Havana – Fakes

No trip to Havana is free of fake cigars.

While walking around the city I took Frank to the place behind the Partagas factory where I was offered fake cigars last November.

Caught unawares by our visit the selection wasn’t great, but we were promised much more stuff and many more boxes should we return later – which we didn’t.

Another interesting fake “find” was at one of our Casas – the Landlady happened to have some boxes for sale offered to her by a friend that were incredibly cheap and she would like to know our “expert” opinion.

They were better than street-quality boxes that we were offered out of the blue when we moved in before the lady learned we were serious smokers of mostly un-banded cigars which kinda intrigued her as well.

Guess she had had better luck with people smoking “bands” …

They look good but : Seals and stickers inside the box, bands on the Maduro 5 had 4 rows of dots, the price was too mucho good at 40 cookies a box incl. the 5 cookies commission for the sale, guess 99% of tourists and maybe even others would have fallen for them.

Genuine cigars are NOT sold via landladies in Cuba.

Not even the serious ones.

Not these kind, not any kind.

No.

No.

Nino