I purchased two boxes of Cuban cigars from a street guy in Costa Rica while staying at The Hotel Del Rey. Genuine Cuban Cohiba Esplendidos, when you can find them, sell for about 23 CUC. On the right side of the seal, there is a small strip that has an hologram across its entire width. Wondering if anyone here has noticed the same things and has any feedback as to whether these are signs the cigars are facke or confirmation the cigars real?? This sheet is written in 4 languages: Spanish, English, French, German. If you can see through the lid, they're fake. If we get smells that dont remind us too much of tobacco, we could be faced with fakes that have been filled with banana leaves! A reader of mine once sent me a box of counterfeit Arturo Fuente cigars and it was obvious the bands had been cheaply printed, most likely on a laser printer. 10. The Cuban government only allows three of them to be made and issued every year. For example, the head on the label should be a holograph. In Cuba it is around $ 20. Take Cohiba, for example. Some fake Cohibas are presented this way, too. But it doesnt have to be this way. Here is an example to better understand the thing. Shapira says . Felt also envelops the box, and a black cardboard box covers all that. The band is often the first place your eyes will go, so the more familiar you are with the genuine bands and their specific attributes, the sooner youll know how to spot fake Cuban cigars. So get to know the relative prices on the top Cuban brands, especially the ones that are most often counterfeited like Cohiba Edicin Limitadas, Cohiba Behikes, Montecristo No.2s, and Partagas Serie D No.4s, among others. Think of it as a kind of secret code. If someone offers you a Behike, and its in anything other than a box of 10, its a fake cigar. A password reset link will be sent to you by email. Look for the Cuban seal of authenticity with a hologram and bar code to help you avoid fake Cuban cigars. It is unlikely that someone will decide to sell off cigars at their own expense. This check is performed simultaneously the touch analysis (next chapter). Indeed, a hologram has been introduced to the seal. 5.Look at the clasp with cohiba logo in front of the box. Great article. The system started in 2000 with 00, then 01 and so on. Fake cigars are often sold for unrealistically low prices, and a savvy cigar aficionado should know to beware when a cigar is too great a bargain. Dimensins are totally different. 1 Aug 2018 Last Updated: 20 Jan 2023. Cuban cigars do not come wrapped in cellophane, at least not since 1992 when only machine-made Cubans got a cellophane sleeve. When telling the difference between a fake vs. real Montecristo, if the fleur-de-lis is flat when you run your finger over it, you've got a fake band. Before you even need to look at a box or band, you should enquire about the price of the cigar. Generally, cigars can remain fresh in their cellophane wrapper for roughly 30 days. People can easily get duped as, on the outside, many of these Cubans look quite convincing. Source: http://www.habanos.com/en/el-mundo-del-habano/signos-de-distincion/. The Habanos Seal should always be present on the upper left-hand side of your cigar box, approximately 3 to 6 mm from the edge. All Cohiba cigars carry a distinctive and complex band, with sophisticated security measures that were developed mostly when the Behike was commercially introduced in 2010. The Cohiba Behike is distinguished by the use of medio tiempo tobacco leaves in its blend. Nine White Squares: Nine rows of white squares run in a checkered pattern to the solid gold line that stretches across the bottom third of the band. Beginning in 2010, that stamp has a hologram on the far right of the stamp and a bar code on the left. Fake cigars sometimes trick people by being too expensive or too cheap. Check out Cigar Aficionado's newsletters, bringing you our latest ratings & reviews, cigar news and our guide to the good life. If the hustlers are going through the trouble of counterfeiting . Holograms are hard and expensive to copy, so if its not there, dont buy the box. It had a sliding glass top. It only features the HABANOS written. This Fall, three cigars have been added to help organizations representing U.S. Special Forces and fallen Border Patrol officers. A mounted head is no guarantee of a real Cuban cigar, as other producers make cigars this way as well, but the lack of one guarantees a fake. 825 8th Avenue, 33rd Floor 12. I just got two boxes straight from Cuba was there on vacation and I think they are fake. The first concerns the analysis of the band, if it is present (very old cigars may not have a band). Touching and squeezing gently the