Guess the Vitola

[grateful1]

Then it must by my monitor as it appears purple/red on my screen at work and home and not bluish. I have seen plenty of the blue ink before, but only purple on really old boxes, not anything so new. YMMV.

They use a blue ink at times(I'll check)...but the cap...well, that lends to more questions and more photo's!

LOL - Then I must be thinking of those.

After enlarging the photo...your eyes are not deceiving you...it appears purple.

Hmmmm.

 

[tone-ny]

Then it must by my monitor as it appears purple/red on my screen at work and home and not bluish. I have seen plenty of the blue ink before, but only purple on really old boxes, not anything so new. YMMV.

They use a blue ink at times(I'll check)...but the cap...well, that lends to more questions and more photo's!

LOL - Then I must be thinking of those.

After enlarging the photo...your eyes are not deceiving you...it appears purple.

Hmmmm.

I'll wait until others that may have 08 boxes chime in!

 

[mmburtch]

Then it must by my monitor as it appears purple/red on my screen at work and home and not bluish. I have seen plenty of the blue ink before, but only purple on really old boxes, not anything so new. YMMV.

They use a blue ink at times(I'll check)...but the cap...well, that lends to more questions and more photo's!

LOL - Then I must be thinking of those.

After enlarging the photo...your eyes are not deceiving you...it appears purple.

Hmmmm.

I'll wait until others that may have 08 boxes chime in!

I have a blue stamp and a black stamp from '08. The black being on a box of PSD4s if I read between the lines from the same vendor.

When did you receive your box?

Isn't it unusual for the date code to be in a line as opposed to stacked?

 

[dagoR6]

This box came a month ago, it's purple. I've gotten a wide variety of date codes on boxes and relative color levels in general between normal boxes. As I understand it they produce the same cigars are made in different factories as time goes on. For example I have two boxes of cohibas that are normal but the boxes have different black levels and etching patterns around the logos, just a factory difference.

As far as stacking, I've seen a wide variety there, I've seen lots of straight ones, lots of stacked ones and even one with month indented 1mm lower than the factory and year.

Everytime I've seen a fake it's been obvious in some way or another, after you look at it for awhile. These are what I'd call "odd." Bands, boxes, inserts, stickers, stamps and wrappers all that looks legit to me. Someone with this date code can check on the color and box.

 

[grateful1]

This box came a month ago, it's purple. I've gotten a wide variety of date codes on boxes and relative color levels in general between normal boxes. As I understand it they produce the same cigars are made in different factories as time goes on. For example I have two boxes of cohibas that are normal but the boxes have different black levels and etching patterns around the logos, just a factory difference.

As far as stacking, I've seen a wide variety there, I've seen lots of straight ones, lots of stacked ones and even one with month indented 1mm lower than the factory and year.

Everytime I've seen a fake it's been obvious in some way or another, after you look at it for awhile. These are what I'd call "odd." Bands, boxes, inserts, stickers, stamps and wrappers all that looks legit to me. Someone with this date code can check on the color and box.

These don't mean a thing, as cigars have been know to be re-banded.

The wrapper can also looks similar...the inside and the head say otherwise.

1) How do they smoke?
2) Did you splice another one?

 

[dagoR6]

A couple smoked great, to me it's definitely cuban leaf. Taste good/okay for a cuban. then I smoked one and it blocked out too early, irritated me and I tore it apart, normal leaf, little odd but then a small amount of short filler towards the head. thought I must be crazy and it shriveled in the smoke. Cut another one open and it was this one I photographed. Cut another one open at lunch with my buddy who's pretty damn good and then cut a Sig VI open just for comparison. The Sig VI was beautiful as you'd imagine with the ligero in there and everything. The PSD4 was.... okay. A little more stems on the inside than I'd imagine, but not like the first one.

The box is kind've full of a variety of weights, but they appear the same.

I see triple cap, but more glue than I'd normally think. Here's a few more pictures of the cap outside and inside.

 

[JLAudio]

You can send me a PSD4 and I'll check it out for you!

Honestly though, there shouldn't be short filler in there. When you cut it next to the Siglo VI, it should look the same...beautiful bunching of long filler.

 

[dagoR6]

You know what? I'm not sure I've ever seen a non-stacked date code either. I went all the way through my humidor and couldn't find one. Of course I don't have any 25 count boxes left around since I've been ordering 10,12's and 15's for so long for variety. This PSD4 is the only 25 I've had in a while.

Can some of you guys with 25'ers shed light on seeing an inline date code? Didn't someone else post up that they had a great stick from that date code?

