Presuming the mark is an experienced cigar smoker, hell be even more livid that he allowed himself to be suckered. Unless youve actually smoked a good number ofgenuineCuban cigars its easy to be fooled, especially if the counterfeiter got everything right but the cigars. And the other number shows is the month and the year when the cigars were boxed (see below). Indeed, a hologram has been introduced to the seal. . If the cigar box was produced after 1985, it must have the Cuo written somewhere (on the box or on the container in which the box was placed, like the carton paper for some Cohiba boxes, like the Maduro 5). You should be able to detect the oily shimmer on the wrapper. So is the 10 CUC Cohiba. So is the 10 CUC Cohiba. Cuban cigars do not come wrapped in cellophane, at least not since 1992 when only machine-made Cubans got a cellophane sleeve. For instance one customer has a Cohiba - my first note was that . Some counterfeiters are brazen. Cuban cigars arent packaged in boxes with clear lids. If you have already smoked the same type of cigar, you will be able to understand if the aromas and strength developed during the smoke are typical of the brand and in particular of that type of cigar. So if the box of cigars we are about to buy looks like a crazy bargain, there is probably something wrong. 2 or Partags Serie D No. If you find someone offering them to you for under that, walk away. . Thats a little more work and expense than most counterfeiters want to do. If illuminated with ultraviolet light, it get phosphorescent. This steps below can be followed to understand if you are dealing with a counterfeit product: 1. They have about six different brands claiming to be Cuban but they have no bands. This Fall, three cigars have been added to help organizations representing U.S. Special Forces and fallen Border Patrol officers. But it doesnt have to be this way. G.K.), [] you getting ripped off are pretty damn high. http://www.habanos.com/en/verificacion-de-autenticidad/, http://www.habanos.com/en/el-mundo-del-habano/signos-de-distincion/. Edicin Limitadas are heavily faked. This is called the cuo. 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. These boxes often carry the Cohiba brand. One good clue isembossing. Learn how to tell whether thePartags you're smoking is authentic or fake. With overpriced Cuban cigars, potential buyers will basically sell themselves on the fake cigars by thinking that well, its so expensive. It had a sliding glass top. You have to be familiar with the exact shade of red on a Partagas, for example, not to mention other brands. 3) Nine White Squares Since youre more likely to purchase fake Cuban cigars in places such as the Caribbean, the hustle goes something like this: Some bad actor buys a bundle of cheapo cigars made in the Dominican Republic or elsewhere, sticks phony Cuban cigar bands on them, places them in a most likely counterfeited Cuban box, and sells them to a sucker for as much as he can bleed him. One of the most counterfeit cigars in the world are the Cohiba Esplendidos, due to its value and fame. Furthermore, the seals are missing. Cigar cut Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Question. But JB you say, how do I know if its an authentic Cohiba? Read on, my friends. 2) even the color of the box can give us precious informations. Thats the easiest way to avoid fakes. Let us be the judge. 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. Many stogie hustlers will try to tell you that they have a relative working in the factory, sneaking cigars out the back door. Dont buy them. EXTERNAL SEALSCuban cigars boxes come with two seals: the DOP seals and the Cuban state seal. What none of us recall as humorous is the experience of buying counterfeit Cuban cigars. Even in very old boxes we can find seals, but they are called Union Seal. 8. If the box looks flimsy or the cigars inside are different sizes or colors, you are probably dealing with a fake Cuban cigar. Currently, this cigar is sold for more than $ 30. Old Seal. If the hustlers are going through the trouble of counterfeiting . The lack of Cuo or if it features wrong codes, are in fact a very valid method to understand if the box is counterfeit. 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. If you see Cuban cigars sold in a partial glass or plastic box, they are probably fake. This is a strong sign of counterfeiting. Lastly, no Cuban cigar box comes with a glass top, so if you see one, just turn around. If the hustlers are going through the trouble of counterfeiting the seals, you can bet the bands have also been faked. Its easy to get a box or bundle of unbranded cigars from any cigar-producing country and pass it off as Cuban. The second type was used from 2005 until 2008/2009, and in addition to the HABANOS written it also has the words DENOMINACION DE ORIGINE PROTEGIDA. If the hustlers are going through the trouble of counterfeiting the seals, you can bet the bands have also been faked. You can do online research or talk to an expert to find out roughly what the different real Cuban cigars should cost. A great example of how Cuba has dealt with preventing the counterfeiting of bands can be found on the Cohiba Behike cigars. All Cuban cigar boxes should have a Made in Cuba stamp on their left. Now, about that box of fake Arturo Fuente cigars. 2s in Ensenada. 