Cohiba question

[mayor79]

Ive been searching and can't find my answer. I picked these up at my local shop for $4.95 each, so I know they're NOT Cubans. I thought the General Cigar versions all had a red dot inside the 'O' in the band.

This band is just yellow, gold print (not shiny) and black, no raised font/printing.

The shop claimed they sell them so cheap because they order a ton (they're not a large shop so red flag there, they were also just in a bin on the floor). I aussume these are a knock off of the red dot General Cigar Choibas? They start off smoking kind of bitter and harsh, the second third mellows out and then they're not bad anymore. I figure these are just an okay yard gar but wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything.

 

[Smart Ash]

Thread 'Friend brought back a couple of sticks from the Dom. Republic (pics)'
https://www.cigarpass.com/community...e-of-sticks-from-the-dom-republic-pics.44080/

 

[mayor79]

Okay so it seems there are four versions (thanks for the link, this one didn't come up somehow in my search). So Cohoiba Cuban ......can't get here, Cohiba red dot, American version. Cohiba Dominican yellow label made by Montecristo, same band but should be white dots not squares, and a knock off of the Montecristo with the same band with white squares which is what I found.

So this was a cheap yard gar trying to pass of as the Montecristo version. I'll have to see how the next one smokes to see if it's worth buying again or not. I'd think a knock off of a knock off yard gar should be cheaper.

 

[Smart Ash]

Okay so it seems there are four versions (thanks for the link, this one didn't come up somehow in my search). So Cohoiba Cuban ......can't get here, Cohiba red dot, American version. Cohiba Dominican yellow label made by Montecristo, same band but should be white dots not squares, and a knock off of the Montecristo with the same band with white squares which is what I found.

So this was a cheap yard gar trying to pass of as the Montecristo version. I'll have to see how the next one smokes to see if it's worth buying again or not. I'd think a knock off of a knock off yard gar should be cheaper.

I don’t think this is quite right. It’s not Monticristo, it’s Montecristi cigar factory in the Dominican Republic. I sincerely doubt anyone would fake a knock off…

 

[Smart Ash]

From AI search:
Monte Cristi de Tabacos was a Dominican Republic-based tobacco company infamous for producing counterfeit and trademark-infringing versions of iconic Cuban cigar brands, most notably Cohiba and Montecristo, during the mid-to-late 1990s. [1, 2, 3]

The Trademark Controversies & Fakes
Because of the U.S. embargo on Cuba, Cuban state companies like Habanos S.A. could not easily protect or distribute their brands in the U.S. Monte Cristi de Tabacos capitalized on this gap by manufacturing look-alike cigars: [1, 2, 3]

• The Fake "Yellow Band" Cohiba: Long before the official Cuban Cohiba updated to its modern embossed design, Monte Cristi de Tabacos flooded alternative U.S. channels (like gas stations and small convenience stores) with a replica. Their band was notoriously flat, featuring a yellow background with round white dots on a black border and a basic, non-embossed "COHIBA" logo. [1]
• The Legal Crackdowns: The company faced intense legal retaliation from legitimate trademark holders. In landmark federal lawsuits—such as Consolidated Cigar Corp. v. Monte Cristi De Tabacos (1999)—U.S. courts ruled that Monte Cristi de Tabacos was intentionally creating counterfeit trade dress to trick consumers. By 2001, they legally lost the right to sell these branded cigars. [, 2, 3]

How to Identify Them Today
If you have come across a "Cohiba" or "Montecristo" explicitly bearing the name Monte Cristi de Tabacos on the box, label, or legal text, note the following:

• Market Status: They are not genuine Cuban cigars, nor are they the legal Dominican versions owned by General Cigar Co. (Cohiba "Red Dot") or Altadis U.S.A. (Montecristo). [1, 2]
• Quality: Cigar communities widely consider these old stocks to be low-quality fakes that frequently burn harshly and lack genuine premium tobacco flavors. [1, 2, 3]
• Collectibility: Today, they hold virtually no value as smokeable items, though their hand-painted or vintage wooden boxes occasionally pop up on secondhand sites like eBay as novelty tobacco memorabilia. [1]