A Web of Fake Cigars: Solocigars strikes again.

[El Presidente]

Part II 

https://www.finews.com/news/english-news/64784-a-web-of-fake-cigars-zurich-counterfeit-cohibas-cubaruedi-la-zagra-restaurant-strauss-egoist

Original (rechts), Fälschung (links). (Bild: «Cigar» / finews.ch)

Tuesday, 15 October 2024 16:37

A Web of Fake Cigars: High-End Dining Hit by Counterfeit Cohibas

 

 

Written by Florian Schwab | Publishing Director

 

On Friday, finews.com and the magazine «Cigar» dropped the findings of their joint investigation exposing counterfeit Cuban cigars at Zurich’s trendy hotspot Tao's. But as new evidence reveals, this is just the tip of the iceberg—the problem is more widespread than initially believed.

Just four days ago, «Cigar» and finews.com broke the news that Tao's Restaurant & Bar, a go-to for Zurich’s in-crowd, was selling counterfeit Cohiba Siglo VI cigars for a steep 115 Swiss francs apiece. These fake cigars came from Rudolf R.*, a retiree previously caught selling counterfeit Havanas, better known by his alias, Cubaruedi.

Since that exposé, both publications have been provided with information pointing to other high-end restaurants offering these dubious cigars, all supplied by Cubaruedi. Tobias Hüberli, Cigar's editor-in-chief, followed the trail, publishing a fresh set of revelations (article in German). In some cases, the suspicions proved true; in others, the establishments were cleared of wrongdoing.

Deceptive Bands, Off-Key Flavors

Hüberli, an expert in cigars, uncover the fakes with the industry's standard methods. First, he analyzed the cigar bands, which on genuine Cuban cigars are printed by a Dutch security printing firm and feature numerous counterfeit-resistant details, much like banknotes. Second, he tested the cigars’ flavor profiles. Cuban tobacco has a signature taste that stands apart from any other origin, making it relatively easy for seasoned connoisseurs to detect impostors.

While Tao's and Meat Me steakhouse had already been singled out in last week’s investigation, Hüberli’s latest findings uncovered fakes in several other prominent locations:

1. La Zagra, Zurich: At this elite Italian restaurant in Zurich’s Seefeld district, a regular 15-point favorite of Gault Millau, Hüberli discovered multiple crude counterfeits stashed in the humidor. When confronted, restaurant manager Luca Gioia admitted he didn’t know much about cigars. This was evident in the pricing—he had been selling the fake Cohiba Siglo VI, which Cubaruedi supplied at 20 francs each, for just 38 francs. That’s a far cry from the authentic version, which retails for around 110 francs. La Zagra swiftly pulled all of Cubaruedi’s cigars from its shelves and has since contacted a lawyer.
2. Neue Real, Zurich: This Spanish restaurant, co-founded by Zurich dining legend Aurelio Lorenzo (formerly of Casa Aurelio), had also been unwittingly selling Cubaruedi’s cigars. When the scandal came to light, managing director Mazen Rahmani didn’t hesitate—he removed the cigars immediately. «Cubaruedi abused my trust and damaged the reputation of our establishment,» Rahmani told Cigar. Unlike Tao's, at least he wasn’t charging premium prices for the fake Cohibas—35 francs for a Edición Limitada Romeo y Julieta and 27 francs for a Cohiba Medio Siglo. 
3. Strauss, Winterthur: It is as upscale as it gets in Winterthur; and it was also selling fake Havanas. The pricing here was chaotic—the Montecristo Open Eagle was listed at 27 francs, instead of the usual 36 francs, and the Cohiba Medio Siglo at 26 francs, compared to 66.30 francs in legitimate retail outlets. This odd pricing structure suggests the owners had no idea they were dealing with counterfeit goods. «We’ve never received complaints about the cigars,» said restaurant manager Tuba Özdemir. «Cubaruedi insists his cigars are real, but we’ll be conducting our own investigation immediately.»

It’s not just high-end dining that’s been hit by the fake cigar trade. Tips have also surfaced about counterfeit Cuban cigars being sold at the Egoist nightclub on Langstrasse, Zurich’s infamous nightlife district. While the investigation team opted not to verify the claim on-site, they did reach out to the club for comment. The owners, however, remained silent.

Cubaruedi Speaks

Cigar’s Hüberli managed to speak with the man at the center of the storm, Cubaruedi. He continues to deny that the Cuban cigars he’s been selling at well below market prices are fakes. Yet, when pressed, he revealed his supplier: Solocigars, an online shop based in Costa Rica.

Solocigars has a notorious reputation for offering cheap Nicaraguan cigars disguised with counterfeit Cuban labels, selling them across the globe via its website.

A Secret Cuban Pipeline?

Could it be possible that Cubaruedi and Solocigars have somehow unlocked a secret supply chain, getting their hands on genuine Cuban cigars at rock-bottom prices, bypassing international import and retail costs? Hüberli is skeptical. «I find that highly unlikely,» he says. «The inconsistencies in the cigar bands are a dead giveaway—these are clearly fakes.»

 
Visit to Strauss in Winterthur: counterfeit Cohiba (right), original (left). Click image for larger view. (Image: «Cigar», Chris Iseli)

Hüberli points out that for years, Cuba’s cigar industry has been plagued by production shortages, leading to tight control over its supply chain. Global pricing was standardized in April 2023, but even before that, prices were relatively uniform across markets.

Is there any chance these cigars could be genuine Cubans but not part of the state-controlled tobacco monopoly? Hüberli dismisses this notion outright. «Cuba guards its cigar industry like a national treasure. There is no black-market wholesale supply of authentic Cuban cigars anywhere in the world outside of official channels,» he asserts.

[Ford2112]

I would be leery of buying any Cohiba anywhere at this point save for a handful of legit vendors.

[Nevrknow]

But, I've bought so many cigars from them. 98% of my collection! Oh woah is me!

 

 

 

😛😂

[cigaraholic]

You do get a nice helping of side tit with every purchase 👻

[BrightonCorgi]

9 hours ago, Nevrknow said:

But, I've bought so many cigars from them. 98% of my collection!  Oh woah is me!

😛😂

I know someone where this is the case. He thinks he's smarter than everyone else.

[El Presidente]

Solo must have been in business 25 years by this stage. Remarkable 

[JohnS]

I've bought nothing from them. To quote the Beatles, "I Feel Fine!" 😂

[RDB]

What a miserable life it must be, relentlessly lying and cheating like that. It would eat the soul, even if you didn’t know it.

[Li Bai]

4 minutes ago, RDB said:

What a miserable life it must be, relentlessly lying and cheating like that. It would eat the soul, even if you didn’t know it.

I couldn't have said it better myself, 100% sure you can't do that kind of cr*p without paying the price at one point.

[BrightonCorgi]

15 minutes ago, Li Bai said:

I couldn't have said it better myself, 100% sure you can't do that kind of cr*p without paying the price at one point.

A part of their proceeds funds orphanages on multiple continents. The rest goes to dog rescues.

[Puros Y Vino]

49 minutes ago, BrightonCorgi said:

A part of their proceeds funds orphanages on multiple continents. The rest goes to dog rescues.

More like "dog rocket" rescues.  

[SCgarman]

22 hours ago, cigaraholic said:

You do get a nice helping of side tit with every purchase 👻

Too funny. There were warnings on several cigar forums way back when. Stay away from the "side boob", and stay away from "Han Solo"!! And I certainly heeded the warnings.

[benfica_77]

The longer I am part of the cigar community, the shorter the list of trusted vendors. Even some LCDHs abroad have been shown to not be trustworthy.