Quote:
Originally Posted by Neurorad
Dude, you can buy them in Toronto at any cigar shop.
But I gotta say, the price is right. 
Go buy a Siglo IV from a cigar shop in Toronto, and compare labels. Compare boxes, too. Could be counterfeit. Check the Cigar Aficianado website for 'how to spot a counterfeit' and look for details.
Especially in Cuba. |
Agreed, and good advice, but Canada isn't much better than Cuba when it comes to fakes. Best thing to do is check the authorized dealers list on Habanos SA's website, or give them a call. Big things to check for (from memory):
1. The correct type and placement of the Habanos sticker.
2. The correct watermark on, and placement of, the "Republica de Cuba" sticker.
3. The factory codes (formerly nivel acuso) stamped on the back of the box in ink.
4. The Habanos stamp on the bottom of the box should be heat stamped, and not in ink.
5. Triple ring caps.
6. Consistency of color and wrapper texture WITHIN A BOX. Consistency and color can vary from box to box.
7. The smell, granted this takes experience with authentic Habanos.
8. The bands should be all be consistent within the box.
9. The box should present an overall neat appearance and should not be damaged, warped, frayed, etc.
There are probably many more I've failed to list. These are just the ones I've committed to memory.
EDIT: BTW... You need a blacklight for the watermark.
EDIT: I forgot a big one:
10. The cigars themselves should be free of defects, particularly tobacco beetles. Cuba now freezes all of their cigars prior to shipment to kill off all tobacco beetle larvae. If your sticks have holes in them from bugs, they are almost certainly fake.
Not that I have any reason at all for knowing this stuff.