cigar, you can notice if the construction is good or has some defects. The first and most important is to visit an authentic Cuban cigar shop like the Casa del Habanos. Now lets look at the cigars finally. What none of us recall as humorous is the experience of buying counterfeit Cuban cigars. If the box is bought outside Cuba, we can also find the importer seal. A true Cuban cigar should have grey or salt-and-pepper ash. 2s cost 8.50 CUCs (about $9.68 when factoring in the 13 percent you lose trading U.S. dollars into CUCs). As for the size of the leaves, we are referring to the dimensions that the tobacco leaves have. Reading Time: 5 minutes SWEET: see Garys Deadwood Yummy Bitches Sweet Jane cigar review! 6. However, the ideal duration will depend on factors such as the cigar's quality, storage conditions, and the thickness of the . Let us be the judge. These days, the best counterfeiters make facsimiles of Cuban cigar bands and put them in facsimile Cuban cigar boxes and sell them to an unsuspecting tourist outside the hotel. This steps below can be followed to understand if you are dealing with a counterfeit product: 1. In 1989, the Cohiba Esplndido, 7 x 47, and Cohiba Robusto, 4.875 x 50, were added to the classic line. The Habanos Seal should always be present on the upper left-hand side of your cigar box, approximately 3 to 6 mm from the edge. All Cuban cigar boxes should have a Made in Cuba stamp on their left. Any box of authentic Cuban cigars must have attached on the outside a warranty seal. 1997-2015 JRCigars.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved - 2589 Eric Lane, Burlington NC 27215. 5. Look at the dimensions. This is due to the minerals in the tobacco grown in Cuba. What about a cigar bought here in the states from an old local shop with no band at all? This dark n oily Connecticut Broadleaf Corona got Gary smiling what will it do for you? The Holographic Taino Indian Head-Within-a-Head: Look closely and youll see that the larger head contains a smaller head. Cubans were the best and great period but during the cigar boom they peed into their own pot of tea and muddied their QUALITY and yes, OFTEN tims OTHER countries can produce better sticks, and some I believe also get a little real Cuban baccy in their own blends its ALL in the taste of a REAL Cuban. . M2, Mezzanine Floor, Plot # 41-C, Street 27, Tauheed Commercial . Look to see if the color of the wrapper leaf is a rich, uniform light brown. A counterfeit box of Cohiba Behike, left, looks similar to the real thing, right, but there are several telltale signs that can help Cuban cigar buyers confirm the authenticity of their next purchase. What do you look for? The Fleur-de-lis. The fleur-de-lis should be perfectly centered. #themoderndaydrifter #havanacubavlog #howtospotafakecigarFor demonstration purposes only, we purchase a FAKE box of Cohiba Siglo VI and compare it to a REAL . 1. Apart from the issues weve discussed about packaging, one way to determine if this is an authentic Esplndido is to smoke it. 2) even the color of the box can give us precious informations. The plastic wrapper acts as a barrier that slows down moisture exchange and protects the cigar from potential damage or contamination. Cubas famous Cohiba brand is one of the most counterfeited cigars in the world. Walk away. Of course, just about anything printed on paper can be reproduced, and with todays technology, it takes a really well-trained eye to tell the difference. Additionally, the box is very difficult to replicate. One is a secret code that tells the industry which factory made the cigars. Reading Time: 3 minutes Alec Bradley Cigars will have a new home under a pending acquisition agreement with Scandinavian Tobacco Group to the tune of over $72 million. Its reputation and high prices have led it to be illegally copied over and over again, but the cigar remains an object of envy and desire, one that every cigar lover dreams about smoking. So, youve studied and you think youre ready to spot the fakes. If illuminated with ultraviolet light, it get phosphorescent. These seals must be attached to the box and not simply inserted into it on adhesive paper. Each had the name Cohiba, the vitola, or size of the cigar, and often the number of cigars packed in each box. In 1999, the Cubans added a serial code to the seal. Now, about that box of fake Arturo Fuente cigars. I believe I may have been had. Your email address will not be published. Discover the world of exquisite smoking with Pakistan's largest collection of cigars, tobacco products and accessories from the greatest Cuban and non-Cuban cigar brands. But the clasp on boxes is DK, not Schmale, Germany. This is the familiar seal you