Thanks for that informative post. Sure helped me.

 

[Infinity]

Oops, the preview is not the same as the post, I cannot get all the
pics side by side so I edited the post but left the bands to compare.

cuppajack band on left Wilkey band on right


BTW, great pics guys.

Brian

 

[kluck]

The band looks completely fake and the price is all wrong, fake cigar, but like others have said it may be a decent smoke anyway. As for 99% of Cuban cigars are fake is highly unlikely as Cuba makes in excess of 100 million cigars per year that would mean counterfeiters would have to produce 10 billion cigars per year, not likely. And there are literally hundreds of non Casa stores who sell millions of legitimate habanos. I will agree though there are a lot of fake Cuban cigars in the US and there are a lot of shops selling fakes around the world so it pays to know your source and your product.

 

[TheVitaleMob]

Yeah, the fake band is definitely way to sharp. I wholeheartedly acknowledge my pure noob-ness in ISOMs (I have 2 that were gifted to me that are sitting in my humi for my wedding night, my first ISOMs), but that real wrapper is full of hand-drawn flavor. obviously hand drawn, then reproduced whereas the fake label seems to be straight lines with an almost symmetrical icon in the center. Seeing the real band even once gives this away dead.