Ever Wonder?

[KB24]

Anyone who has ever purchased aged boxes from anywhere in the world, cuban or non-cuban, ever wonder if perhaps maybe only the box is aged and the cigars in them are recent productions? I had this thought today and wanted to see what everyone thought. Obviously bands change from time to time but...

For example: If I took a box of Monte #2's from 2006 and filled that box with Monte #2 cigars from 2010, there is really no way of knowing in my opinion except to smoke one and still then whoever you bought them from could always just say if you said these cigars tasted too fresh to be 4-5 years old, that everyone's palette is different. Another example could be a Cohiba from 2003 vs one from 2010.

In my opinion, the only way to know the cigars are really from a given year and have not been switched is if the box is still sealed, but because stock is checked by a lot of vendors, not many boxes arrive to us smokers with seals in tact. Trust is a big thing when it comes to purchasing cigars but there are some bad people out there unfortunately.

Thoughts?

[cgarner]

That is why I only buy from one person.

[Colt45]

Patrick, I guess there would be nothing to keep the truly unscrupulous from re-sealing a box either - complete with appropriate seals, shrink wrap, etc.

But I guess the same could be be said for any number of products. As an example, I just purchased a new music cd (Heifetz Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn

violin concertos, if anyone gives a crap). Today, I ripped it onto my computer......

When itunes got all the album info, the album title came up as what looked to be some kind of cross between Japanese and Arabic (all the rest of the info in

English). My first thought was that perhaps this was a bootleg of some sort, even though purchased through one of the "reputable" big online markets.

(I do try to buy at local stores, but this was not available).

All the proper packaging, great sound quality, etc - but.........

[88keys]

As an example, I just purchased a new music cd (Heifetz Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn

violin concertos, if anyone gives a crap).

Hey Colt -- I give a crap. That's great stuff.

If music were like cigars, now you would be posting audio clips and we'd all be analyzing whether it's really Heifetz playing or some Nicaraguan guy.

[El Presidente]

"Bait and switch" has certainly been done over the years with vendors eventually being caught out. I think it reached its height in the early 2000's.

Another issues is aged fakes. I know of one person with Fake Monte 2's which he steadfastly refuses to believe they are (Holds to the line if you don't believe them to be fakes then you aren't selling fakes).

He held mastercases of them (late 90's stock) and sells them at a huge premium these days to select markets only who are not too clued in.

If you see Cohiba Sublimes/Cohiba LE Double Coronas/01 Piramides etc for regular sale run a mile. I have seen fakes of each of these over the past 12 months which are excellent often only given away by the aroma at cold. Fresh cigars have an "aroma" which is unmistakeable. All were found in Havana at reputble stores and each brought out with a "we have something special for you".

It is an industry using real boxes/bands/LE wrappers/Cuban tobacco.

[bombaybill]

I happen to have purchased a box of 2006 Monte No.2 from the Czar.

Somehow I can never get anyone to ship that box out to me

Care to comment...Rob

[El Presidente]

I happen to have purchased a box of 2006 Monte No.2 from the Czar.

Somehow I can never get anyone to ship that box out to me

Care to comment...Rob

Thats Lisa's department. I have no idea about the mechanics of how things work....only that Lise does

[aes8]

Anyone who has ever purchased aged boxes from anywhere in the world, cuban or non-cuban, ever wonder if perhaps maybe only the box is aged and the cigars in them are recent productions? I had this thought today and wanted to see what everyone thought. Obviously bands change from time to time but...

For example: If I took a box of Monte #2's from 2006 and filled that box with Monte #2 cigars from 2010, there is really no way of knowing in my opinion except to smoke one and still then whoever you bought them from could always just say if you said these cigars tasted too fresh to be 4-5 years old, that everyone's palette is different. Another example could be a Cohiba from 2003 vs one from 2010.

In my opinion, the only way to know the cigars are really from a given year and have not been switched is if the box is still sealed, but because stock is checked by a lot of vendors, not many boxes arrive to us smokers with seals in tact. Trust is a big thing when it comes to purchasing cigars but there are some bad people out there unfortunately.

Thoughts?

Three thoughts

1. Trust your vendor

2. Trust your vendor

3. Buy current stock and age your own

[Colt45]

If music were like cigars, now you would be posting audio clips and we'd all be analyzing whether it's really Heifetz playing or some Nicaraguan guy.

!LOL!

I've no doubt it's him playing, but it does make me wonder how the cd was made. I'm far from an expert, but to my ears Heifetz was a master.

His precise fingering, intonation, and bowing - a real clarity of sound. When I hear his playing, I picture in my mind the violin top resonating.