My brother gave me a few Cohiba Esplendido cigars on Thanksgiving. He got them from a friend as a gift, tried one and did not like it. His friend said they were true Cubans and the label reads la habana cuba. My question is are these cigars any good and what is their value. I don't plan on smoking them myself as I prefer mild light cigars. I'll probably give them away to one of my cigar aficionado buddies. Just don't want to be embarassed if these are not real thing. Thanks for your input. Love this site. Am learning alot on forum!

there'll be no shortage of volunteers, both to tell you whether the cigars are actually Habanas and to offer opinions on whether they're a good smoke ... those opinions will vary from a to z in both cases.

If you've tried 'em and don't like 'em, trade 'em for something you do like ... put an offer on the trades board and you'll get offers ...

I can't offer you any help on determining their pedigree, but can tell you that IMO, they are a good smoke ...

This ought to help ... and and they usually run around the $30 range (if they are real) ...

http://www.cigarnexus.com/counsel/counterfeit/ 

... and are usually plugged ... 😉

AND ... is THE most counterfeited Cuban cigar ever produced ...

... I'm done.

Thanks Guys, I should have read the post a few threads earlier. They look like the real thing with a yellow and black band with white dots. Will store in the humidor and give to some deserving friend aroud x-mas. Just wanted to be sure they would be appreciated. To think my brother was going to through them out! He smokes swisher sweets!

If they're dots, then I don't they aren't cubans.
Someone correct me if I am wrong, but the cubans have squares, while the Dominican Cohibas have dots.
Leastwise, the Dominican Esplendidos I got have dots.

Correct....I believe they do have small white squares rather than dots. And there should only be two rows of squares above the white area with the name Cohiba in it. Some fakes have three and as many as four rows of white squares or dots above it. Now that I've said this, I read somewhere recently that the Cuban-made Cohiba either has or is going to shortly change the label. Here we go again.............
Co

band is gold on bottom, black on top, the black part has four rows of white squares, not dots- my mistake.

DJRANDI --- go to the picture post, and click on the thread titled ... Cohiba Band.

I just 'topped' it for you ...

BTW --- it's the top one that is the real McCoy ...

... the bottom one with four rows of squares is the counterfeit band ...

UNLESS --- it is not one with the 'new' band, but has Cohiba in black lettering (not shiny gold) ...

... then that one has for rows of white squares, and that is the real deal ...

Confused?

Did you check out the link I posted above? It will help a great deal ...

Cohiba's, you either love them or hate them due to construction issues. Yes, many are plugged, I had a whole box of Robustos in which 2/3 were plugged. Lately though, plugged and draw issues have improved.
All I can say is smoke them, that's the only way you will know....Enjoy!

Ed

the lettering is black not gold, the black band has 4 rows of white squares, 2 rows above the white block that contains the Cohiba logo, and 2 rows, that meet at the white block. The cigar reads La habana Cuba. Thanks for all your input, you guys know alot about cigars

years ago 10+ they were a great cigar. came 5 in a box, from the dr and ran in the $20.00 each range.

my last box of them from an isom was in the same price range, $300. to $400. a box of 25, and they were crap. it took over a year in the humidor before they would even draw.

when they could, they weren't worth the trouble.

DJRANDI --- they sound real, if all the other ducks line up also ... 😉

Not trying to threadjack here but construction problems, i.e., "plugged" ISOMs appear to be almost a universal observation (from my personal experience nothing is more frustrating than laying down $35 - 40 for an ISOM cigar, anticipating the decadence of smoking it along with drinking an aged brandy or fine cognac, then brought down by the fact that it won't draw). This prompts me to ask if anyone has experience with the "DrawPoker" (which is hyped as the solution to plugged cigars). If it actually is effective, saving one expensive cigar could make it worth the price. As a rule I tend to be skeptical of advertising claims and rely on comments from members of this board. Thanks.

Use a bamboo shish-kabob skewer ... or something similar ...

... much cheaper, and just as effective.

hey slim i thought you were done. LOL

martini

arwings -
If you are parting with $30+++ each for Habana product.....can I sell you some prime waterfront property in Nevada or a bridge in Brooklyn.

Who is taking advantage of you to such an extent - even the most expensive new offering in the Cohiba line - the Siglo VI is available for aprox $22 per..... and there are many smokes - including the Monte 2s which go for half of that....... someone is doing you wrong.