The Behike roundup.

[El Presidente]

A significant number of you have now had the opportunity to try one of or all of the Behike 52 54 56.

I am getting some excellent feedback in the main with one e-mail this morning describing them as reminiscent of first release Cohiba Siglo VI only sweeter.

Your thoughts? The good and the bad in terms of construction, quality, flavour, body.

[sje]

Good morning Rob and FOHers, I smoked a 56 on fathers day, to be fair to the Marca i was not alone and with full concentration with this cigar,

1/3 opened with soft sweet cedar tones, minimal spice

2/3 developed into some good strong cigar flavor, earth spice, full body

3/3 did not wind up greatly, youth i suspect.

all in all it was a great cigar, this will get better, though not much better as it is already high quality. if you ask me if i would buy 2 HQ lusitanias that cost the same as 1 Behike, i think i would get more overall pleasure for the same cost.

so to sum it up, exceptionaly good cigar, but our Australian taxes and the HSA Marketing based price tag will hold it back slightly.

Spiro

[Sandman]

I can only say, as long as the construction is good, these cigars are so incredible. Very special blend, has some taste of the 02-03 reservas, only more rich, and just delicious! If you have the coin, I say buy as many of these as you can...especially the 52's!!!

[El Presidente]

I can only say, as long as the construction is good, these cigars are so incredible. Very special blend, has some taste of the 02-03 reservas, only more rich, and just delicious! If you have the coin, I say buy as many of these as you can...especially the 52's!!!

I have to say I agree.

[BonVivant]

Amen! The best release from HSA in years!

[sandholm]

I am not a Cohiba fan (they are well constructed, i just dont like the flavor), but the Behike is a line that I really really enjoy. I still think they are at tad overpriced for what they deliver. Now, its a new line, and this cost money and I rather see Habanos keep the production/quality up then lowering the quality.

I guess i smoked +5 of each and all of them has been over 92 up to 95, so excellent (for now I will let my boxes rest for a year and see what happens)

[cigcars]

*What would be you all's opinion of the Cohiba Gran Reserva compared to the Behike line? I've tried them both & found the Behike MUCH tastier. And thoughts, observations, folks???

[JoshMP]

I've only smoked one, the 52, and thoroughly enjoyed it. In terms of price though I'd say I feel like you're more "getting your moneys worth" with the 56. It's a big cigar and the price matches it for size and quality. The 52, whilst an awesome smoke, seems a bit too expensive. I was certainly left wishing I'd had another half an hour to go when mine ended.

[cigarros]

1/3 opened with soft sweet cedar tones, minimal spice

2/3 developed into some good strong cigar flavor, earth spice, full body

3/3 did not wind up greatly, youth i suspect.

all in all it was a great cigar,

Agree. I think that it good cigar but too young.. My review was here http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/inde...howtopic=102509

[anacostiakat]

The one 52 I smoked was just too young. I would love to try the 54 if they ever come off backorder.

[bassman]

I've only smoked one 52. Good cigar, but I'd much rather smoke a Trini Robusto T.

[Mr. Japan]

Smoked the 52 and 54.

I will not smoke the 56 (I refuse to smoke such big ring gauge, already 54 is over for me)

Very similar in taste, flavour contsruction. VERY GOOD.

Best new release from Habanos IMHO as immediately good to smoke.

[Colt45]

Not trying to stir up any crap, to members who've smoked these cigars, I'm curious:

Do you find them representative of the marque?

If not, are they different enough that they should perhaps simply be called Behike and not Cohiba Behike?

Does it matter either way?

[pnutbutrsangwich]

I smoked a pre-release 56 (from the Festival 3-pack). Here are some excerpts from a review that I posted on another forum at the time. I liked it

First off, I could hardly believe the beauty of this wrapper. The capa was a colorado maduro beauty with even, medium oils and a mottled look with very dark streaks and spots that were gorgeously distributed about the cigar. The cap had a small pigtail which, quite frankly, looked totally absurd on a cigar of this jaw-breaking girth. The Palio that I cut it with was barely adequate to cut the cigar. Opening it up all the way and snipping cut the cap just above the "shoulders".

Upon lighting, the first few draws were quite rough, strong, and bitter, showing the screaming youth of the cigar. Fortunately,things settled down within the first half inch. The flavor profile settled down and actually displayed some of the hallmark notes of a very well aged Cohiba. Absent any of the youthful grassiness that is typically noted in the regularly issued lines, strong, carmelized sugar, vanilla cream, semi-sweet chocolate, and bitter coffee topped off a base of subtle and complex woods. These flavors were evident in varying balance throughout the cigar, though there was little additional development save for the building nicotine-related modest harshness that built up to the inch-long nub.

The most impressive dimension, however was the fact that despite the tendency of gigantic ring-guage cigar to feel as though there are "holes" in the flavor profile, this cigar felt as though every leaf was contributing to the flavor experience. There was no sense of tasteless filler added in to the blend as each draw was filled with rich, enjoyable, medium-full flavor. As a rule, I detest cigars that are this thick, but I am perhaps motivated to change my mind here!

