Esplendidos Real or Fake?

[JBL11183]

I was gifted these by a close friend about a month ago. He said that he has them available to him all the time. I do not have much experience with cubans, and I hear so many stories about people getting screwed with fakes, but if they are real I am thinking about putting in an order. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks.

 

[smokintexas]

I really don't know much about Cuban's but those wrappers aren't looking so hot.

 

[JBL11183]

do you mean the color or the condition?

 

[ggiese]

There are SO many fake Cuban cigars out there. We're so glad we finally got you to start posting asking about them!!!

Do you think we might be able to get to know you a bit better?

 

[JBL11183]

Sure I joined this site over the summer, because I spent quite some time on it just reading other's posts. I am 26 and I have been smoking cigars since I was 18. I was given these cigars for christmas and my friend said that he can get them all the time they are just expensive. I have had real cubans but I was on vacation bought them from a legit shop so i knew they were real. I have had these guys in my Humidor relaxing for a special occasion. I would love to get some more and try some others but as you said the amount of fakes are astonishing. I figured let me take a few pics and bring it to the boards to see if anyone who has some experience with them could help me out. What do you think?

 

[Rush]

Shooting from the hip based soley on your pictures. . .they really don't look like they are the right ring gauge. The look a skosh skinny. I'd also say the band doesn't look like it received too much love. So, based on pictures and the "a friend can get 'em" source, I'm going to say fake at a 99% confidence level. BTW, they should cost about $17 each at a minimum COST and go up from there. Since a friend is getting them from someone who is getting them from somewhere, they should be $25 and up per stick (unless no one in the chain is marking them up from $17). . .so if they are $17 and you suspect someone in the chain is marking them up, then you can bank on them being fake (in other words, figure $17 is wholesale cost to whoever is first getting them and use logic to see if these, from a price point, could be real).

 

[JBL11183]

Shooting from the hip based soley on your pictures. . .they really don't look like they are the right ring gauge. The look a skosh skinny. I'd also say the band doesn't look like it received too much love. So, based on pictures and the "a friend can get 'em" source, I'm going to say fake at a 99% confidence level. BTW, they should cost about $17 each at a minimum COST and go up from there. Since a friend is getting them from someone who is getting them from somewhere, they should be $25 and up per stick (unless no one in the chain is marking them up from $17). . .so if they are $17 and you suspect someone in the chain is marking them up, then you can bank on them being fake (in other words, figure $17 is wholesale cost to whoever is first getting them and use logic to see if these, from a price point, could be real).

They were about 30 dollars a piece, and the friend that gets them has been getting them for years? He about 70 and has been smoking for a while. As for the ring gauge its on, I think that the pics might make it hard to tell. What do you mean the bands don't look like they received to much love. In person the bands are in perfect condition, they aren't faded at all. Any info you can give me I appreciate. I just want to check it out as much as possible before i decide to put an order in or not

 

[mmburtch]

They actually look pretty good, albeit beat to hell. The problem is looks can be deceiving. Rule of thumb is "trust your source". Can you?

 

[JBL11183]

They actually look pretty good, albeit beat to hell. The problem is looks can be deceiving. Rule of thumb is "trust your source". Can you?

Im sure I can trust him, But can we trust HIS source is the question!!

 

[H311oLHD]

From those pictures I can't make out anything that would deem them fishy...as someone else mentioned, they look beat up. I think we'd need a few more pictures w/o the flash & farther back to really tell..but again, gotta trust the source first and foremost.

-Aaron

 

[Strayvector]

Ask your friend where he gets them from. Also, what are the dimensions of the cigar?

 

[Diesel Grinch]

I don't know where in NJ your located but a group of Guys are getting together in Philly on April 18th. See the HERF section. Off the top of my head Tony or grateful1 should be able to tell you. On the plus side you get to hang with a bunch of great BOTL's.


DG

 

[dagoR6]

The bunching on the feet looks off to me.

 

[Rush]

Shooting from the hip based soley on your pictures. . .they really don't look like they are the right ring gauge. The look a skosh skinny. I'd also say the band doesn't look like it received too much love. So, based on pictures and the "a friend can get 'em" source, I'm going to say fake at a 99% confidence level. BTW, they should cost about $17 each at a minimum COST and go up from there. Since a friend is getting them from someone who is getting them from somewhere, they should be $25 and up per stick (unless no one in the chain is marking them up from $17). . .so if they are $17 and you suspect someone in the chain is marking them up, then you can bank on them being fake (in other words, figure $17 is wholesale cost to whoever is first getting them and use logic to see if these, from a price point, could be real).

What do you mean the bands don't look like they received to much love. In person the bands are in perfect condition, they aren't faded at all. Any info you can give me I appreciate. I just want to check it out as much as possible before i decide to put an order in or not

In regards to the bands, they just look like they are cut short on the top - I'll take a look at another sample and compare - $30 through a mid-level source or two is reasonable (although a non-American should be able to import them for about $17ea). . .

 

[JBL11183]

Shooting from the hip based soley on your pictures. . .they really don't look like they are the right ring gauge. The look a skosh skinny. I'd also say the band doesn't look like it received too much love. So, based on pictures and the "a friend can get 'em" source, I'm going to say fake at a 99% confidence level. BTW, they should cost about $17 each at a minimum COST and go up from there. Since a friend is getting them from someone who is getting them from somewhere, they should be $25 and up per stick (unless no one in the chain is marking them up from $17). . .so if they are $17 and you suspect someone in the chain is marking them up, then you can bank on them being fake (in other words, figure $17 is wholesale cost to whoever is first getting them and use logic to see if these, from a price point, could be real).

What do you mean the bands don't look like they received to much love. In person the bands are in perfect condition, they aren't faded at all. Any info you can give me I appreciate. I just want to check it out as much as possible before i decide to put an order in or not

In regards to the bands, they just look like they are cut short on the top - I'll take a look at another sample and compare - $30 through a mid-level source or two is reasonable (although a non-American should be able to import them for about $17ea). . .

I will do another photo shoot in the morning to get some different angles. I got these as a Christmas gift and my girlfriend may have banged them up a little but when she was bringing them to me. (She didn't purchase them, just dropped off the gift to me) This is just my first experience with CC's inside the states. Like I said, the only other times I was in countries in which they were legal, and purchased them in legit shops. I have just heard so many stories about "bootlegs". I am gonna light one up tomorrow and see what it smokes like.