Finest Cuban Cigars is Fake or Real!! (Part 2) | Cigar Analysis Think you may have purchased or smoked a fake Cuban cigar? A well and intricately designed cigar band is often the most useful discouraging factor to counterfeiters. Phase 5 DHA, Karachi | 12 PM to 8 PM. Of course, the name of the cigar company was stamped after this. Your fugazi alarm should be ringing loudly. True, a lot of cigars made outside of Cuba many of these same attributes, but if your Cuban cigars are missing all or most of these attributes, theyre most likelynotof Cuban origin. One of the easiest ways to tell if you are dealing with a fake Cuban cigar is if its unbanded. External seals 4. Thatll bring a tidy profit on cigars that might have cost as little as $20 for the bundle and pennies for the packaging. 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. Lastly, no Cuban cigar box comes with a glass top, so if you see one, just turn around. 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. Cigar Aficionado c/o Counterfeit Cigars Generally, cigars can remain fresh in their cellophane wrapper for roughly 30 days. 1. type of leaves present This is called the cuo. First, the feel and look of the cigar. But enough about the hustle; lets get to the heart of how to spot fake Cuban cigars. The Cohiba Behike is distinguished by the use of medio tiempo tobacco leaves in its blend. Required fields are marked *. The band is a good place to start, especially in the case of the iconic Cuban Romeo y Julieta cigar Cohiba, the word for tobacco in the language of the indigenous Taino people of Cuba, as we all know today, has become the most sought-after brand among Cuban cigars. The thing you need to do to spot a fake is to become familiar with Cuban cigar packaging. Is my Cuban cigar real or fake? So, its also the biggest target for counterfeiters. Cuban wrappers tend to be naturally oily with a smooth, buttery appearance and entirely even in color. If a vendor offers you an Esplendido for 10 CUC, it's not the real deal. If youre notbuying your cigars in Cuba, or from a reputable retailer, youre at risk. Shapira says . If someone tries to sell you a $300 box of Cubans for $50 or even $100, odds are theyre not the genuine article. There are certain attributes about Cuban cigars that differentiate them from non-Cubans. Get this UV Light: https://amzn.to/2m9EX3d https://amzn.to/2mNs4M1Check out my Amazon Store:https://www.amazon.com/shop/i_post_alone How to tell a real Cuban. HAVANA TIMES - Think of Cuba and a few things pop to mind. 6. 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. To ensure authenticity, all you need to do is check the bottom of the Habano Cuban cigar box. Question. Fake Cohiba vs REAL Cohiba | Cuban SIGLO VI Cigar box comparison Real Cuban cigars are packed in boxes marked with the Habanos seal in the upper-right corner. The fact is, the Cuban cigar industry doesnt make cigar boxes with glass or even clear plastic tops. Dec 30th 2020. How sad. For instance one customer has a Cohiba - my first note was that . There are enough proven stores there and you know what you get for still a fair price. 2 going for way less or way more than you know they should go for dont buy. Before you even need to look at a box or band, you should enquire about the price of the cigar. So, start saving up. No fear! The cigars might be Cuban, or at least made from Cuban tobacco, but theyre unlikely to be real H. Upmanns and the tobacco will likely be scraps that end up on the floor of a factory. These seals must be attached to the box and not simply inserted into it on adhesive paper. Many of the Cuban brands have very distinct labels. What about a cigar bought here in the states from an old local shop with no band at all? They are shrink wrapped for easier transport .If the bands are ok should I go for it? (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 . Cuba has always been very proud of its famous 'Habano' cigars. Straight-sided Cuban cigars (i.e. Behik-isn't / Befake That is, unless youre approached by a hustler who will sell you a cheap box of so-called Cubans while vacationing, most likely somewhere in the Caribbean. Copyright 2023 Holt's Cigar Company. If you dont have that kind of experience, then you are far better off staying away from the back alleys and buying from a main-street seller who you know, and can prove, is legit. This might be a little tough for a beginner, but for anyone who has smoked a real Cuba, the bands are a dead giveaway. Buy your real Cuban cigars at a real Cuban cigar store. You'll only be