So you’ve finally got those coveted Cuban cigars you’ve always dreamed about.  You’ve done your research and you know cigars, so now the biggest question remains – are they real?  Naturally the first place to turn to is the internet.  You’re probably already a member of numerous cigar groups on social media.  To get the big question answered you post pictures of the cigars, close-ups of the bands and boxes hoping the experts and experienced Cuban cigar lovers will give you the “yes, 100% real” answers you are looking for.

The truth is that they don’t really know.

No matter how experienced someone may be, there is no way they can tell if the cigar in question is actually what the band says it is.  It may look legit, everything could be correct but still, there is no guarantee.  The counterfeit cigar business is huge.  Counterfeiters are getting ridiculously good.

Even the people who make the bands for all the Cuban cigars can’t even tell if the bands are real without seeing them in person.

I’ve had discussions with them before, asking if they can tell if a band is real or not just by looking at it, thinking the obvious answer is yes but that was not the case.  They need the bands in hand, with a loop in order to get into the exact details behind the printing to tell if it was something they produced.  Even still, it’s not unheard of for people to use legit bands and packaging to put on any cigar to sell it off as “Cuban.”

What can you do?

Buy from an authorized Habanos S.A. dealer only. Or, have someone you know in the cigar community who has been enjoying Cuban cigars with experience give you one.  If they’ve been enjoying Cuban cigars for any length of time, then the chances are they will have legit ones or be able to point you in the right direction.

What not to do?

Don’t buy “Cubans” from a street vendor or at a resort.  Don’t buy them in one of the thousand gift shops lining any given vacation destination.  Whatever you do – don’t buy any that come in a glass top box.  They will be fake.

The only way to know if it’s real is to smoke it.

Easier said than done.  If you’ve never experienced a real Cuban cigar before what do you have to go off of when you don’t know what that flavor profile is?  Cuban tobacco is unmistakable.  It has a flavor profile unlike any other tobacco produced in the world.  Eventually, with time and experience you will get your hands on something real and gain the experience you need to tell.

The bands are the first line of defense.  If there is something off with the packaging, then go no further – they are fake.  As stated above, sometimes the counterfeit packaging is so good that it can be misleading.  So even if eight out of ten people from the world-wide-web tell you that “Cuban” is  legit – it may not be no matter how much you want and try to convince yourself that it is.