Expert: James Yee - 11/14/2009

Question
Dear James,

Thanks again for taking the time.

It seems that the Cohibas, Montecristos, and to a lesser degree the Romeo y Julietas and the Partagas seem to get the most press. Consequently, my understanding is that they are the most often faked, particularly the Cohibas and Montecristos. I've wanted to take the plunge with a mail order Cuban website, but am wary of receiving fakes. I've heard that the lesser known Cubans will not be faked, and that besides, I would like to try some other varieties as well.

So my question to is: could you recommend a box or two of Cubans I could buy that 1) is not likely to be counterfeited; 2) you personally enjoy a lot as well?

Thanks. Keep up the great work.

Steve

Answer
Hi Steve,

It's true, Cohiba and Montecristo are the two most counterfeited Cuban cigar brands in the world (The most counterfeited cigar in the world is the Cohiba Esplendido.)

To answer your question, it's not a matter of "what you should order" but instead "WHERE you should order".  When ordering Cuban cigars via mailorder, it's always best to only order from the reputable websites.  I've seen almost every Cuban cigar brand counterfeited (with exception to the cheap, low end machine-made brands) so even if you order a lesser-known brand of Cuban cigars, there's no guarantee that you're safe unless you order from a reputable website.  If you order from a reputable Habanos SA-approved website, you're guaranteed to receive genuine cigars because that retailer would never jeopardize their Habanos contract by selling fakes.  (If a questionable retailer is known to sell counterfeit Cohibas or Montecristos, chances are good that the rest of their Cuban cigar inventory - regardless of brand - is not authentic either.)

As I previously mentioned, you should thoroughly research all Cuban cigar mailorder websites before you buy from them.  Keyword search their website name and look for forum discussions and message board posts from other cigar smokers that have bought from them before and you'll definitely find out whether or not the company is genuine.  Another method to protect yourself as a buyer is to find out where the retailer is located and where they ship their Cuban cigars from and then double check that information with the appointed Habanos distributor for that region.  Every country that sells genuine Cuban cigars has only one Habanos-approved distributor that is appointed by Habanos SA.  This is the only authorized distributor for that specific country.  If a certain retailer is not supplied by the appointed Habanos distributor for that region, they are receiving questionable cigars.  Many fraudulent retailers will also argue that they receive their Cuban cigars from another Habanos distributor in another country to cut prices and pass the savings on to their customers.  If this is their claim, be suspicious. Reputable Habanos retailers cannot and will not do this.

To view a list of authorized Habanos distributors and their contact info, there is a distributor link at Habanos SA's official website (www.habanos.com).

If you're still interested in Cuban cigar recommendations, I'd like to recommend the following:

- Bolivar (Belicoso Finos, Royal Coronas)
- Vegas Robaina (Unicos, Famosos)
- Punch (Punch, Churchill)
- San Cristobal de La Habana (La Fuerza, La Punta)
- Hoyo de Monterrey (Epicure No. 2, Double Corona)
- Montecristo (No. 2, No. 4)
- Romeo y Julieta (Cazadores, Exhibicion No. 4, Mille Fleur)
- Partagas (Serie D 4, Lusitania, Mille Fleur)

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

Regards,
James