see on all boxes of handmade cigars from Central America. If you want to take a chance, get one cigar and test it. yadda-yadda-yadda. In some very rare cases, the cigars are the genuine article, having been snuck out of the factory, but the sucker who thinks hes getting Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, or Cohiba cigars is more likely getting cigars rolled with cheap tobacco that didnt even come from said factory; they may even be machine-made cigars. Shorter leaves will always be present, since during construction the leaves are also broken and the shorter parts are used to ensure that the cigar has a homogeneous filling. Defects can be a band that appears to be ruined or worn: used bands are always controlled. If id have seen this at the hotel i would of requested a refund. The foot should be a perfectly straight, clean cut. - Cigar Advisor. At Cigar Aficionado, weve seen lazy counterfeiters sell boxes with labels in the box, not attached to the packaging. If someone tries to sell you a box of Cubans with a glass top, that alone should be a red flag. Other box and cigars are fake. If someone offers you a Cohiba Limitada from 2016 or 2015, for example, its a certain fake because Cohibas were not part of the Edicin Limitada trio in those years. The Habanos seal is always going to be in the top right corner of the box, so if you see it anywhere else, its a dead giveaway. (The Cuban Partags should not be confused with the non-Cuban Partagas that shares the same name, but is manufactured in the Dominican Republic by General Cigar Co.) Cuba's Partags brand is large and includes the rich and bold Lusitania, a double corona, as well as one of the best-selling handmade cigars from Cuba, the robusto-sized Serie . The thing you need to do to spot a fake is to become familiar with Cuban cigar packaging. All Rights Reserved. (The word Cohiba is the Taino word for tobacco.). If the hustlers are going through the trouble of counterfeiting the seals, you can bet the bands have also been faked. produced by the US company General Cigar from non-Cuban tobacco and has no affiliation of any sort with the real Cuban Cohiba. Real vs Fake Cuban Cohiba Cigar Band / Label. 4. Like all things, Cuban cigars have a production cost. This guide will help you tell fake Cuban cigars from the real thing. It's the most common line used to deceive hapless tourists, and it often works. Results for {phrase} ({results_count} of {results_count_total}), Displaying {results_count} results of {results_count_total}. Send any questionable Cuban band(s), along with a brief description of how/where you obtained the cigar(s), to our office address below. Is it because theyre still considered forbidden fruit, or is it that many cigar smokers believe Cuban cigars are the best? Learn how to tell whether theHoyo De Monterrey you're smoking is authentic or fake. The made in Cuba stamp is on the left. There are certain attributes about Cuban cigars that differentiate them from non-Cubans. These marks tell industry-insiders which of the countrys factories made the cigars. Required fields are marked *. You also want to make sure the box has the Cuban warranty seal of authenticity on the left side of the box. Copyright 2023 Holt's Cigar Company. Cigar News: Scandinavian Tobacco Group To Acquire Alec Bradley Cigars for $72.5 Million, Fan Mail: Burning Cigar Questions Answered (Part 51), Cigar News: Southern Draw Adding Three New Cigars for IGNITE 2022 Program, The words Habanos s.a., and the words HECHO EN CUBA. The only time the seal won't bend up like this and go over the Cote d'Arms is on very large cigar boxes. 4) Repeating Logos Here are the elements of the newestCohiba band that you should look for to decide if its authentic or not: 1) Holographic Taino Indian Head In Cuba, they run around $12.00. No fear! Unless youve actually smoked a good number ofgenuineCuban cigars its easy to be fooled, especially if the counterfeiter got everything right but the cigars. You should be able to detect the oily shimmer on the wrapper. One of the most important areas of the box to check is the bottom. The purchase will also further expand STGs portfolio of top-rated premium cigars worldwide. The phrase often repeated is, "No Cuban cigars come in a glass lid box.", so don't buy them. Despite the fact that the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras manufacturemostof the worlds bestcigarsthese days, cigar smokers still jump at the chance to buy Cubans. The Cuban boxes also have a date stamp on the bottom of the box. This new stamp read: Habanos s. a. Let's sat that 90% of the listed Cuban cigars are fakes. Due to the high volume of mail we receive, a response isn't