How to spot a fake Cuban cigar
May 14th, 2008 by Trevor Wallace
Since the trade embargo placed by John F. Kennedy, Cuban cigars are pretty much illegal in the United States. In fact, all products from Cuba are illegal in the United States. Ouch! The embargo is so powerful that even US citizens traveling outside of the US are not allowed to have Cuban cigars. Although that is the law they can’t really enforce it.
If you are in search for a high priced item like a Cuban cigar, you are most likely to run into fake ones. It’s just the nature of the beast, if something sells, people will try to create horrible knock-offs of it and sell your for cheaper. The good news is it is really easy to spot a Cuban cigar, especially if you’ve already smoked one of these beauties before. There are several things you should look at but once you hold that Cuban cigar in your hand, trust me, you will know. The quality of the Cuban cigar just can’t be matched.
One of the first places that you may end up finding imitation Cuban cigars is while you’re on vacation in another country. Most people that are traveling to the Caribbean on a cruise or perhaps on vacation in Mexico may love to sneak one of these forbidden smokes. More than likely, however, what you are getting is a cheap imitation, even though it may be a fairly decent cigar. Most people that purchase these fake Cuban cigars really would not know the difference anyway, they simply enjoy the thought of having something that is otherwise unavailable.
The best way to identify a real Cuban cigar is by taking a little stroll to an authorized dealer in your neighborhood and feel one up yourself. If that is not possible, than some basic things to consider is a real Cuban cigar will never come in a cellophane wrapper. Plus look at the tobacco that is in from the top. A real Cuban cigar doesn’t use chopped up tobacco like cigarettes but actual long tobacco leaves.
Finally, if you want to spot a fake Cuban, watch for the price. If somebody is trying to sell you a box of Cuban cigars for under $100, more than likely they are a fake. You can’t even buy a box of quality cigars in Havana for such a low price. In fact, in many European countries you can pay up to $600 for a box of genuine Cubans. As long as you keep your eye open and watch for the details, you will be able to notice the difference between a fake and a real Cuban cigar.
