Are you smoking a real Cuban cigar?  Do you know what one looks like?  Or, how it tastes?  Be careful.  I hate to burst your bubble.  But, before you answer, consider that just because a cigar was purchased in Cuba, doesn’t necessarily make it a true “Cuban.”  And, before you answer, consider the following…

The fact is that every year, Americans smoke millions of fake Cubans that are imported to our country via the black market.  We also buy lots of fake Cubans when we vacation in Europe or in the Caribbean, and we even (and perhaps especially) buy fake “Cuban” cigars in Cuba.

Apparently, when Americans visit Cuba these days, salesmen off the street converge upon them in droves to peddle fictitious wares to unsuspecting travelers.  The problem has worsened to the point that the Cuban government is now implementing the rule that any box of cigars leaving their country must be accompanied by an official receipt.

So, many experts believe that the majority of “Cuban” cigars purchased by Americans are fake.  Some have even estimated that as many as ninety percent of the supposed “Cubans” we smoke are fake.  Why does this happen?

Well, the real Cuban cigars are called Habanos, and the worldwide demand for them greatly exceeds the supply.  True Habanos undergo a meticulous, step-by-step process of construction from the production of the tobacco all the way to the packaging of the cigars.  Experts will tell you that there is nothing comparable to a real Cuban cigar.  (I, myself, can’t tell you much about them, since I haven’t smoked one; although, I have tried a few Cohibas before that I am now quite certain must have been fake.)

Habanos is a state-owned company, and it is the only organization authorized to manufacture and distribute Cuban cigars.  Most of their cigars are sold to authorized dealers throughout the world, while a relative few remain in Cuba to be sold from official stores.  As a result, a black market of real Cubans as well as a market of fakes has arisen, here, and even in Cuba.

To combat the fakes, Habanos has attempted to make its labeling more difficult to duplicate, and a wide variety of internet articles and websites have sprung up that are dedicated to spotting fake “Cubans:”

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Counterfeits/Counterfeit_Gallery/0,3390,,00.html
http://www.smokemag.com/0398/feature.htm
http://www.topcubancigars.com/fake_or_real_cuban_cigars.htm

I would suggest simply using common sense if you feel that you must find a Cuban cigar.  If you bought it from any individual, if you paid fifteen dollars for a cigar or a hundred for a box, or if the cigar didn’t taste or smoke or ash quite a bit differently than what you’re used to, then your “Cuban” is a fake.