BTW, it's one thing to ponder the idea that these might be crap sticks from cuban issues, something I'm 100% ready to think. Another that they could be rebanded 2 dollar sticks, scary because of implications and another thing altogether to think that this a sophisticated fake with fake bands and boxes that look perfect except for a simple mistake in date code.


I started this thread thinking, look at this hilarious crap stick I got a la 2000-2003 crap cubans. If you guys see something that says "fake" that's an interesting left turn.

 

[theEpiphany]

You know what? I'm not sure I've ever seen a non-stacked date code either. I went all the way through my humidor and couldn't find one. Of course I don't have any 25 count boxes left around since I've been ordering 10,12's and 15's for so long for variety. This PSD4 is the only 25 I've had in a while.

Can some of you guys with 25'ers shed light on seeing an inline date code? Didn't someone else post up that they had a great stick from that date code?

I just got several boxes a few weeks back....I'll take a look when I get home from work and post some pics.

 

[Mike33]

There's really nothing overly suspicious about the box code imo. The font looks fine, and I really don't pay too much attention to the ink color or the stack vs. inline distinction. I have seen some incredible variances in how box codes are stamped; granted, most were pre-2003.

The PSD4 is one of the most highly produced cigars, so some variance is to be expected. If you are comfortable with the source, and it sounds like you are, then I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[mmburtch]

"Last Factory Code is PUB MAY 08/MAS FEB 08"

If you are talking about the vendor that has this listing, mine arrived about a month ago with the latter code. It would surprise me to see a different code from there in the same time frame.

 

[Carbonless]

All the 25ers that I've seen have been stacked. The last Partagas box that I saw was MCS ABR 07 and it was stacked.

edit - I haven't seen THAT many 25er boxes of CCs...so take it for what its worth

 

[grateful1]

"Last Factory Code is PUB MAY 08/MAS FEB 08"

If you are talking about the vendor that has this listing, mine arrived about a month ago with the latter code. It would surprise me to see a different code from there in the same time frame.

Ahhhh!

It will be interesting if these came from a grey market.

At this point, I'd send them back.

 

[dagoR6]

It's pretty perplexing. Does anyone else notice any other discrepancies that I haven't noticed? All I've got is odd inline date code, purple ink. Never seen that. My experience is not that broad though.

 

[Strayvector]

My youngest box of PSD4 has a boxcode of PAL JUL07 in purple ink. I have no doubts to their authenticity.

 

[dagoR6]

My youngest box of PSD4 has a boxcode of PAL JUL07 in purple ink. I have no doubts to their authenticity.

It's a linear box code or stacked? And did it come from the same source or different? Do you see anything in the pictures of the box, band etc.. that seems different?

 

[Smok'em]

I also never have seen the linear box code/date, but I've only seen probably less than 50 boxes in my life. The more I learn, the more I know there are inconsistencies. It did look like short filler though so I would guess it can't be real.

 

[Strayvector]

My youngest box of PSD4 has a boxcode of PAL JUL07 in purple ink. I have no doubts to their authenticity.

It's a linear box code or stacked? And did it come from the same source or different? Do you see anything in the pictures of the box, band etc.. that seems different?

Stacked. Mine are from the far east. Box, band all seem fine, but I've never dissected any of my cigars. Next time you dissect one, you may want to soak it in water first, so that if the filler is tightly packed, it won't fall apart on you.

 

[theEpiphany]

As promised....Here's a box of Vegas Robaina Famosos and Partagas Series P #2s.....stacked. I thought I had my PSD4 box still but I think my wife took it for crafts...if I find it I'll post it.

 

[Strayvector]

I have a box of HU Sir Winstons with box code of OSE MAR07, in purple ink, and linear (not stacked). Sourced from the same vendor as my PSD4s...no doubts to its authenticity. I've seen way too many iterations of how box codes are stamped to not use this as the only/primary method of determining authenticity. I've seen varying font sizes, ink colors of light blue, dark blue, purple, black and even red. I've seen upside down 7 used as an L, month and year separated by hyphen, star, or nothing at all. I've seen boxes of PSD4s from the same factory, year and month of production but with different box designs (PSD4 box changed design in early 06). The point is, I know my source, I've met him, and I trust his operation 100%. I rarely buy from anyone else and if I do, I make sure I get referrals and vet out the source as best as I can.

Hard to tell from the iPhone picture below using artificial light, but the color of the stamp is purple. Top is that of the PSD4, bottom is the HU SW.