Facts About Cohiba, Cuba’s Most Famous Cigar Brand

In a few decades Cohiba went from a private-label brand for Fidel Castro to becoming the most recognizable, sought-after cigar in the world.

Up there with the others luxury brand likes; Dom Pérignon vintage Champagne, Rolls Royces car, and Rolex watches, the Cohiba name is now synonymous with luxury goods, and for the most part, they live up to the hype.

Cuban Cohiba’s gained many awards that including Cigar of the Years in 2010 for Cohiba Behike BHK 52. Cohiba is identical with a taste of classic Cuban cigar that very famous around the world.

There some fact about Cohiba’s cigars that described by some media and cigar enthusiast that might be useful for us to know.

The meaning of “Cohiba” – read as koh-HEE-bah; meaning is tobacco in the Taino dialectical. Taino were an indigenous people of the Caribbean.

At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the principal inhabitants of the most Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, The Bahamas and the northern Lesser Antilles.

In Cuba also living an indigenous Arawak people before Spanish conquest.

Practically Cohiba is the new cigar than the others Cuban cigars.

Cohiba brand release by the Cuban State-owned Cigar Company Habanos S.A. after the era of Cuban Revolution (July 26, 1953 – January 1, 1959).

There are two brands of cigar after the revolution, Cohiba – only for President Fidel Castro consumption and for diplomatic gifts in 1966, and the other brand is Diplomáticos Habana produced commercially for public sale.

Cohiba cigars enter the commercial market in 1982 in Spain.

Cohiba cigars become an icon of Cuban Revolution, because it is identically with President Fidel Castro.

The brand sells for a premium over the Cuban cigars, and its fame and price make it an alluring target for counterfeiters.

Habanos added the Maduro 5 line to Cohiba in 2007, and in February 2010, Cohiba Behike, which is a trio of cigars that have pigtail caps a bit of medio tiempo tobacco in them, made their debut.

Before Cuban Revolution, there are many cigar brands belong to private owned factories.

The brands before Revolution era, i.e.; La Gloria Cubana, Caney, Belinda, Cabanas, La Corona, La Flor del Caney, etc.

Cohiba Happened By Accident

In the beginning, the cigar-maker rolled a cigar for chief bodyguard of President Fidel Castro. When Fidel Castro trying that cigar, he feel in love with that cigar, and he order more for him, and then that cigar become his personal choice of cigar.

At the beginning is very difficult to get the Cohiba, even you have money.

As mentioned above, in early time the Cohiba rolled only for the consumption of the President Castro and for a Diplomatic Gift.

The cigar produce in one vitola, 7½ inches long by 38 ring gauge Lancero.

Even you have money, it is difficult to find Cohiba cigar in the market, except you are an important person who has a gift from President Castro.

After 1982 era

Cohiba become commercially available in the market late 1982, even then, it could only buy the Cigar in Spain.

In the commercial market the cigar coming with three vitola; Lancero or the factory terms is Laguito No.1; Corona Special, or Laguito No.2, and Panetela or Laguito No.3.

The larger cigars release in 1989, after Cohiba was launched globally.  The new vitola are; Robusto, the Churchill size or Esplendido and the small one Exquisito.

Cohiba lines

Cohiba cigars brand comes in four series: The core line, officially called Línea Clásica; the Siglo Series, known as Línea 1492; the Maduro Line, called Maduro 5; and Behikes, named the Cohiba Behike BHK Series.

Siglo Series as created to fill a gap

European brand Davidoff started out as a short-lived Cuban brand. What is the relation with Cohiba?

Once Davidoff production moved to the Dominican Republic, Cuba had a gap to fill; Cuban cigar comes up with the Cohiba Siglo Series in 1992.

Officially called as Línea 1492, the Siglo Series of cigars matched some of the sizes previously found in the Davidoff lines.

The same shape will see at the Siglo I, same as former Davidoff Château Haut Brion. The Siglo II same as Davidoff Château Margaux.  Siglo III same as Davidoff Château Mouton-Rothschild.

Finally, Siglo IV same as Davidoff 5000.

Only Siglo V and Siglo VI that produced with Cohiba own size.

The main factory of Cohiba cigars is El Laguito, a yellow mansion in Havana; it is dedicated to making Cohiba cigars.

The mansion was build by a Cuban industrial magnate, Alberto Casimiro Fowler.

That mansion later became a Cohiba factory that Cohiba logo is boldly emblazoned on the sweeping staircase wall and visible as soon as we walk in the foyer.

Due to the raised of the demand, Habano S.A. spread out production of Cohiba cigars to some other factories. 

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT COHIBA BEHIKE BHK 52

Cohiba Behike BHK 52 is the hottest Cuban cigar on the market. This cigar gained Cigar of The Year prize from Cigar Aficionado.  BHK 52 is the small production among the best Cuban Cigars in decades.

According to Habanos, that is because of the rare of the best quality leaves used to blend the cigars. The filler uses are a tobacco called “medio-tiempo”, a short of sun-grown cigarette leaf that develops on peak of a few, but not all of tobacco plants.

The cigars have a fantastic balance even in childhood, using a medium to full body, some earthiness and creamy coffee tastes.

BHK 52 price is quite expensive, sold by the box that each box contains 40 cigars and only 100 boxes were ever made.

The original price was $17,000 per box.  Behike is the Tiano word for doctor or healer. Until today, Cohiba Behike comes in three sizes, the 52, 54 and 56.  The number is indicated to the cigar ring gauge.

Pics: Habanos S.A.