montecristos - what do you suppose I have?

[gabloigza]

Hi All - awesome forum here, glad to be a part of it, been reading thread after thread.

Here's my story:  I was in Cuba in March and spent a few days in a small fishing village on the southern coast.  There was a small bodega there and I asked if they had any cigars.  The man there had one thing behind the counter, a set of 10 Montecristos.  9 of them were in a plastic bag and neatly wrapped in a dried palm leaf, with one cigar on the outside, wrapped in cellophane to show what it was.  He wanted 15 CUC for them, so I agreed.

They have a wonderful flavor, I'd say I prefer them to the Montecristos I bought later in Havana at the official shop.  Guessing on size, can confirm when I get home this weekend, but about 5.5" x 42.  Brown and white ring.

My first thought was that these were clearly fakes based on packaging and lack of any kind of tax seals.  Reading and google has shown me nothing else like this.  It then occurred to me that most of these fakes are being sold at normal cigar prices - these were sold at $1.60 a stick!  The bodega wasn't for tourists - there were not other tourists there.  I got to wondering what the Cuban residents smoke and wondered if they could have been meant for a Cuban resident.

Would love to hear some thoughts about what it is I bought.

cheers.

[RijkdeGooier]

Without pictures it is hard to tell. 

But given the bodega scenario you seem to have bought Cuba peso cigars.

I believe the Selectos have a brown and white band. 

Have a look at Google For Cuba Peso Cigars

[vladdraq]

i'm not Sherlock Holmes, but why someone would wrap pesos cigars in palm leaf in a local bodega? Maybe hoping for the rich americano, whom obviously will invade the small fishing villages, as they heard at the radio.

 

 

 

[garbandz]

tourist packaging, fakes.

have seen this format with different cigars ,all fakes.

could be a good smoke,and the price was right.

collectors of tobacco products might be interested in these.......... 

[Colt45]

On 4/26/2017 at 9:34 PM, gabloigza said:

They have a wonderful flavor

Would love to hear some thoughts about what it is I bought.

Wonderful tasting cigars