Fake cigar?

Partagas Shorts is my favorite short smoke when I don't have much time. Although it is short smoke as the name implies, it always delivers.  It is also economically priced at around S$9-S$10. I have yet to find a another comparable petit corona size cigars. Closest smoke would be Bolivar PC and Trinidad Reyes, but wasn't impressed then. Maybe I should try them again.

I recently bought a box of Shorts off my regular website and gotten a questionable cigar. It was skinnier than usual, almost like a Reyes. Yes I know Cuban cigars are handrolled, but the difference is too obvious. I wondered if the roller ran out of fillers and decided to make do with it, or did I get a fake. There were at least 2 such skinnier than usual cigars.

The skinny cigar stood out
like a sore thumb

Loosely packed?

After 2 months in the humidor, it was time to try it. Initial puffs were real harsh, leaving a bad after taste. It was also pretty loose draw, as I speculated. Yet it still has the taste of Partagas. After several puffs, I decided to put it out and cut it open. So far the looks and taste has brought nothing but doubts.

Partagas Shorts fillers

To my surprise, the fillers were not bits and pieces as seen on other sites. All the leaves were wholesome except for the tiny bit on the bottom left. Giving the benefit of a doubt, I may had cut a little too deep, causing some fragments.

In the end, I believe it was a genuine cigar even though there were many signs hinting otherwise. So my guess is either the roller lady was having a bad day, or QC was sleeping on job. This makes me appreciate Cuban cigars even more. Just like any of us, it is just another bad day. So smoke on!