Unless you're actally buying your Cuban cigars in Cuba, it's tough to know if the Cuban cigars you are being sold are actually from Cuba.

Here are a couple of expert tips to use in your cigar purchase:

* On the box: Look for a seal from the Cuban government and a "Habanos" sticker on the cover with the black silhouette of a tobacco leaf.

* Inside the box: Look for a parchment paper with the Habanos notation in brown and an introduction in four languages

* The cigars: Uniform color and placement, exact confirmation to the size ordered.