Genuine Counterfeit

Genuine Counterfeit was created by JR Cigars in response to the rampant proliferation of fake Cuban cigars that flooded the American market through the 1980s and 1990s. The concept was straightforward and deliberately tongue-in-cheek: rather than let smokers get fooled by low-quality imposters sold as Cubans, JR partnered with Nick Perdomo and his Estelí factory to create a cigar that was openly, proudly counterfeit. The name said everything. JR approached Perdomo because of his reputation for producing Cuban-style blends with genuine Nicaraguan and Honduran tobacco, and the result was a handmade cigar rolled with aged Honduran and Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos under an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper chosen for its oily, clay-red appearance and natural character. The retro cedar packaging was designed to mimic the look of smuggled cigar boxes from the 1960s, and the Pre-Embargo series leaned fully into the concept by naming vitolas after classic Cuban formats such as Prominente, Palmas d'España, and Gourmet Figurado. The line offered both square-pressed and traditional round vitolas, and the packaging featured the Cuban warranty seal as a final wink at the premise.