CA's Unboxing of Cohiba 55 - Counterfeit Box?

[LizardGizmo]

https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/video-unboxing-cuba-s-cohiba-55-aniversario-edicion-limitada?fbclid=IwAR3kRbcYxj3Y1XJ5aYrikBUqGXJMf6hHlQQyb2PBI1ruwtCpwf7hE5K__r8

Check out this unboxing video David Savona did for Cigar Aficianado of the Cohiba 55 Limitada

Issues I see:

1. UAO NOV 21? UAO hasn't been used since 2019. The code should be MAR for NOV 21 (and in 2022, El Laguito is GES).
2. The typeface of the box code and the spacing seems way off.
3. One of the EL bands in the box in the video is inconsistent with the other 4, to the point there's an added line that says "premier".

Did CA get duped? I very much think so.

[Tstew75]

Very, very concerning.

The last UAO code used was Oct 19, and yes that factory code font is completely wrong.

[Bigkahuna]

If CA Is getting counterfeits and not seeing the obvious then we plebs are doomed. 

[Hammer Smokin']

CA's knowledge of cubans is pretty rudimentary. 

It's not completely surprising. 

[cnov]

I just don't really understand how they can get so much right but fall down on the easily avoided mistakes.

[Cairo]

37 minutes ago, bambambam said:

Did CA get duped? I very much think so.

Great post and good catches.

I was never a fan but I never thought they were capable of this kind of blunder.

[Fugu]

cringeworthy 

[NSXCIGAR]

That code sticker...oh boy.

1 hour ago, bambambam said:

One of the EL bands in the box in the video is inconsistent with the other 4, to the point there's an added line that says "premier".

All of the 5-boxes should say "premier." The 2-pack samplers handed out at the launch do not I believe. 

1 hour ago, Bigkahuna said:

If CA Is getting counterfeits and not seeing the obvious then we plebs are doomed. 

If they're going to use codes like that and mismatch bands I think we're still ok for now...but the day is coming where fakes will be perfect. 

[SCgarman]

3 hours ago, Cairo said:

Great post and good catches.

I was never a fan but I never thought they were capable of this kind of blunder.

James Suckling was their Cuban cigar guru, but he's been gone for years. What are these sticks? $300usd/ a piece? Ouch. 

[Bigkahuna]

Where did James Sucking go ? 

[jimjim]

Wine spectator, I believe. 

[LizardGizmo]

40 minutes ago, Bigkahuna said:

Where did James Sucking go ? 

 

3 minutes ago, jimjim said:

Wine spectator, I believe. 

Suckling works for himself now: https://www.jamessuckling.com
CA and Wine Spectator are both owned by Marvin Shanken. He's been out of both for years.

[Cigar Surgeon]

[Bigkahuna]

7 hours ago, bambambam said:

Suckling works for himself now: https://www.jamessuckling.com
CA and Wine Spectator are both owned by Marvin Shanken. He's been out of both for years.

Wow ok thanks. I didn’t even know Ol Marv was still alive. He has to be in his 90s by now ? 

[LizardGizmo]

3 minutes ago, Bigkahuna said:

Wow ok thanks. I didn’t even know Ol Marv was still alive. He has to be in his 90s by now ? 

He'll be 79 on Oct 4

[Cigar Surgeon]

Box should look like this is my understanding:

[Bigkahuna]

This begs the question of provenance and calling them out on it. Obviously they are fakes and obviously they got them from a retail outlet based on the illegitimate cigars. Someone (looking at you China) is making serious coin selling fakes for 300 a pop

[Carrie Nation]

False alarm folks. Most of the 5-counts that have gone on sale in Dubai and Beirut duty-free are stamped exactly like this. There are even some UAO OCT 21boxes as well, stamped in the same font style. They'll show up on Bond Roberts soon enough and you'll see more boxes with these box codes. If CA has fakes, then so does all of Phoenicia's territory, LOL!

[mprach024]

5 hours ago, jimjim said:

Wine spectator, I believe. 

He was there for a spell, doing the same he did for CA - Connoisseurs Corner.  

Always thought section that was hysterical and ridiculous.

”I smoked a pre embargo Partagas 898 with no bands and no box found hidden in the wall of an old farm house.  Covered in “plume” it was earthy and delicious - 100 points, prove me wrong”

At WS he was drinking 1930s bottles of First Growths, etc.  Just the most absurd stuff no one will ever find.

Than he started his own gig. Been doing that a while now.  Poor guy has to drink the swill that is current release vintages now and smoke cigars people actually buy.  Poor guy.

[Bijan]

9 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

If they're going to use codes like that and mismatch bands I think we're still ok for now...but the day is coming where fakes will be perfect. 

Until they put 1% of the effort into the quality of the cigars that they put into the bands and boxes anyone who actually smokes the cigars will know pretty quick their money went down the drain.

And anyone who can't tell any difference... Well it's a zen riddle whether they're any worse off.

The main risks are buying Siglo II and they would reband PLPC. Or buy CoRo and they reband PSD4. Unclear any of us could tell that difference reliably or at least with 100% confidence. I mean as a thought exercise we all think we can most of the time. But the blind contests say otherwise.

[jakebarnes]

7 hours ago, Bigkahuna said:

Where did James Sucking go ? 

Hopefully to an island where no one can hear him, where his pretentious  mostly hot-air blowing  ass belongs. 

[brutusthebuckeye]

13 minutes ago, jakebarnes said:

Hopefully to an island where no one can hear him, where his pretentious  mostly hot-air blowing  ass belongs. 

Hilarious….his phony bologna accent always made me cringe. 

[cigarsdelcuba]

Guys this is just a simple quality control issue on the part of Habanos...we have seen issues like this thousands of times over and over...CA just didnt catch it. probably to caught up in the $ they spent getting the box. the box codes are correct as these are what is popping up in the duty free's across the region in Middle East. 

some poor lad in the factory stuffed the premiere boxes with the 10 count cigars instead of the premiere 5 count cigars....nothing more and nothing less. 

dont read to much into...and start saying they are fakes. 

to a fake a box like this takes precision factory which is just not worth it - if u seen the boxes like i have in the shops its no where near the regular boxes coming out of cuba. they can fake the wooden boxes easily but not these...

 

[Cairo]

2 hours ago, Carrie Nation said:

Most of the 5-counts that have gone on sale in Dubai and Beirut duty-free are stamped exactly like this.

Just to be clear, you do see that one of the cigars in the OP has a "premiere" band and the other four do not.    Is that also happening in those duty frees?

The font on the one cigar also looks a lot different than the other four.

Could it be we have one legit and four fake cigars here?

[Bri Fi]

I’m so glad to hear suckling is a joke. I am a huge wine guy and I started buying wine by ratings a few years into the hobby. I noticed anytime I saw his name next to a rating, it was not going to be good. He gives everything 100. I stopped buying anything with his name next to it.