The first tip is to only deal with reputable Habanos sanctioned retailers and exclusive distributors. For one thing, these reputable dealers do not want to risk losing their highly lucrative license to retail Habanos by peddling fake merchandise. Sticking to these reputable dealers will be the first thing to ensure your cigars are authentic. The opposite of a exclusive retailer are those fly-by night vendors in markets and other highly trafficked tourist areas. Those Cuban cigars you bought from the taxi driver two steps off an airplane in Punta Cana are most defiantly fakes. The Cubans your uncle got during his cruise to Cozumel.... also fakes bro.
The other thing to look at is the packaging the cigars come in. Real Habanos cigars come in boxes or cabinets. There is no glass used in any portion of the packaging process, so, if glass is used to display the cigars, they are fake. Also, Cubans are rarely sold as singles. That is another useful sign, buy Cuban cigars in boxes or buy nothing! Many legitimate boxes can be purchased that have a per cigar price less than $10 USD.
In addition, each box or cabinet should be sealed with a label on the left side of the box. Inspect the seal carefully as it is designed to specifically thwart counterfeiters. The seal is always on the left of the package, about a 1/4 to 1/2" from the left edge. The positioning of the label should have the bar code always to the left of the packaging and the hologram on the right. The proper method of installation is displayed below.
My advice is to only buy sealed boxes that way you know what is inside is legitimate. There are many in the community that want the boxes open to inspect for mold, which I totally understand, but my experience is retailers are open to working with you on replacing moldy cigars. Open your boxes right after purchase or arriving on your front porch. Many B&Ms will do that for you at the time of purchase too.
The seal itself is designed to become damaged when someone is attempting to remove the seal from a box. The adhesive is designed to remain on the original package so it can not be reused with another adhesive application. Adding other adhesives will bleed through the seal and discoloring it.
In addition, each seal will have a unique code that can be entered into authenticity check. This check can be used to verify the authenticity of the box. The Habanos website will take your box code manually or can also be used with a photo of the bar code. This check will return the Habanos brand and size that the seal should be placed on. Make sure they match to the cigar box your are looking at.
The bottom of the box also will have important information to check like packaging date and some other logos that are difficult to counterfeit. There are a few variations of these and they seem to change occasionally. Check out Habanos Marks of Distinction for more information on the marks on the bottom of the box. Each box will also have another seal on the right corner:
If the seals and outside of the packaging look good, you should open the box. This will help to ensure boxes with mold are identified immediatly so you can work with your retailer on arranging replacements. Once the box is open, we can review the insides of the container.
Each form of packaging will have a piece of paper and/or a thin piece of cedar. Additionally, a certificate of authenticity printed on wax paper will be included. Pick up the certificate and place it flat on your hand. If it is a legitimate certificate, it will roll-up or fold in half after a few seconds of laying in the palm of your hand. The certificate is designed with paper designed to do this.
The next give away is the cigar bands themselves. Habanos makes high quality bands that often include holograms, especially for the more expensive brands like Cohiba. Look at the bands and the logos of the bands. Everything should be centered on the band. Habanos also uses vibrant inks for the band manufacturing process and that vibrance, especially bands with golden ink, should help make the bands of legitimate Habanos cigars easy to spot. Any bands that look dull of off centered are a sign of fakes; but, if you follow my advice and buy only sealed boxes this step is pretty much pointless but I included this tip in case you buy unsealed boxes.
Hopefully these tips help you get your hands on some legitimate Cuban Cigars. In my opinion, Cuban cigars just hit differently and are clearly a step above cigars from other countries. Get you some real ones!
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