Bought some great cigars in June. The barefooted guy on the beach W/few teeth that I bought them from said they were Cuban. Doesn't really matter if they were Cubanos or not, I liked em'. Is it legal and how many can I bring home next time?
I do not smoke cigars but have heard of "people" putting labels of Panamanian cigars onto Cubans to avoid hassles. NO experience trying!
If they don't have Cuban bands on them just claim them as Mexican cigars and you can bring back 20 per adult without duty. There's a fairly good possibility that they are not Cuban. As you said you enjoy them so I would bring them back without bands and claim as Mexican which there is a good possibility that that is what they are.
The trick would be to take the bands off and stick them in the wallet of whoever you are traveling with. The REAL trick is not buying countfeit Cubans. There are articles in cigar magazines from time to time on how to spot a counterfeit Cuban, by the brand. You would think that if they were going to sell a fake, they could get the label right. The "official" Cuban store, at Plaza La Isla last time I checked, used to have the real deals but that was when they were at Plaza Flamingo. When they moved, the quickly fired the gal who used to run the store and brought in new management. I found obvious fake Cohibas and never went back. Good luck finding the real deals. Caveat emptor. Maybe at Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach or Ritz Carlton, but certainly not a guy on the beach no matter how many teeth he has.
Thanks Thanks for all the replies, the cigar box has plenty of seals and and certification, saying the were from Cuba, they smoked well (not that I know anything about them, or smuggling for that matter). Besides that guy on the beach, and the people in the open market selling more of the same wouldn't misrepresent their products.....or would they?
