Detect Cohiba Esplendidos Fakes

Cohiba Esplendidos Fakes recognize, this is an ongoing topic. Two readers have provided me with photos. Thanks for that.

Note: This post was updated on 02/22/2020 and 04/25/2021.

If your Esplendidos cigar box looks like this, the cigars are fakes

The green seal on the right and the sticker on the right are never in the box. Tip: Take a look at this too: Features Cuban cigar boxes

How to spot Cohiba Esplendidos fakes

Note: These are Anillas that were manufactured until 2003. In the meantime, they have already been changed one more time.

Photo below, 1) The narrow border above the anilla suggests that it could probably be a forgery. However, this is somewhat unclear in this example. I have also had genuine Cohibas where the edge of the anilla at the top was not 100% perfectly cut, but they were genuine Cohibas. However, the line "Habana, Cuba" is wrong; the font should be "bold". Therefore, it is clear: Fake.

Photo below, 2) This edge must now really not be. Here the probability of a forgery is almost 100%. Below the writing "Habana, Cuba" the margin is cut off much too closely. Here, too, the line "Habana, Cuba" should be written in bold. Therefore clear: 100% Fake.

Both points) The black background, the white squares, and the name Cohiba: it may be the photo, so it's a little unclear. They have to be squares; Here it looks like they are squares with rounded corners, or circles. The black background must be black, not gray. The Cohiba lettering must be embossed; here it looks rather flat. Therefore: 100% Fake.

Overall impression of the wrapper, from a purely external point of view: The wrapper is very uneven and coarse. BUT also here I would like to mention: I already had a Cohiba Maduro 5 Genios with such a grotto bad cover sheet that purely this criterion pointed to a fake; But it was not, because all other criteria had been right.

Thanks to Toni, he provided me with the photos of the fake Cohiba.

Viewing the Esplendidos from the inside

The inside also shows here: It is a fake. The tobacco is "cut up". However, he should not be in a long filler cigar. 

Here is a comparison

Brazen attempt: Right seal stolen and applied to another box

The following photos are from another ZigarrenZone reader. The back of the box is missing important stamps > factory stamp, box date (Features Cuban cigar boxes). The seal (seen above left) was removed from a box of genuine Romeo Y Julieta Churchills and stuck on here - but upside down. The verification of the barcode you can do online here. 

Note about verification at Habanos.Com: This service is not always available.

Notice: According to Thomas Portmann this verification is not always 100% true. Cubans do not list their products very carefully. Therefore, you may have an original product, but the barcode on its website is not verified.

In such a case, please proceed as follows: You must be sure that your product was purchased from an authorized dealer. If so, contact them and ask them to verify the authenticity of your product. Your dealer will arrange this for you with the official importer.

Here are the two photos:

This is the inner workings of these cigars

The following 2 photos: Fake or real?

Photo below: Real. A real Cohiba, although the edge of the Anilla is not beyond reproach. Why it is a real Cohiba? All the other criteria were right (all the characteristics of the box, the sticker and the seal were right and the box was bought from a professional dealer).

Photo below: Real. The cover is grotty and it could be a fake. But all the other criteria were above reproach.