walking into a large den of discount fakes. Some counterfeit sellers will try to sell cigars with more multiple multi-colored bands. I can usually spot the fake cigars from 30 feet away when the walk in the store. Cohiba has been using a security hologram band featuring the head of an Indian since 2010, but in 2014 they added additional data that allows consumers to identify the original brand from any country in the world, while also providing information on the distributor and bill number, among other details. If someone is trying to sell this box in your country for $ 100-200, or you fnid people selling it for $ 50 in Cuba (sellers on the street), the situation is quite clear: in both cases, an alarm must sound in your mind. Rounded or sloppy heads are a quick way to spot a cigar rolled elsewhere. 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 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. In fact, by illuminating it with UV rays, the coat of arms of Cuba (which is also on the left side of the seal) will appear in the center. So if the box of cigars we are about to buy looks like a crazy bargain, there is probably something wrong. In both of the aforementioned cases, the mark doesnt realize hes been ripped-off until he lights-up one of his prized purchases, or tries to share one with a cigar smoker who knows the difference. c/o Counterfeit Cigars If the ash is white, youre likely smoking a fake. Holograms are hard and expensive to copy, so if its not there, dont buy the box. Let us be the judge. I am considering buying some behike 54s that a friend of a friend brought back from Cuba. Other box and cigars are fake. If the cigar burns white ash, thats a bad sign. This new stamp read: Habanos s. a. The dots soon became squares, and the words La Habana, Cuba appeared under the logo. If id have seen this at the hotel i would of requested a refund. At Cigar Aficionado, weve seen lazy counterfeiters sell boxes with labels in the box, not attached to the packaging. Cigar Aficionado The white squares should be in nine rows with no square being cut off. Bright, white ashes are good signs of cigars made with non-Cuban tobacco. Quality cigars are tripa larga, which means they have been made with whole tobacco leaves. To help prevent this, in 2010 Habanos S.A. designed a new seal using watermarks, a super-strong adhesive, a hologram on the right side of the seal, and a bar code on the left. 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? Then, in 1994, another stamp made its way to the cigar boxes. Now, about that box of fake Arturo Fuente cigars. No, seriously. The veins should be very fine or barely visible. ). Reply. In 1989, the Cohiba Esplndido, 7 x 47, and Cohiba Robusto, 4.875 x 50, were added to the classic line. Ironically, even in Havana there are almost as many counterfeit Cuban cigars as the legit smokes. They are among the most counterfeited cigars. The foot should be a perfectly straight, clean cut. The Cuban government only allows three of them to be made and issued every year. In some cases, in fact, counterfeiters use diffent leaves. For decades, there has been a market for counterfeitCuban cigars. Great article. Neither one has a bar code or a date on the bottom of the box. Inspect, feel and smell the cigars. This guide will help you tell fake Cuban cigars from the real thing. Real vs Fake Cuban Cohiba Cigar Band / Label The other is the month and year when they were boxed. 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. Not sure and dont care. 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. This Cuban tax seal/stamp has been applied to every box of Cuban cigars since 1912 to ensure the provenance of the cigars enclosed. 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. 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. So, if you got a guy outside your Havana hotel whispering a lower price to you, ignore him. Fake Cuban cigars images. The streets are filled with hustlers looking for a mark to whom they can sell a box of Cubans for way below retail. On the right side of the seal, there is a small strip that has an hologram across its entire width. In both of the aforementioned cases, the mark doesnt realize hes been ripped-off until he lights-up one of his prized purchases, or tries to share one with a cigar smoker who knows the difference. Dupont Collection Pays Homage To Paris, 2022 Big Smoke Las Vegas Seminars: Blend Ambitions With Dewars And . Pricing can also be a tip-off to spotting fake Cuban cigars. Border chief reveals they made 50,000 arrests