guaranteed. In fact, by illiminating it with UV rays, the coat of arms of Cuba will appear in its central part (the same coat of arms that can be seen on the seal with normal light, the one on the left side of the seal. ZinoDavidofflearned this first-hand in the early part of the 20thcentury, and was the first European cigar retailer to introduce Cuban cigars to the world. They have long been considered the height of luxury in the cigar industry and have become synonymous with the lavish lifestyle alongside brands like Rolex and Bentley. Question. The fake logo looks like it has been made in a very rudimentary and not detailed way. Now, Ive heard from some that the cuo is not necessarily on all boxes, but Id play it safe and stay away if its not present along with the Habanos, S.A., Hecho en Cuba, and Totalmente a mano on the bottom. Free delivery on all orders above 5000 RS. The Cohibas bands are made by a company in the Netherlands and now all Cohiba cigars carry a larger, upgraded band like the one on the Behike. In most of the cases, finding counterfeit Cuban cigars is very simple. The white squares should be in nine rows with no square being cut off. Do not buy Cubans that are in a box without a hologram. Its one of the most common questions we receive here at Cigar Aficionado: Is this Cuban cigar fake or real? With a rich counterfeit market hawking fake Cubans throughout the Caribbean and other tourist destinations, its easy for any cigar enthusiast to get duped into buying a bogus Cuban. Lets see how to distinguish genuine Cuban cigars from counterfeit ones. Despite the fact that the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras manufacture most of the worlds bestcigarsthese days, cigar smokers still jump at the chance to buy Cubans. And, remember, the only way you can really tell if you are dealing with a legitimate vendor is if all of his Cuban cigars have all the already described markings! Everything checks out but no date on the bottom. The white squares should be in nine rows with no square being cut off. Please verify your age to enter. parejos) are finished with mounted heads, also known as three-seam caps. . Twitter Blue is a premium subscription service that allows Twitter users to become verified and offers access to other select features. Proper packaging doesn't guarantee a genuine Cuban cigar, but bad packaging is a quick and easy way to spot a counterfeit. JR Cigar Blog & Videos - Reviews, Lists & More. 3) opening mechanism on box: some boxes have a mechanism that allows you to firmly close the box. The authentic and highly desirable smokes use Cuba grown tobacco and are rolled by hand on the island in a process that involves over 500 . The dates are not in code and the year is simple enough. Dupont Collection Pays Homage To Paris, 2022 Big Smoke Las Vegas Seminars: Blend Ambitions With Dewars And . I can usually spot the fake cigars from 30 feet away when the walk in the store. Seeing as the fake Cuban cigar business is a multi-million dollar a year enterprise, this seems like a relatively smart move. A lot of the so called 'fakes' are actually stolen and smuggled out of the factories. If the cigar has holes or in any case insufficient filling, this can be another alarm. More on that to come. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is frustrated with Twitter. That said, I do believe that MANY PEOPLE based strictly on their reaction on how Earthy and DIRT flavored Cubans really taste like, would prbably not even enjoy them from facial and verbal transmittals. In Cuba, which is a good baseline because it has the lowest Cuban cigar prices on the planet, Montecristo No. Lets keep in mind why fake Cuban cigars even exist. A reader of mine once sent me a box of counterfeit Arturo Fuente cigars and it was obvious the bands had been cheaply printed, most likely on a laser printer. You don't need to take a chance. Lets sat that 90% of the listed Cuban cigars are fakes. Unless youve actually smoked a good number ofgenuineCuban cigars its easy to be fooled, especially if the counterfeiter got everything rightbutthe cigars. Many stogie hustlers will try to tell you that they have a relative working in the factory, sneaking cigars out the back door. Heres another problem. Cuba releases three per year, and those releases are all documented on this website. This lends power to the cigar. If the ash is white, you're likely smoking a fake. Quality cigars are tripa larga, which means they have been made with whole tobacco leaves. Each box of legit sticks contains the hot-stamped words: Hecho en Cuba. If this is not the situation in front of you, you are facing cigars stored in a really bad way or fakes. If the price sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Although many fake Cuban cigar bands maylookauthentic and in some rare cases are its not unusual to find bands with spelling errors, poor alignment, the wrong color and/or typeface, missing embossing, and in the case offake Cohiba cigars, the wrong size or number of white squares on the band. 3) Nine White Squares If theyre made by hand it will also say, Cuban cigars do not come packaged withcellos. How can it be a fake?. Childrens Parks and Playgrounds in the Cayman Islands, Run down to Harquail Theatre for comedy revue, Cuban in Cayman: A prisoner in a free land, The great escape: Cubans fight waves as big as mountains to reach Cayman, Special report: Inside the Cuban migration crisis, Cuban migration costs nears $3 million for 2022, Broken-down Cuban vessel sparks rescue in waters off Cayman Brac, Travelled to Cuba recently? 7. Cohibas are the most counterfeited of all the Cuban brands, but if you know what you are looking for, they are the easiest to spot. Cuban cigars are quite expensive, especially in countries with a higher tobacco tax. The Behike became its own line in the Cohiba stable in 2010 and is considered the most successful Cuban cigar launch ever. The band is often the first place your eyes will go, so the more familiar you are with the genuine bands and their specific attributes, the sooner youll know how to spot fake Cuban cigars. No box of Cuban cigars leaves the country without it. Today Cuba still produces some of the worlds best cigars, but countries like the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras, where many Cuban tobacco-growers relocated after the Castro regime nationalized the tobacco industry in 1959, have leveled the playing field by making Cuban cigars just another option. You can learn more about where to buy the best cigars in Cuba at Holt's! Therefore, its always better to smoke at least one cigar before you buy. 5000 | Same day delivery in Lahore & Karachi (selected areas) on selected items via Card Machine (POS) Payment. This is called the cuo. Reading Time: 2 minutes Fresh cigar questions have arrived! Find out if your Cuban Bolivaris real or fake. To the casual observer, they may look real, but if you take a few minutes to examine, youll start to see some blatant flows, especially with the more well-known and popular brands. Its important to note that the squares are full and do not get cut off either on the top or bottom row. Does the box of cigars youre buying have a glass, Lucite or otherwise clear lid? Bands that are not perfect are not used in genuine cigars making. So is the 10 CUC Cohiba. Find out if your Cuban Bolivaris real or fake. Follows an example of them. And since at least then, the Cohiba has been counterfeited. And the other number shows is the month and the year when the cigars were boxed (see below). Bright, white ashes are good signs of cigars made with non-Cuban tobacco. Originally this green and white stamp came in three sizes: Large (~ 2 1/2 wide), Small (~1 1/4 wide), and Miniature (~ 13/16 wide). Most importantly, smell the ends of the cigar. The changes to this information leaflet were 3: This guide will help you spotting fake Cuban cigars. Five Cohiba cigars are offered in wood boxes with a glass top, and each cigar is sheathed in cellophane. Since 2009, there has been a further change to ensure greater security. If the box looks flimsy or the cigars inside are different sizes or colors, you are probably dealing with a fake Cuban cigar. So, clue. A genuine box of Cuban cigars should have all of the following five attributes: Not unlike counterfeit cigar bands, the bottom of the box may be missing some of this key information; it could have typos, and may even be printed with different fonts. The famous Cohiba on white background with a square, gold border is embossed with proper gilding. Un-banded cigars are often sold on street corners in Cuba to unsuspecting tourists. That requires a little work on your part. You may not be allowed in to the US, MRCU planes down as mosquito population rises, SteppingStones launches Professional Contract Solutions, Miss Universe Cayman Islands Chloe A. Powery-Doxey officially crowned, Childrens Parks and Playgrounds in Cayman, Subscribe to the Cayman Real Estate Newsletter. If the cigar burns white ash, thats a bad sign. You'll only be walking into a large den of discount fakes. The inside hinges are branded with the word Cohiba. The box bottoms are covered in felt, unlike most other brands that are exposed wood. Symmetry is very important in a box of Cuban cigars. Authenticity, quality and satisfaction; guaranteed! The bands themselves are often telling, as fake bands often lack