Here's the close up everyone is waiting for.

After further review these are the real deal.

OMG are they fake. I was gifted a Montecristo with an EL band just like that. Super fake.

Sorry for the bad news bro, but you got hosed.

According to this article:

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Counterfeits/Genuine_Page/0,3392,8,00.html 

They are fake...Sorry Dude...

Boy I just don't know as we took them to my local cigar shop with a unopen box and he said they were the real deal and he bought the unopen box from my Nephew and paid $750.00 on the spot.

Schecky

rush1169 was correct about the font also. As i've said, the Sublime was a 2004 EL release, not 2005.

It really sucks, but live and learn.

i got some BOUGHT IN CUBA that does not have the "La" and 5 rows of squares.

MACS--are your esplendidos like that???

According to this the band looks good....but as MAC said....only Subs have been released in 04...

The first is the gold on the word "Cohiba" and its surrounding border, plus a gold line has been added running through the center of the band. The "La Habana, Cuba" script on the old label has been changed to simply "Habana, Cuba". Lastly, there are now three rows of white square dots above the word "Cohiba" where before there were two.

so are they real or not

In Shecky's defense....if you look at this label and compare it to the labels of other reputable cigar sites you see the exact same label with their edition limitada. The Cohiba regular lines have the old label. I want to say that I thought they were changing all their labels to the new style but my memory is a little foggy. I haven't seen any 2005 EL for sale though. The cigar is a pretty dark brown color though. Counterfeits aren't always this dark.

This is a strong statement that suggests your Cohibas are not real:

http://www.habanos.com/edicionLimitada2005.asp 

WHEW! my band looks like this:

http://www.habanos.com/estucherobusto.asp 

http://www.emscoelectric.com/ebay/cigar/fake3.jpg 

One is genuine. One is fake. To the fake's credit, it does have the correct year.

Which is which? The one on the left is fake, yes?

Fake dude.

The one on the left is fake and it showes how the spacing of the letters is too far apart just like the ones above.

So sad. 😞

Schecky? You still there? Do we need to send someone over to make sure you are okay?

First time looking at this - look fake to me as well.

not all shop owners know diddly. Take the $750 and run.

I think if you plan on going back to that shop I'd give him his money back.

I really don't know what to say. Myself and my concrete subcontractor just smoked one and he has been somking for 25years. He said he would buy all of them.

Then the local cigar shop called and asked if I can get him more as he has sold all of them this morning and smoked one himself and said it was heaven.

Well at least they taste good.