Buying cigars in Cuba 101

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First, the good news. Cuban cigars are still considered the gold standard by which all other cigars are compared. The bad news? U.S. citizens are not allowed to purchase them, regardless of where they are bought. (Incidentally, citizens of other countries who may be transiting on flights in the U.S. are subject to U.S. law and may have their Cuban cigars or other Cuban-made products–except art–confiscated.)

Still, assuming you're heading to Cuba for some R&R to learn a few salsa moves or savor the frisson of the forbidden, bets are you're tempted to light up at least one stogie or, better yet, score a box of the world's finest smokes.

Before you lay out your cash, there are a few things worth knowing.

There are about 40 brands and 500 cigar varieties–a single brand usually comes in various sizes and even shapes. Only eight factories make handmade export-quality cigars in Cuba today, compared to 120 at the beginning of the century. All cigar factories produce various brands. Some factories specialize in particular flavors, others in particular sizes–of which there are no fewer than 60 standard variations, with minor variations from brand to brand; sizes are given specific names, such as Corona (142mm) and Julieta (178mm).

Several of Cuba's 42 factories might be producing any one brand simultaneously, so quality can vary markedly even though the label is the same. Experts consider cigars produced in Havana's El Laguito and Romeo y Julieta factories to be the best (note that currently, neither can be visited except by permission). The source is marked in code on the underside of the box. The year of production is also indicated there.

As with fine wines, the quality of cigars varies from year to year.

Since 1985, handmade Cuban cigars have carried the Cubatabaco stamp plus a factory mark and, since 1989, the legend "Hecho en Cuba. Totalmente a Mano" (Made in Cuba. Completely by Hand). If it reads "Hecho a Mano," the cigars are most likely hand-finished (i.e., the wrapper was put on by hand) rather than handmade. If it states only "Hecho en Cuba," they are assuredly machine made.

As of 2005, all boxes feature a holographic seal (any other boxes are subject to seizure by Cuban Customs).

Meanwhile...

NEVER buy off the street!

In cities, jineteros (hustlers) will offer you cigars at discount prices. You'll be tempted by what seems the deal of the century. Forget it!

You might get lucky and get the real thing, but the vast majority are low-quality, machine-made cigars sold falsely as top-line cigars to unsuspecting travelers. Don't be taken in by the sealed counterfeit box, either. The hustlers use empty boxes and seals stolen by colleagues who work in the cigar factories, so the unknowing buyer is easily convinced that this is the real McCoy at a bargain. Not!

A few years ago in Santiago, I was talked into buying a box of Cohibas by someone I trusted. When I lit one up, it exploded! Infested with tiny weevils!

For further information about travel in Cuba, buy Moon Cuba

For further information on Havana, buy Moon Spotlight Havana.

Buy a softback copy of Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro's Cuba, or order an autographed hardback direct from the author.

Disclosure: I occasionally accept free or discounted travel when it coincides with my editorial goals. However, my opinion is never for sale. The opinions you see in Cuba & Costa Rica Journal are my unbiased reflection of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Copyright © Christopher P. Baker