Expert: James Yee - 5/11/2009

Question
Hi.

I have a question about the authenticity of the box I'm having. My friend who has connection in one of those factories in Cuba gave me a box as a gift. I'm including the pictures with this email (mostly similar to those used to spot the fakes in the havanajournal). Please let me know if these guys are real. I had people question the misplacement of the seal and I asked my friend about this. He said the box is taken directly out of the factory before it was sealed and he put the seal on himself (cos I wonder why they would make such a stupid mistake as to put the seal in the wrong place). Anyway here are the pictures.

1. Seal with sharp printing quality:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/IMG_2503.jpg

2. Made in Germany clasp with good nails (not the "cheap" ones):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/IMG_2501.jpg

3. Label with sharp printing quality:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/IMG_2499.jpg

4. High quality rice instruction paper with big Cohiba leaf:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/IMG_2507.jpg

5. Raised gold lettering on the band:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/IMG_2512.jpg

6. 15mm Band:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/IMG_2508.jpg

7. "Ahh... a fresh box of real Cohiba Esplendidos!" (jk, took the phrase from havanajournal.com):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/IMG_2516.jpg

Answer
Toan,

The image URLs you included do not work but I'm still skeptical about your cigars being genuine.  The story "my friend has a friend/connection at a Cuban cigar factory" has been used many times by people trying to sell/give away counterfeit cigars and 99.9% of the time, this story is false and the cigars are not genuine.  The misplacement of the box labels is also a strong sign of the cigars being fake.

It's possible for a genuine box/cigar bands to be taken from a Cuban cigar factory but the packaging is always used for counterfeit cigars outside of Cuba or used on "black market" Cuban cigars.  Black market Cuban cigars are Cuban cigars produced in Cuba, but are not produced at a legitimate cigar factory.  These are cigars produced by independent vendors/rollers that sell these cigars on the street to tourists for a far less price than what they would pay at a legitimate store.  (The cigars are considered black market because the tobacco is still Cuban but produced/cured at a lower quality than genuine Cuban cigars.)  These vendors will steal or recycle genuine boxes and cigar bands to put on their cigars to convince buyers that the cigars are genuine.

If your friend did put the labels on himself, the cigars are most likely black market Cuban cigars.  In Cuba, it's possible to buy black market Cuban cigars on the street from independent vendors and they will provide all the labels and seals that you can apply to the box yourself.

Based on what you described, I believe your cigars are most likely counterfeit and not Cuban at all. (The box and bands could be genuine but the cigars and tobacco may not be.)  There's a small chance that the cigars could be black market Cuban cigars.  I'm skeptical and doubt the cigars are genuine Cohibas.  However, the only way you can be sure if these cigars are genuine is by smoking them.  The counterfeit cigar industry is very sophisticated now but no matter how good a cigar looks, the proof is always in the taste and aroma of the cigar.

Hopes this helps.

Regards,
James