Trusted Seller sent me this..Maybe not to be trusted anymore?

[bbesner]

I have a seller outside of the USA that I have been buying certain aged cigars from for over a year now. I have probably purchased over 10 (maybe as many as 20) boxes from them and every box has been of outstanding quality. Today I received a box of Montecristo # 2 with box code ROA JUN11 and this is the first box of suspect cigars I have received. Please give your opinion. I have taken several pictures from different angles. Keep in mind that these cigars just arrived after 2+ weeks in transit so they obviously need to settle in the humidor for a while. However, I first noticed the wrappers on some of the cigars seemed thin in some areas. The biggest issue though are at the feet. They seem to be uneven and cut poorly. Some are unable to stand up on their foot on a flat surface because of the angle they were cut.

That being said, they have the familiar barnyard smell and other than the feet of the cigars, the color of the wrappers and overall appearance of the cigars are uniform.

Would Montecristo release a box with uneven cuts at the foot like this? I have 2 other boxes of Monte # 2s, and they do look somewhat similar, but the foot of each cigar is cut better. I hate to think this seller that I have trusted for a long time now would send me fakes. The box was opened and checked by them before shipping so I doubt this could get by them.Please judge for yourselves and let me know your thoughts.

[Lotusguy]

Have you tried entering the bar code on the Habanos website?

[finecigar]

Everything looks fine to me, I'd say check the number on Habanos website. Quality in cc's vary all the time, honestly the cigars don't look as horrible as you made them sound in your text. If they are fakes then they are the damn best I've seen in many years. There's nothing that screams FAKE to me about them, actually the quality of the wrappers of the cigars look pretty consistent. I wouldn't worry. how do they feel when you give them alittle squeeze?

[bbesner]

Lotusguy, yes I have been trying. But their website seems to be having issues. It times out on me every time I try. Even if it comes up positive, that will only tell us the box is likely the real deal.

[bbesner]

Finecigar,

They feel perfect, when I squeeze. The only concern I really had was with the uneven cuts of the feet. I have not seen a box with cuts like that before. Otherwise, you are correct, they look good. I guess I am looking for a second opinion.

[canadianbeaver]

No expert but why would someone fake the H&F? The bloom alone looks great.

[Marker]

They are not PSP... but probably real. I have seen a few boxes of CC that just plain were the last box packed. They took everything that didn't match for a 10 or 25 box and threw them in there. Still smoked great, just never be able to play a game of memory with them to find two of the same.

[Trevor2118]

The H&F stamp is only applied to sealed boxes, intended for Travel Retail and their export markets (Republic of Ireland, Gibraltar and the Channel Islands)......does this coincide with the supplier?

The warrenty seal is slightly misplaced.

Two points to consider.

[Lotusguy]

I am 99% certain I know the vendor and I have never, EVER, heard of them selling a single questionable stick. I have dozens of boxes from them and where there was a barcode, they always checked out.

I would tend towards real.

[Upmann2009]

Hi,

This is solely my opions, please fix me if I am wrong.

The only way to tell if it's real is from the barcode, and the box must be sealed. If some one say they can tell from taste, who is going to trust the consistency of a hand made cigar, from thousand of roller from Cuba, assume they have a very good palete.

Barcode only introduced since late 2008. Is this correct, Trevor? I am so sure about this.

About the barcode that didn't work or returned time out or the site busy, it's properly not on the database of Hsa. And if the box pass the box appearance test, I assume you got a grey market stock (still 100% Cuban from Hsa). Think as if that shipment were out of Hsa warehouse without Hsa knowing its existence ( under table deal ) so the barcode weren't entered the database.

Importantly if the sticks smoke fine and you like it. And also email the vendor and address you concerns

Cheers

Jason from Oz

[Upmann2009]

Typo

Barcode only introduced since late 2008. Is this correct Trevor? I am NOT so sure about this.

[ewipper]

Did u ask the vendor?

