Expert: James Yee - 11/4/2008

Question
In a couple of days,I'm going to Puerto Vallarta for a week. If I buy at La Casa del Habano can I be assured of legit Cubanos? Any other suggestions to avoid counterfeits other than smoking it first?

Answer
Hi Steve,

All La Casa del Habanos (LCDH) stores are supplied by distributors that are personally authorized by Habanos SA so all the cigars in LCDH stores are guaranteed to be genuine.  Habanos SA even endorses LCDH shops so when buying cigars from a LCDH shop, you don't have to worry that you might get fake cigars.

If you can't buy from a LCDH store, your next best option is to buy from a store that is Habanos SA-approved and these stores will have an updated sticker on their store window or humidor cabinet that clearly identifies them as being an authorized retailer of Habanos cigars.  These stores will also receive their cigars from the authorized Habanos distributor responsible for that country/region and these distributors will receive their cigars directly from Habanos SA.  

The authorized Habanos SA distributor for Mexico is "IMPORTADORA Y EXPORTADORA DE PUROS Y TABACOS, S.A. DE C.V." (aka "IEPT") so if you're unsure if a certain store is legitimate or not, ask them who their distributor is.  It's not a 100% guarantee that they're legitimate even if they say IEPT but if they say another distributor name or claim to receive their cigars from another country to eliminate costs and help the customers save money, you will know that they are receiving questionable cigars.  There's only one authorized distributor for each country so if a retailer says they receive their cigars from a different distributor, don't buy from them.

If you can't find an LCDH store or an authorized Habanos retailer, you will have to be extra careful at whatever cigar store you visit.  Don't be afraid to thoroughly inspect the cigars before you buy and don't be afraid to ask the staff any questions you may have.  Inspect the cigar box(es) and cigar bands and make sure they look authentic.  Cigar bands and box labels that look poorly printed/crudely cut are counterfeit.  Sales staffs from reputable stores are genuinely friendly and happy to help the customers but if you visit a store that has a pushy sales staff that insists on selling cigars without allowing you an inspection, they are obviously counterfeit cigars.  This is always a clear sign of something suspicious.  If a retailer doesn't want you to look at his cigars or refuses to open a sealed box for whatever reason, they're hiding something.

Hopes this answers your question.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James