in just one week For example, the popular Cuban brands like Cohiba, Partagas, Punch, Hoyo de Monterrey, Romeo y Julieta, Montecristo, et al., all feature the "Habanos S.A." seal on the top right-hand corner of the box. In this video I'll take you through a few essential tips about knowing the diffe. http://www.habanos.com/en/verificacion-de-autenticidad/, http://www.habanos.com/en/el-mundo-del-habano/signos-de-distincion/. So, unless you are dealing with a legitimate vendor, odds are, the person if not selling you a legit Edicin Limitada. But these leaves are in short supply because they are present in only about 10 to 15 percent of Cuban tobacco plants. Some Cuban cigars come in various packagesothers dont. Fake Cuban Cigars Reviews | Cigar Analysis This check is performed simultaneously the touch analysis (next chapter). 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. Each box of legit sticks contains the hot-stamped words: Hecho en Cuba. Familiarize yourself on how Cuban cigars are packaged, and you greatly reduce the chances of being ripped-off. If your Cuban doesnt have a band on it, odds are, its a fake. And you need to do that BEFORE you start shopping. Due to the high volume of mail we receive, a response isn't guaranteed. How to spot counterfeit cigars in Cuba (and everywhere else, too) That said, a box of 25 Esplendidos has a retails price of around $ 750 (in Cuba $ 500). Cohiba's bands have changed considerably. You can do online research or talk to an expert to find out roughly what the different real Cuban cigars should cost. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban upset over decreasing follower count The authentic Cohiba Behike took anti-forging efforts to a new level. A documentation must be present in the boxes. Don't take the bait and don't be tempted by the idea of a bargain. So sad what will become of such a once beautiful Island. If the packaging looks suspicious, the contents probably are, too. Like all things, Cuban cigars have a production cost. But JB you say, how do I know if its an authentic Cohiba? Read on, my friends. So what can you do? Sometimes you can tell a fake Cuban vs. a real Cuban just by the box. 8. For the American cigar smoker, Cuban cigars are the holy grail. For starters, if the price seems too good to be true, it is. Cuos For example, the head on the label should be a holograph. produced by the US company General Cigar from non-Cuban tobacco and has no affiliation of any sort with the real Cuban Cohiba. 7. Cohibas, such as the Edicion Limitadas or Behikes are even easier to spot. The third type, used from 2008/2009 to nowadays, it features both of the two writings previously seen, with the addition of the 3 letters D.O.P., w. hich means Denominacion de Origina Protegida. Authenticity, quality and satisfaction; guaranteed! Box type Shine a UV light on it, and the seal will react. 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. If you've put down good money for what you thought was a genuine Cohiba Esplendido, Montecristo No. The second is an analysis of the head and the foot of the cigar. A proper box of real Cubans will have a certain amount of symmetry. You don't need to take a chance. 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. Look to see if the color of the wrapper leaf is a rich, uniform light brown. So what can you do? 2. leaf size. Knowing the average price for these cigars, especially limited editions, will aid you in avoiding getting hosed. If you have smoked cigars for a long time, say more than 10 years, you almost certainly have been asked the question were addressing here. The next year, the cut on the ends of the seal was changed from rounded to a sharp, angled cut. How to Spot Fake Cuban Cigars In 2009, a hologram was added on the right side and the placement of the serial code was moved. What none of us recall as humorous is the experience of buying counterfeit Cuban cigars. As Gordon Mott explains in his article 50 Years of Cohiba how the brands aesthetics have changed: Cohiba's labels and bands have evolved, but in one form or another that same Indian head has remained part of the design, even if it has become less prominent over time. Cuban Cigars Guide - Cohiba, Upmann & Co - Gentleman's Gazette (The Habanos website features a handy tool to search for Casa del Habanos around the world.). The Fleur-de-lis. Unless, of course, theyre selling us fakes. This seal is applied to the top right of the box, and is affixed before the box leaves the factory.

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