embossing, proper color and the right details found on the original article. You have to be familiar with the exact shade of red on a Partagas, for example, not to mention other brands. The next year, the cut on the ends of the seal was changed from rounded to a sharp, angled cut. Cohiba boxes are lacquered on the outside, and therefore we are in front of an unlaqured box of Cohiba, unless it has been made for particular editions, we are facing a fake. Starting in the 60s, another change was made to distinguish real Habano Cuban cigars from imitators. [Video] Counterfeit Cuban Cigars Part I: How To Tell A Fake From The Real Deal, [Video] Counterfeit Cuban Cigars Part II: Cutting Open Counterfeits, 8 Things To Know About Counterfeit Cuban Cigars, Cuba Increases Prices Of Cohiba BehikesAgain, Punch Golden Era Showcases Honduran Corojo, Blatt Billiards: A Century Of Pool And Games, Blue Flame Cigar Lounge, Torrance, California, New York Health Department Testing Interest In Potential Tobacco Ban, New S.T. Some fake Cohibas are presented this way, too. (The last year they did so was 1992. Ever since Fidel Castro adopted the Cohiba as his favorite cigar in 1966, after one of his bodyguards gave him one, the Cohiba has been the object of much desire among the worlds cigar lovers. Holographic Elements: Holograms of the word Cuba and the Taino Indian head repeat on the gilded top edge. Is it because theyre still considered forbidden fruit, or is it that many cigar smokers believe Cuban cigars are the best? For the American cigar smoker, Cuban cigars are the holy grail. One of the easiest ways to tell if you are dealing with a fake Cuban cigar is if its unbanded. Sign up for JRCigars.com emails and get updates about weekly specials, events, & more! They are sure fakes. Even in very old boxes we can find seals, but they are called Union Seal. 2. This seal should be accompanied by another seal if the cigar box is a special edition. However, if this is not an option, there are a few other tricks you can use. This is a seal that is usually affixed by the company importing cigars in a country. Produced by Vrijdag Premium Printing in the Netherlands, the Cohiba band shown here combines a beautiful, modern design with the latest in security measures that make it significantly more difficult to counterfeit. Thats a little more work and expense than most counterfeiters want to do. The veins should be very fine or barely visible. Nine rows of white squares in a checkerboard pattern run from the gilded holographic top edge to the solid gold line that spans the bottom third of the band. Repeating Logos & Checkerboard: The holographic Indian head logos and the boxes will repeat along the bottom and top edges. The fact is, the Cuban cigar industry doesnt make cigar boxes with glass or even clear plastic tops. One of the most counterfeit cigars in the world are the Cohiba Esplendidos, due to its value and fame. This new seal was introduced starting in 2009, but the introduction was gradual. Even the box was wrong, which Ill get to shortly. So what can you do? Look for the Habanos label in the top-right corner of the box, the Cuba guarantee seal (complete with hologram and box code) on the left and stamps at the bottom. To avoid falling victim to a fake Cuban cigar, there are a number of steps to take. Dont buy them. Any thoughts? But these leaves are in short supply because they are present in only about 10 to 15 percent of Cuban tobacco plants. 2s in Ensenada. ZinoDavidofflearned this first-hand in the early part of the 20thcentury, and was the first European cigar retailer to introduce Cuban cigars to the world. Keep in mind that Edicin Limitada cigars are exceedingly rare. No matter what label they put on it, if it was made in Cuba with Cuban tobacco it is a Cuban Cigar. But enough about the hustle; lets get to the heart of how to spot fake Cuban cigars. These, obviously fake, Cubans are hardly the main problem, as some fake Cubans come with counterfeit bands and even in counterfeit boxes. If your Cuban doesnt have a band on it, odds are, its a fake. Usually, youll be able to seepoor coloring, missing information, and even misspellingon a band, but youll have to be familiar with the authentic band to be able to know whats fake. I just got a large box of Cohiba from Cuba. The scent coming from a cigar box must be intense and rich. This is a common-sense tip that says your cigar box should look and feel sturdy and official. You also want to make sure the box has the Cuban warranty seal of authenticity on the left side of the box. That is when it gets a bit more difficult to tell what youre dealing with before you buy.
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