www.CostaRicaTicas.com

If you know real Cubans, you can quickly tell the street ones are fakes. True.....dog rockets (Any worker who rolled crap like that would be put back in the fields the next day.) Did not look at the ZB offerings, so I cannot comment. The cigars that I saw in Eddie's humidor last spring were fake.....not saying that Eddie was intentionally selling fakes....he may have been screwed by his vendor. Note: If the cap on the cigar does not have 3 seams...it is not a cuban. Some non=cubans have tripple seamed caps....but, if the cigar has a cuban band...and is not tripple seamed...it is a fake...period
I would gladly pay $600 for another box of 20 of my good old Siglo #5 Cohibas, but alas, they are just not made anymore. The Siglo V (#5) is alive and well in Cuba. You can purchased a cab for a lot less...in fact for US$293....in fact...I'll put you one of my regualr, dependable suppliers. http://www.cigarsofhabanos.com/detail.asp?ItemId=02042 and if you need a description of this fine cigar go to http://www.cigars-review.org/Cohiba-Siglo-V.htm

All in all, the Cubans are not what they were 10 years ago. I beg to differ on this misinformed statement. Cuba has stepped up their quality control 10 years ago.....the construction is very good and the draws are less prone to plugs than most non-cubans. The rap that Cuban cigars are not as good today as 10years ago comes from cigar merchants in the US and from poorly written articles. They are misinformed and do not have first hand knowledege and are obviouely just spewing misinformation that they have acquired "second hand". Cuban cigars with box codes from 1996 to 1999 are suspect and acknowledged by LCDH (La Casa Del Habano ) who ownes certified world wide distributorship for cuban cigars out side of Cuba.

Demand is too high, and to keep up, they have lowered their standards. Total Bullshit and totally misinformed. Due to demand...the prices have increased....the quality has not diminished. I would even swear thay are bringing in tobacco from the DR. Anyway, I would not risk the US Customs problems for what Habanos passes as cigars these days.

Oh, and I am the guy you will find in a cloud of cigar smoke at the BM bar. That was how Voyager2 recognized me when we first met there in July. Smoke what you like and like what you smoke

My suggestion is to purchase your cigars in the States and take them with you.