I had been wondering the last couple of months if isoms were worth the trouble and expense. Last night I smoked my first one, which I picked up at a local store here in Miami. It was a Partagas Series D No. 2, Edicion Limitada 2003. I don't know much about isoms but being a lurker on this board for a while I had seen this one mentioned a couple times. Needless to say, I was very excited when the owner of the store offered to sell me one. It was an absolutely incredbile experience, and one of the most powerful cigars I have ever smoked. The guy offered to sell me 5 for for $50 if I liked it and wanted to buy a few more. I am driving back there after work today. Its too bad I can only afford to smoke a couple of these a month, I envy those people who can have these as part of their regular rotation.

I've had many ISOMs in the past but just had my first PSD#4 a few days ago, and they live up to the hype! You started off right! :^)

threei,

At $10 a stick, those are a steal. If they are legit. I have had to pay $12 for mine. I can't afford them as far as my regulr rotation, but they are a great once or twice a month smoke.

I would buy all you can at that price.

Later

Dave (A.K.A. Homebrew)

This is a $300 + dollar box of cigars a any source I know of I would be wary of this source.

Unless this guy is a real nice guy, and he caress not about money, $10 is real cheap, perhaps post a picture of the cigar in the picture forum and let the gurus in this board tell you if they are legit.

Smoking ISOM's cigars is a definate addiction, but taking the first step can be hard, my first experience was bad, actually my first few were bad, only because I got fakes. Once I tried the real deal, man, what a difference, now......................................................................

I have no way of knowing %100 if these are legit or not. I have smoked a lot of high end stuff PAM, Ashton VSG, Don Carlos and this cigar did wow me. If it would be of any help, I could take some pics and post them on the pic board. I also wouldn't mind sending someone the labels if they think they could tell by looking at them. Owner seemed like a good guy, I bought some singles of stuff I wanted to try like the Cohiba XV and he knocked off 1/3 of the price of the other sticks. btw-paid $15 for the first PSD, he said his friend goes to cuba and brings back a box for him once a month. He smokes a couple and sells the rest. He also had a Romeo and Juliet but it was crack.

A good source to compare the cigars you bought is Cigar Aficionado's online site. Usually counterfeits are done horribly, but I'm sure there is the occasional master. There are also websites that sell ISOM's and you can compare your cigars with them.

$10 is not out of line for a PSD#4. The guy may even be making a couple bucks per cigar. Now, if you said it was an EL....that would be a different matter.

X, he said - It was a Partagas Series D No. 2, Edicion Limitada 2003

I'd take those 5 for 50 any day.

It is not uncommon for a fake to have a real band, heck it can even be real cuban tobacco, it is really hard to tell the difference. Unless you smoke the real thing...

PSD#2 are really good, you might want to check the length and the ring size, color and band placement and fit. Most counterfits will not be all the same and the color will vary. The #2's color, on the latest ones I saw, were real dark wrapper no veins a very smooth wrapper, it's ash was extremly dark, ad dark grey as they come, very little light grey accents, it has a spicey end, like the last 1/3 is real peppery. It can be counterfitted, and even rolled good with the real band, but the Partagas flavor profile can never be duplicated, to know if it's counterfit, you must try the real thing, maybe someone in the board will trade this noob a PSD#2 so he can tell the difference, and if anyone feels generous yu can send me one as well as I am out, and have been for a while, and all this talk about #2's EL has arroused my appetite LOL

+)____