[bbesner]

Trevor2118 you are of course dead on the money. Also, Lotusguy, I have never had any doubt with this seller and that is exactly why I posted this. I wanted to see what the consensus was. I won't even approach this seller about the issue because I think it would be insulting. If the consensus was that these were fake, then I would have approached the subject with them. This seller has been professional, reliable and very efficient with every order in the past. I still cannot get the Habanos website site to check the bar code number without getting a time out. I do not believe the problem is that the bar code is not listed. Their pages are having a hard time loading images as well.

[dangolf18]

I received a crappy box of '09 Monte No.2 from them in the past, but every other box i've gotten from them have been stellar. I HIGHLY doubt these are fake (99% sure they are real). I'd say light one up and see what you think.

[finecigar]

Finecigar,

They feel perfect, when I squeeze. The only concern I really had was with the uneven cuts of the feet. I have not seen a box with cuts like that before. Otherwise, you are correct, they look good. I guess I am looking for a second opinion.

I have received a acouple boxes as of late from a few 100% trusted vendors with similar end issues that were half-assed looking. They smoked great and were authentic. One was a box of Cohiba genios, the other was a Monte. No 2. It's pretty dissappointing though. but quality is always an issue when you buy blind. If you want to PM me the name of the vendor, maybe I could shed a tad bit more light, I've dealt with many

[Trent0341]

A barcode can be faked just like a cigar.

I've always wondered why people put so much trust in the barcode system. You could print off 10,000 seals with the same barcode that you got off of a legit box.

I don't see anything that screams fake either. Of course it's easy to miss details in pictures. The box stamp matches with the seal and DOP sticker. Everything about the box and bands look good as far as I can see. I can see some minor constructions issues but nothing that would cause me great concern.

I'm not sure what the white stuff is. I'm no expert but I would think it highly unlikely that bloom/plume is forming in less than two years. Of course who really knows how long HSA had it before hand. Given the popularity of the No. 2 I wouldn't think long.

The key points are do you trust your source and how does it smoke? Just my opinion... Best of luck.

[Habanos2000]

by the pictures they look pretty good to me. While the crooked feet you mention are a concern it comes down to, for me, trusting the vendor and the cigars tasting right, otherwise don't sweat the details.

[Diamondog]

Meh they look fine, blaze one up, you'll know.

[ewipper]

I still think you should ask the vendor why monte 2s would be so inconsistent and crooked if they were real. Youll sleep better

[Trevor2118]

Barcode only introduced since late 2008. Is this correct Trevor? I am NOT so sure about this.

Announced 2009 but not in full use until late 2010. For about another year, the new type seal is often found over the old seal.

http://www.cubanciga...aging.htm#Seals

[Blakes]

They look good to me.... I've seen alot worse legit monte 2's!

There a stick that is known for been inconsistant, not only in appearence but flavour also.

I think theres always a chance with them, as other popular sticks that you could end up with a dud box, unless you see them first or pay a premuim for better quality.

[Ryan]

The H&F stamp is only applied to sealed boxes, intended for Travel Retail and their export markets (Republic of Ireland, Gibraltar and the Channel Islands)......does this coincide with the supplier?

Bang on Trevor about that particular H&F stamp. The lack of a health warning sticker on the box narrows down the possiblities even more..

The cigars look fine from the pictures. I have been in that vendor's shop many times. All of their Cuban cigars come from Hunters.

I have been told by Hunters and Frankau staff before that they do record the serial numbers on their stickers (The Hunter's sticker, not the Habanos seal).

If you are still concerned you could email them and ask them to verify what box that serial number is from. Even send them a picture of it.

Personally I wouldn't have the slightest concern about that vendor.

[BENN]

They look damn good to me, I think the first thing you should do would be to contact the vendor and share your concern with them and see if they can either send you another box, refund or say this is it and you cant return it. I think I know the vendor you are thinking of and their rep is more than solid.

[sengjc]

They seem to be fine to me.

[IcedCanuck]

I bought a box of fakes from someone on the beach in Cuba (I wanted some cheap sticks to hand out to people who don't know the difference). After paying for the box the guy pulled out a roll of the bar codes and all other 'official' stickers that get put on the box. Bar codes don't mean anything.