While on an official visit to Havana, Cuba, my friend purchased a couple of boxes of Cohiba Siglo IV cigars. They were purchased at the Hotel Nationale in their Cigar Shop. They were told to buy them there to assure that they were genuine. Even in Cuba, if you buy them on the street, you could be duped. The picture shows the box that they came in. The cigars themselves have two rows of squares on the ring and the end of the smoke has three caps. The Cohiba Siglo IV is exactly like mine. I also sent a couple of smokes to Blister and he got one of these.
I am looking forward to your input.
Mark

** edited due to competitor reference

I will not be bale to deny or confirm the authenticity of these so called cuban cigars. They will need further DNA testing at my laboratory!

Da Chief

What the Chief said!

My address is.......1851 yada yada yada

Charlie

Mark and I have been e-mailing back and forth. The Cohiba he sent me just doesn't look right. It does NOT have a triple cap.
It is the old band. The band is completely unembossed, but the band printing looks accurate.

Last night he sent me pictures of the box and seal. The pictures were pretty good close ups. The box and the seals look very genuine.
It's been quite interesting. I'm going to try to post a picture of the cap-hopefully tomorrow.

Mark told me he paid about $185.00 for the box. The going rate now (purchased through a European vendor) is about $350.00

We'd like to hear opinions from more experienced Cuban smokers.

Hard to say w/o seeing the cigars up close and the bottom of the box(in order to see the box code). X

i do have a picture of the bottom that i can post in another thread
Mark

this is the latest price list i have, 2000.

http://www.cigarnexus.com/counsel/cubanprices/index.html 

Just to let you know, the price that I paid back then was what he paid for them in Havana- could answer why I only paid 7.35EA

box and the paper and ceadar inserts look right they go for about 225-250 in mexico in the malls and such HEY if they taste good ENJOY

June 2004 prices in Cuba

http://www.theorudman.com/cigar_prices_in_cuba.htm 

How do they smoke? how many have you smoked? hard draw?

Authentic Shops have the sign's Habanos S.A. in their shops.. although I seen the very same signs on a visit to mexico and could tell the cigars themselves were counterfiet...

when you first opened them up..did they smell like horse manure? or smell like moldy grass hay?

Was the filler short? as you smoke it... Dark black/greyish ash that should stay on the burn up to 3-4 inches before rendering loosness? or do you get about 1-1/2" and it comes lose? (Farmed)

Hog

I sent one of these to Blister- I wish he would smoke it to give me his evaluation. I smoked most of them and gave some away- I thought they were wonderful! I am confident that they are genuine. I only have one left.

Blister- look at the cap with a magnifying glass or something- I bet there ARE three caps
Mark

If purchased in Cuba, even the fakes will be really good. It'll be hard to tell from the ash since its probably cuban tobacco that was used. There wouldn't be any embossing on a 01 band but the cigar itself should be relatively free of veins and the wrapper would be very smooth and well put together. Sorry about the other posts since I only saw the other one first when I replied. Looks real enough, but $185 is really cheap even in 2001 and they are NEVER discounted, even in Cuba. If they are real and you were able to buy them for that price, Kudos to you!

If there's no triple cap, it's not authentic. Keep in mind, I've had plenty of counterfeits that turned out to be wonderful cigars, and I am sure there are others that could say the same thing. The fact that it's enjoyable doesn't mean it's the real thing. Also, it could be counterfeit, but still Cuban.

$185=red flag
not triple capped=red flag

authenticity of box and seals, meaningless, because they could be from sales of singles.

Likely...Cuban cottage or farm cigars, reboxed. If the tobacco was painstakingly processed and aged, they should be fine cigars rolled by the same folks who roll cigars in Cuba's preeminent factories.

farmie Cohibas???

I rather enjoy my farm rolled VRs. They definitely are not cheap way over the 185 price. But they are properly cured long filler.