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 Generally, cigars can remain fresh in their cellophane wrapper for roughly 30 days. Some counterfeit sellers will try to sell cigars with more multiple multi-colored bands. In most of the cases, finding counterfeit Cuban cigars is very simple. Cigar documents The earliest versions feature rows of white dots on a black background over the word Cohiba, with a yellow stripe at the bottom. M2, Mezzanine Floor, Plot # 41-C, Street 27, Tauheed Commercial Online is still restricted, but restrictions or not, the desire to smoke Cuban cigars continues to tug at the heartstrings of American cigar smokers. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is frustrated with Twitter. But the clasp on boxes is DK, not Schmale, Germany. J.A. 5000 | Same day delivery in Lahore & Karachi (selected areas) on selected items via Card Machine (POS) Payment. If youre going to abandon common sense and buy from an unreliable source, make sure you are intimately familiar (you know what I mean!) 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. The fact is, the Cuban cigar industry doesnt make cigar boxes with glass or even clear plastic tops. I dont care if you bought them from Mother Teresa; youre probably sitting on imitations. There are enough proven stores there and you know what you get for still a fair price. 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. If we are facing some Cohiba, the head must have the triple cap finish. Don't take the bait and don't be tempted by the idea of a bargain. In these cases, the seal indicating the type of special edition is placed immediately under the HABANOS S.A. seal. 4) Repeating Logos This was the first time that a Cuban cigar band carried 3-D imaging, clearly an effort to discourage fakes. Look closer and you will see that there isa smaller head within the larger. (Authors Note: This article was updated in May, 2017. Looking at the foot of the cigar, you can immediately notice how it has been filled. One box are Cohibas and the others are Romeo & Julietta. So sad what will become of such a once beautiful Island. Due to the high volume of mail we receive, a response isn't guaranteed. This new seal was introduced starting in 2009, but the introduction was gradual. It often look like it has been badly printed. No box of Cuban cigars leaves the country without it. The bands have several minor marks that you can identify. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. If, for example, you see a Montecristo No. That requires a little work on your part. Pricing can also be a tip-off to spotting fake Cuban cigars. In this video I talk about some of the telltale signs of fake Cuban cigars and how to spot them!Cigar Aficionado guide: https://www.cigaraficionado.com/artic. This helps you checking their filling. ). If someone offers you a Behike, and its in anything other than a box of 10, its a fake cigar. For example, the head on the label should be a holograph. A Churchill in London runs more than $35 for each cigar. So what can you do? By cutting the cigar open and unrolling the leaves, it will be fairly simple to see if the leaves used are whole or not. We are available via email, phone, or chat. Cuos Collection of more than 35 Cuban & Non-Cuban Brands. No fear! This steps below can be followed to understand if you are dealing with a counterfeit product: 1. Thankfully, there are ways to tell if your Cuban is legit. 8.1 The band: it must be verified that the band used has no defects. New Seal. Think you may have purchased or smoked a fake Cuban cigar? 3) opening mechanism on box: some boxes have a mechanism that allows you to firmly close the box. 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. If the packaging looks suspicious, the contents probably are, too. - Cigar Advisor. Don't get lured into anyone's apartment either. with the cigar youre considering. Cubans vs Non-Cubans: Are They Really Better Cigars? How sad. Inspect, feel and smell the cigars. A lot of the so called 'fakes' are actually stolen and smuggled out of the factories. So, clue. Look for the Cuban seal of authenticity with a hologram and bar code to help you avoid fake Cuban cigars. Finally, as with every real Cuban cigar, if youre offered a cigar that is inside a cellophane sleeve, its not an authentic Cuban cigar. 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. Dont assume simply because a vendor has a nice shop or looks the part the Cubans he is selling you are authentic. Reading Time: 3 minutes Let all things be done with charity, is Southern Draw Cigars motto for its annual IGNITE program that helps those in need. Un-banded cigars are often sold on street corners in Cuba to unsuspecting tourists. The ash on Cuban cigars is almost always gray or salt-and-pepper in color. 2s cost 8.50 CUCs (about $9.68 when factoring in the 13 percent you lose trading U.S. dollars into CUCs). Cohiba Cuban Robusto's. Please tell me how there fake and how you know cause just saying its fake and giving list of all cigar brands Doesnt cut it for me!! 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. Visual analysis consists of 2 parts. 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. (The last year they did so was 1992. Lets sat that 90% of the listed Cuban cigars are fakes. The Fleur-de-lis. The hologram barcode seal was intact, so I might just being paranoid? Follows an example of them. The flavor of the Cohiba Behike (pronounced beh-ee-keh) is unlike other Cohiba cigars and is quite easily identified, especially if youve had a real one before. Nation-wide Free Delivery on all Orders above Rs. No matter what label they put on it, if it was made in Cuba with Cuban tobacco it is a Cuban Cigar. Front and center on the band is a holographic image of the famous Taino Indian head. Behik-isn't / Befake . 