Cuba s Latest Smokes - More Cohiba Behikes

The Cuban cigar industry is expanding its Cohiba Behike line. The original Cohiba Behike, released in 2006 to celebrate Cohiba's 40th anniversary, was a one-size smoke that was virtually unobtainable: production was limited to a mere 4,000 cigars. The new Behikes, which will be on sale soon, will be more plentiful. The cigars will have an estimated production run of around 5,000 boxes.

The line is made from a blend of tobaccos that includes a large percentage of tobacco from the medio tiempo of plants grown on farms near the towns of San Juan y Martínez and San Luis. These are upper primings, thus they should be stronger and more flavorful cigars.

Rolled exclusively at El Laguito, the mother factory of Cohiba, the names of the three cigars refer to their thickness: The BHK 52 is 4 11/16 inches long by 52 ring; BHK 54 is 5 2/3 inches by 54; and BHK 56 is 6 1/2 inches by 56.

I also found out the factory names for each smoke: The BHK 52 is called a Laguito No. 4; the BHK 54 is known as Laguito No. 5, and the fat BHK 56 is called a Laguito No. 6.

All of the cigars are made with pigtails, and will come in lacquered boxes of ten. Prices are expected to be 40 percent higher than traditional Cohibas.