Esta de Pinga! - Spotting fake habanos

What makes a cuban cigar fake and what makes it genuine can be fairly academic, and some fakes are so well made that even once they are lit it is difficult to tell the difference. If you intend to sell them rather than smoke 'em, it may be a good idea to be certain to find out if you've been sold a bunch of duds. No method is foolproof, but if your cigars pass the following checks, you'll know at the worst you have some well made bootlegs.

 

* All the cigars in the box should be the same colour and shade

* When the cigar is rolled between the fingers, no loose tobacco must drop out

* All the cigars in the box must have the same strength of smell

* There should only be extremely slight variations in the length of the cigars, no more than a few mm's

* Genuine boxes will be sealed with two labels: a banknote style label at the front and a smaller label reading "Habanos" in the corner

* The bottom of the box should be stamped: "Habanos SA, Hecho en Cuba" and "Totalmente a mano"