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. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. I am considering buying some behike 54s that a friend of a friend brought back from Cuba. The first authentic Cohiba Behike carried a cigar band that was a technological advancement on the market. Even if you buy them in Cuba (where you pay about 35-40% less than retail price), nobody will ever be able to offer them at a bargain price. 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. This seal should be accompanied by another seal if the cigar box is a special edition. OK, youre not near an official LCDH. Most real bands are embossed, meaning they are textured, not smooth. One of the questions Im often asked by other cigar smokers is, How do I know if I bought a box of fake Cuban cigars? Its a good question because, even though on October 14, 2016, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that they had removed the limits on bringing Cuban cigars and rum into the United States from Cuba and other countries, there are still plenty of counterfeit Cuban cigars to be had or to put it another way to be duped. Felt also envelops the box, and a black cardboard box covers all that. The scent coming from a cigar box must be intense and rich. Unless, of course, theyre selling us fakes. DOP means Denominacin de Origen Protegida, or Denomination of Protected Origin in Spanish. If you want to take a chance, get one cigar and test it. That said, a box of 25 Esplendidos has a retails price of around $ 750 (in Cuba $ 500). Proper packaging doesn't guarantee a genuine Cuban cigar, but bad packaging is a quick and easy way to spot a counterfeit. Beginning in 2010, that stamp has a hologram on the far right of the stamp and a bar code on . The first two things that are noticed when opening the cigar are: The line these hustlers use to close the sale is usually something like,My brother works at the El Rey Del Mundo factory. Learn how to tell whether theHoyo De Monterrey you're smoking is authentic 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. What must always be there is a small piece of paper written on transparent tissue paper showing the correct method of preservation. The Behikes band has the holographic Indian head logos and the boxes with the words Behike and Cohiba repeat in the gold foil box to form a checkerboard grid. Is my Cuban cigar real or fake? It's the most common line used to deceive hapless tourists, and it often works. The bottom of the box of real handmade Cubans has. Behikes cost even more, around 30 to 40 CUC eachwhen they are in stock. Fakes are often made with substandard quality control. Weve seen several fake Cohibas made in this method. Take Cohiba, for example. Here is an example to better understand the thing. However, enjoy while it lasts, because anyone who thinks they are going to change the Communist Rule I am sorry for them. It should also usually bend up to the front right over the center of the Cote dArms. Required fields are marked *. Learn more here. In 2009, a hologram was added on the right side and the placement of the serial code was moved. 5. That $100 Rolex is fake. 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. Let's sat that 90% of the listed Cuban cigars are fakes. The other is the month and year when they were boxed. In this video I'll take you through a few essential tips about knowing the diffe. It was introduced in 1994 and has been changed 3 times. Is it because theyre still considered forbidden fruit, or is it that many cigar smokers believe Cuban cigars are the best? Enter the username or e-mail you used in your profile. These cigars retail, on average, between $30-$50, higher than that for the really limited ones. At Cigar Aficionado, we've seen lazy counterfeiters sell . For the American cigar smoker, Cuban cigars are the holy grail. If you are going to buy one of the highly priced and rare Edicin Limitada cigars, be careful! What do you do? Some fake Cohibas are presented this way, too. 4 only to be disappointed when you lit up, you weren't in a laughing mood. While recently inspecting a box of Cohibas Piramides Extra both the labels on the box and the bands themselves I observed two anomolies I have not heard much mention of. For starters, if the price seems too good to be true, it is. You should know what a real Cuban cigar looks like. Chances are, theyre fakes, and whats that old saying,A fool and his money. Reply. The authentic Cohiba Behike took anti-forging efforts to a new level. When smoked, the ashes tend to be entirely grey and devoid of any black fragments. Cuba releases three per year, and those releases are all documented on this website. Walk away. Below you can find the real box and authentic cigars. Many of the Cuban brands have very distinct labels. I suspect that of the dozens of Esplndidos that Ive smoked, most of which were given to me, a good third of them have been fakes. It is a good starting point to quickly understand how the counterfeit cigar boxes look like. It is because of this, casual smokers can often be tricked into buying what they think are real Cuban cigars. 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. 