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Each year their production falls far short of the worldwide demand for these premium vitolas.
They are highly sought after by both the aficionado and the novice, and as a result, they routinely cost in excess of $20 US dollars for a single double corona.
Add to that equation that the importation of Havanas is illegal in the wealthiest country in the world, the United States, and you have a scenario ripe for counterfeiters.
The potential profit from selling fake Cuban cigars is immense, particularly in the US, and don't think for a second that the less honorable in our society don't take advantage of this fact.
Although the money is not quite as excessive as in the drug trade, there are many advantages to being a cigar counterfeiter.
The penalties for being caught by the law are much lower, and in many cases, almost non-existent.
Secondly, the clientele is significantly better, with most consumers of premium Cuban cigars being professionals.
The possibility of an angry gun wielding doctor coming to exact his revenge is highly unlikely and when was the last time you heard of a "drive-by" over a counterfeit cigar dispute?
Also, in today's world of graphic computers and color laser printers it is pretty easy to convert an inexpensive bundled Honduran into a Cohiba Esplendido.
Probably the biggest factor working in the counterfeiter favor is consumer ignorance.
Most folks do not know enough about Cuban cigars to be able to tell the difference between a real one and a fake one.
This lack of education has helped many unscrupulous lowlifes prey on our lack of knowledge as the means to lining their pockets with our hard-earned money.
Over the years there have been many articles written on how to ID Cuban cigars, but personally, I have always felt they lacked the needed detail to help the average consumer.
I have tried my best to compile the insights I have developed over the last decade into a primer than will immediately help the uneducated to quickly identify suspicious cigars from the real deal.
Although I consider this to be the ultimate article ever written on the subject, however it is not a foolproof system. Only years of close attention to detail and experience will afford you the ability to easily and definitively determine fake Havanas from real.
The number one rule of identifying counterfeit Cuban cigars is the age-old saying "caveat emptor" - buyer beware. Always keep this in mind whenever you are purchasing Havanas, even when you are purchasing them overseas in what appears to be a reputable tobacconist's establishment.
Many fake Cuban cigars are sold from storefronts in countries where they are completely legal and sometimes without the knowledge of the store owner. Remember counterfeiters are driven by profit potential and no matter where you are in the world the profit on Cuban cigars is always a tempting target for criminals.
The second rule is "attention to detail." This is where your astute eye will help to protect your wallet and humidor from the burden of fake Havanas.
I can not over emphasize how important it is for you to be critical when inspecting a box of Cuban cigars for purchase.
Below is the detailed knowledge necessary to allow you the ability to begin routinely inspecting Cuban cigars for their authenticity with confidence.
How many counterfeit cigars find their way into the humidors of unwitting smokers each year? It's impossible to say for sure, but many experts put the number at more than three million--in the United States alone. The streets of Havana teem with black-market smokes, most of them counterfeit, and even European markets are reporting an influx of fakes.
http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/Aficionado/Counterfeit/count_copage18.html
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Cuban box codes designate a cigar's age and factory of production.
They appear on bottoms of cigar boxes as a series of several letters, sometimes separated by a hyphen. The first two or three letters usually correspond to the factory in which the cigars were made (see table below).
EAT, for example, refers to cigars from the Francisco Perez German factory, also known as Partagas.
The next set of letters refer to the month and year the cigars were made (see table at right).
For instance, UECC means O299, or February 1999.
The Cubans changed the box codes in early 1999, and all boxes shipped now are stamped with the new codes.
Yet plenty of boxes still floating around--in shops, in private humidors, and at auction--bear the old codes.
That's why we included the old NIVEL ACUSO date code and the old factory designations for the famous cigar factories of Havana.
For the provincial factories, only the new codes are listed.
Copy the following URL in your browser to go to the Code Box
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http://www.danheller.com/cigars.html
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