Do you think the Cuban cigars you bought last vacation are the real deal? They probably aren't. Cuban cigars, especially the Cohiba brand are highly counterfeited. If you purchased them on the beach in Cancun, you've been had. In fact, I bet they do not even look close to an authentic Cohiba. All other Cuban brands have all seen counterfeits as well.
There are only 2 true ways to be 100% sure you are buying Authentic Cuban cigars.
1) Travel to an official La Casa del Habano store (LCDH), Of course there are none in the United States. Cancun Mexico has one, as well as other common central America travel destinations. You can also find them in Canada, however the tobacco tax in Canada is absolutely insane. You can expect to pay double the normal price of a cigar.
2) Buy your SEALED boxes of Cuban cigars from reputable online retailers (there are many), usually tax free. These retailers are located overseas, many in Switzerland. The key is they must be sealed when they arrive, at least until you trust your retailer very much. To guarantee authenticity, Cuban cigars must be bought by the box, and left sealed.
Next I will show you how to verify a box of Cuban cigars. You will see the importance of sealed boxes only.
I will use my old box of Romeo y Julieta Short Churchills as example.
The official Habanos seal now features a hologram at the top, and a barcode at the other end. The only way to open the box is to break the seal.
This barcode number will need to match the number printed multiple times on the top side of the seal. The number printed within the ornate art of the Habanos seal features micro-print. A scanner , unless it costs a fortune, cannot successfully scan and duplicate this.
You will need a magnifying glass.
Zooming in with my iphone you can see the number:
The number matches. This was the best photo I could get with my iphone 6s, however it is much clearer in person. You might not be able to match my numbers with the photo, but you get the idea. If you cannot find the micro-print, or the seal looks unprofessional, you should be very suspicious.
The last step is to verify the number on the official Habanos.com website. Go to the verify button on the upper right:
Enter the number and the type of barcode:
Then Habanos should tell you exactly what you have. If it has no record, it could be a counterfeit box, although these are uncommon.
You can see the importance of a sealed box. I can take this unsealed box and stuff it with fake Romeo y Julieta's, and it will still show up as authentic. Many online retailers like to inspect the cigars before shipment for things like damage, tobacco beetle infestation (yuck), etc. Request sealed boxes only when ordering to ensure peace of mind. Some retailers do the opposite, many buyers request to have them inspected first. This is after a trust factor has been established by the buyer.
Every online retailer I deal with guarantees shipment from loss, confiscation at customs (which is common but has not happened to me yet), and damage. They will ship another box at no charge.
It is important to note this does not go for older boxes of Cuban cigars. I do not know the exact date they changed over to the new seal and system, I would estimate around 2008. You can locate box dates on the back of every Cuban cigar box:
Please post any questions you may have, as I'm sure I haven't covered everything.