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. I just got a large box of Cohiba from Cuba. At Cigar Aficionado, weve seen lazy counterfeiters sell boxes with labels in the box, not attached to the packaging. Delivering your smokes at your doorsteps. The band includes heightened security aspects that make it more difficult to counterfeit. It is often called the "Red Dot Cohiba" because of the red dot on the band. You also want to make sure the box has the Cuban warranty seal of authenticity on the left side of the box. There are certain attributes about Cuban cigars that differentiate them from non-Cubans. Phillies Titan Cigar Review. Rounded or sloppy heads are a quick way to spot a cigar rolled elsewhere. Its easily the most coveted of the Cohiba cigars, if not all Cuban cigars. If we are facing one of these boxes, we are facing a 100% counterfeit product. The changes to this information leaflet were 3: This guide will help you spotting fake Cuban 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. 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). Buying cigars on the streets of Havana is a near-certain way to buy a fake. Ironically, even in Havana there are almost as many counterfeit Cuban cigars as the legit smokes. That $100 Rolex is 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? The bands have several minor marks that you can identify. These marks tell industry-insiders which of the countrys factories made the cigars. For decades, there has been a market for counterfeitCuban cigars. Source: http://www.habanos.com/en/verificacion-de-autenticidad/. 2. Proper packaging doesnt guarantee a genuine Cuban cigar, but bad packaging is a quick and easy way to spot a fake. This documentation varies from box to box, depending on whether the box belongs to the normal production or to limited editions, regional editions or other not ordinary series. 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. Genuine Cuban Cohiba Esplendidos, when you can find them, sell for about 23 CUC. If the cigar burns white ash, thats a bad sign. In the past we came across counterfeit Montecristo No.2 and, although the aromatic bouquet was very different from that of the genuine No.2, cigars were not bad at all! Yes, at one time Cuban cigars reallywerethe best and had virtually no competition. 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. Additionally, the box is very difficult to replicate. Like all things, Cuban cigars have a production cost. According to the Border Chief, these statistics are for the whole of the U.S border patrol, including the southern, northern and coastal borders. The name cohba derives from the Tano word for "tobacco". With the exception of figurados like Pyramids and Torpedoes, the caps are often more flat than round, and always tripled seamed. We are Cayman Islands' most trusted news source. The purchase will also further expand STGs portfolio of top-rated premium cigars worldwide. One of the most important areas of the box to check is the bottom. 8.2 Cigar Analysis: the wrapper must be a quality one; it doesnt have to be shriveled or ugly. Shine a UV light on it, and the seal will react. . The Cuban government only allows three of them to be made and issued every year. Internal seals The hologram is an important thing to check for because they are hard and expensive to copy. 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. Submit A Fake. Numerous complex impressions and an intricate trim were accompanied by holographic images that carried codes. This lends power to the cigar. Has anyone ever given you a Cuban cigar and bragged that it was really, really good? And it was wrapped in cellophane? It had a sliding glass top. In fact, many boxes have Cuos with too many codes, or they do not have the Cuo at all. Instead, check out our primer below for some simple, straightforward tips on what to look for to avoid imitation Cuban cigars. 1 Aug 2018 Last Updated: 20 Jan 2023. If the ash is white, you're likely smoking a fake. Cigar Aficionado Online, M. Shanken Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Familiarize yourself on how Cuban cigars are packaged, and you greatly reduce the chances of being ripped-off. 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. Cigar Aficionado Online, M. Shanken Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. 1. However, note also that the months are Spanish abbreviations, not English. The fact is, the Cuban cigar industry doesnt make cigar boxes with glass or even clear plastic tops. Maybe they want $300 for the box. The simplest answer to the question posed in the title is, a lot. If the price sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The experience of buying a Cuban cigar in Cuba may be overwhelming for some. Send any questionable Cuban band(s), along with a brief description of how/where you obtained the cigar(s), to our office address below. As for the size of the leaves, we are referring to the dimensions that the tobacco leaves have. If the box is bought outside Cuba, we can also find the importer seal. If id have seen this at the hotel i would of requested a refund. Furthermore, since the end of 2010, the seal has undergone a slight change: the ends of the seal are no longer rounded, but have a sharp oblique cut. Cellophane, however, is not the only indication that a Cuban cigar is fake. The dates are not in code and the year is simple enough. This is a clear indicator the person you are dealing with is selling you a fake, as no real Cubans come with more than one band. Any thoughts? The upgraded and much larger band features a Behike-style hologram and golden Taino Indian head, placed center stage in the field of black-and-white squares that sit above the word Cohiba. Required fields are marked *. This test is useful only if you know the type of cigars you wanna check on. What about a cigar bought here in the states from an old local shop with no band at all? The white squares should be in nine rows with no square being cut off.
