Genuine Counterfeit Cuban Review

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and in today’s review, we’re lighting up a cigar that prides itself on being an authentic alternative to classic Cuban smokes. Cuban cigars were already a big hit in the USA before John F. Kennedy imposed an embargo on all trade with Cuba, but the subsequent decades led to an influx of phony Cubans flooding the market.

Cue the creation of the Genuine Counterfeit Cuban. Made in the tobacconist heart of Nicaragua and dressed in a rich, red clay Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, can it replicate the intense flavors and aromas craved by Havana lovers? All will be revealed as we burn our way from head to nub in our Genuine Counterfeit Cuban cigar reviews.

Brand Overview

At the turn of the 21st century, JR Cigars approached third-generation cigar maker and founder of Perdomo cigars, Nick Perdomo Jr., about establishing a Cuban-style brand here in the States.

Permodo Jr’s father and grandfather were master cigar rollers at Cuba’s famed Partagas cigar factory. Permodo Jr. has fused his Cuban heritage with the rich and earthy spices of Nicaraguan tobacco leaves to produce bold and complex blends reminiscent of Cubans. Just take the full-bodied Perdomo 20th Anniversary Maduro with its zesty backbone and rich bouquet of coffee, earth, and dark chocolate.

Perdomo Jr. established the company in 1992 out of his garage. With obsessive attention to detail, Perdomo Jr. requires every cigar to be inspected 17 times before being deemed suitable for distribution. This “seed to smoke” quality control and time-honored Cuban expertise made them the perfect partner for Genuine Counterfeit Cuban cigars.

The packaging is a little tongue in cheek, with the word “COUNTERFEIT!” stamped in red across a Cuban tobacco tax label band. However, there are some classy nods to the old-world elegance of Cuban cigars. Purists will be delighted by the vitola inclusion of a 6 x 54 Torpedo (with a pointed smoking end) and a classic 4.75 x 52 Perfecto with its rounded head and pronounced bulge in the middle.

To complete the vintage smoking experience, these impeccably square pressed Cuban “copycats” are packed in retro cedar box packaging designed to look like smuggled cigar boxes of the 1960s.

Cigar specs

Cold draw

The cigar starts with a relatively tight cold draw, but this didn’t dampen the sweet, heart-warming combination of orange citrus with holiday baking spices. Think ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Everything seemed heightened, given this is the closest I and other smokers in the States are going to get to the genuine taste of a Cuban.

Flavor profile: first third

As I started to get to grips with the sense of the occasion, I effortlessly cut the pointed cap and toasted my homage to Havana. The draw immediately loosened with billows of rich, fragrant smoke that had a cayenne pepper bite.

Toasted nuts came through on the first few puffs before rounding out to a woody, spicy smoke that gave a smokey edge to the earlier sweetness that lingered.

Flavor profile: second third

A chorus of leather and cedar joined the ensemble of spices at the start of the second third, but its hickory, almost smokey quality had faded. Around the halfway point, hints of coffee and cocoa entered the fray, complimenting the rich leather and cedar notes.

The flavors are well balanced while still exhibiting that distinct Cuban “tingle” on the tongue, with that earlier hit of cayenne now peppering the palate. A dash of earth and zesty spice adds complexity to a long, glorious finish.

Flavor profile: final third

As the final third came calling, the complexity also took a powerful stride forward. There was plenty of that Cuban-style magic to take in, with primary notes of cayenne pepper, leather, and citrus zest accented by a subtle cedar sweetness.

The cigar is still burning brightly at this point, with the citrus zest becoming dominant as the smoke reaches its final few burns. It did a great job taming the colorful aromas of earthy, spicy tobacco that resonated on the palate once I’d finished smoking.

Conclusion

Nicaraguan cigars are said to be a true competitor to Cuban smokes, but the Genuine Counterfeit Cuban succeeds in combining the best of both worlds. It arcs back to Havana with its spicy and woody tones, while the rich earthiness and notes of cayenne and leather are prevalent in many of the best-selling Nicaraguan smokes.

Save yourself a trip to South America by picking up a cedar chest of 25 Genuine Counterfeit Cuban Torpedos for $115.60 from cigars.com today.

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