For those of you that don’t know.

In 2006, Cohiba released one of the most expensive cigars in the world, the (original) Behike. Only 4,000 cigars were produced, and they only come in boxes of 40, each with a price tag of $440, and each rolled by only one person at the El Laguito factory in Havana: Norma Fernández. She also had the honor of deciding on the tobacco blend to be used for the cigars which was specifically designed to honor 40 years of the Cohiba brand.

In early 2010, word came from from Habanos that they were going to produce a new blend, officially launched during the XII Habanos Festival in Cuba, using Medio Tiempo leaves, taken from the upper leaves of sun-grown tobacco plants which supposedly gives the new blend a unique, distinctive taste.

Here is a photo of the Official Festival Box the new Behike came in:

The new Behike will have the same name as the old blend “Behike”; which incidentally was named after a tribal chief of Cuba’s indigenous Taíno tribe, but adds the moniker “BHK” and will come in three exclusive, never before produced sizes (prices are from rumors online, but should be fairly close):

• BHK 52 (Laguito No.4, Petit Robusto, 4.75″ x 52)- MSRP $26.00
• BHK 54 (Laguito No.5, Robusto Extra, 5.7″ x 54)- MSRP $32.00
• BHK 56 (Laguito No.6, Double Robusto, 6.5″ x 56)- MSRP 35.00

The cigar will be presented in lacquered boxes of 10, and unlike the Original Behikes, the BHKs will be an annual release (albeit in VERY limited quantities). They will also feature a brand new band, each which has three sides, two of which bear a new security hologram. The hologram is a brand new security precaution to attempt to stop counterfeiters, and  they are not the same for all three sizes, but instead are made to fit the size of each of the three cigars perfectly.

But enough of that, let’s get down to business, shall we?

• Cigar Reviewed: Cohiba Behike BHK 54
• Country of Origin: Cuba
• Factory: El Laguito
• Wrapper: Cuba
• Binder: Cuba
• Filler: Cuba
• Size: 5 2/3 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 54
• Vitola: Robusto Extra
• Est. Price: $34
•  Release Date: 2010
• Number of Cigars Released: 50,000 Cigars
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 1

The cigar itself is a very impressive specimen, obviously well constructed, with a light to medium chocolate brown wrapper that has a very strong barnyard smell, with a bit of hay thrown in. The cigar is also very firm when squeezed, almost hard, really and feels almost too large to smoke when you put it in your mouth (what many would call a “Jawbreaker”). It also has a small pigtail cap that has been perfectly applied.

The band is, quite simply, the most amazing band I have ever seen on a cigar in my life, and it truly must be seen to be believed.

The cigar cut easily, and the First Third started with an impressive amount of spice out of the gate, along with flavors of cedar, hay and earth. There is some sweetness as well, but not much of it, it is really more of a background note at this point.

The Second Third starts out with the spice from before winding down quite a bit (more then half). The cigar shifts abruptly to a sweeter, more creamy profile, although interestingly, the flavors are close to the same, more cedar, more earthiness, more hay, but instead of the spice from before, the sweetness is the dominant companion. There is also just a bit of dark chocolate present as well.

The Last Third is the best part of the cigar, by far. The Spice from the first third ramps up again, although not to the same levels and the creamy sweetness remains, along with all of the same flavors that have been present throughout the smoke and adding a great graham cracker note as well. They all combine effortlessly into a wonderful, cohesive blend that was extremely enjoyable. Every flavor complimenting each other, with no one being dominant. The cigar did get a bit hot at the end, but it was not so bad that I could not finish it.

Final Notes:

• The Draw, Burn and overall construction on this cigar are impeccable (as it should be for something that costs this much).
• I smoked all three sizes for this review, and I found the BHK 54 had the best combination of flavor, strength and size. Interestingly, the BHK 52 was the least enjoyable smoke to me, the other two sizes just seemed to have more distinct flavors and the BHK 56 is just too big for me to enjoy properly.
• The last third of the cigar is where this cigar really takes off. It was a very impressive cohesion of flavors.
• Final Smoking time was 1 Hour and 45 Minutes.

The Bottom Line: Honestly, after reading all of the press on this cigar, I have to say, I was expecting a bit more from it. I was expecting to be able to taste a different flavor from the Medio Tiempo leaves, something that was totally unique to this blend. Sadly, that was not to be. Instead, what I got was fairly typical Cohiba flavors, only with quite a bit more strength, pepper and spice then the normal blends. Make no mistake, this is a great cigar, and has the total package working for it, great flavors and complexity, great burn, great construction and great draw, but do not go into it thinking it will be a completely unique experience, or you will be disappointed.

Now, I know what you are asking at this very moment in time, “Is the BHK a better cigar then the Cohiba Gran Reserva (which I reviewed here)?” The answer is no. The Gran Reserva is in a class by itself, and while this cigar comes close, it is just not on the same level. Having said that, I do wonder if the BHKs will age a bit better then the Gran Reserva, considering the strength and amount of spice that is present.

(and thanks to aaron for helping me procure these cigars for a review

Final Score: 90