[El Presidente]

I can't recall a more positive response on any cigar except perhaps the Siglo VI (that first 03 batch was magic).

[mb55317]

I can't recall a more positive response on any cigar except perhaps the Siglo VI (that first 03 batch was magic).

Is there a review coming?

[bassman]

I can't recall a more positive response on any cigar except perhaps the Siglo VI (that first 03 batch was magic).

Funny how tastes differ- I didn't like those either!

[El Presidente]

Funny how tastes differ- I didn't like those either!

Bingo! That is a great example of how ones taste buds are aligned.

[PointSource]

I've had two 52s, one 54 and one 56. The 52's were the best, IMO. A stellar cigar.

I preferred the BHK 52 over the SVI Gran Reserva.

[jsd]

Overall you guys are getting me excited. I have the 54s and 56s but am trying to hold out until around New Years before I burn one. Don't ask me where the self control comes from. I'm really looking forward to smoking one.

[Nino]

My take on the BHK -

I found the BHK to be the best cigar we smoked this year in HAV by far and have been following its development

smoking one or two from each line every couple of months to see how it's going.

Last week we tried some BHK 56 - here's our opinion on them :

We finally got around to smoking some BHK 56 from a last batch I have received so they could be compared to the inaugural release.

Both Andreas and I had smoked the previous sticks and we found this latest batch to be fully consistent with our very favourable earlier reviews.

Again, a lush mouth-coating creaminess from the very first draw, an absolutely round and perfect taste and aroma that could almost be chewed. Perfect construction, silky smooth wrappers, razor-sharp burn, no issues or problems whatsoever on them.

Very enjoyable and smooth cruising until half-way when I noticed the cigar becoming stronger – not biting or harsh, just stronger and starting to “kick” ass while tasting absolutely delicious.

It would remain strong to the very end, but again, not in a negative fashion, just a cigar that needs some solid foundation, maybe not just the vitello tonnato and fettucine nere I had just had for dinner.

Also I noticed that the cigar was still a bit humid ( guess around 75% while I prefer somewhat lower RH ) which might have affected its strength – I will definitely not touch these cigars again before they have aged some years.

It is not a cigar for beginners but it will give you a great pleasure if you pay the attention it demands.

We all agreed on the exceptional quality of the cigar and the way it stands out from regular, ER or even EL production.

If you manage to get these at affordable prices without having to sell your children or send your wives to work the streets - GO for them !!

As a way of a measuring stick, Andreas, Bernhard and I had smoked some Robaina Padrinos just a short time ago, so we have experience with big, fleshy, strong cigars.

Michael “Turner” agreed to put his review into words and share it :

Nino, thank you for being so generous and share these cigars with us.

The Behike 56 started with immediately with a very good intensity, but wasn't rough after lighting like so many other cigars are. The flavour was dominantly cocoa and maybe vegetal aromas. Most dominant at this point was the mouth-coating feel this cigar gave me. Unlike other cigars, which are creamy this mouth-feeling was more viscous and longer lasting, maybe like olive oil or butter.

The downside at the first third was, that the cigar felt not that good integrated flavour wise, some corners here and there. Given the youth of the Behikes this is not the fault of the cigar. But surprisingly the cigar got better in this case when it reached the mid-point.

Strength was getting higher, but my knees weren't starting to shake, like my smoking companions experienced. Flavours were getting more intense, maybe a slight woodiness come into the game. But at this point we were just enjoying the cigar and the company of the others. Our "tasting" wasn't that scientific anymore.

Overall a full flavoured and nicotine-strong cigar, but in a very well-mannered way.

I smoked it until 1 inch remained, but only then some sharpness kicked in. Not that much, but enough to put it into the ashtray, since we were getting ready to leave. Very good at the moment, but to have all the fun, I would wait at least 3-4 years before lighting another one.

In the end I consider Nino's Behike 56 as one of the three best cigars I've smoked this year. Thanks for sharing !

Next we will see how the BHK line compares to the Gran Reserva, smoking the BHK52/54 against it.

Projecting from the experience of the BHK’s smoked so far it will be a close finish.

Nino

[Puros Y Vino]

Finally had a Behike, a 52 to be exact. I wasn't able to write down my impressions as I was out but here's my initial thoughts.

Construction was beautiful. Very nice wrapper, no visible flaws, no bumpy veins.

Cold aroma was enjoyable. Very similar to other Cohibas.

Brief tasting notes: coffee grounds, bread, leather, slight bitterness on some draws.

Overall, I enjoyed it but not enough to really consider a box or two. Mind you, it was one cigar it could have been a mediocre, good or great indication of the marque. Can't really say at that volume. For instance, it took five Monty #2's for me to decide that I didn't like the cigar enough to buy a full box.

If what I smoked is an indication of the brand, then I'd rather buy something else. I recently smoked a Cohiba Robusto, Siglo II, Lancero and Genios and found them more enjoyable. I would like to try the 54 & 56 for completions' sake.

My guess is that these will age nicely and will be far more enjoyable in the future. As they stand now, very little bang for the buck. The Trinidad Robusto I smoked last night gave me a lot more mileage in terms of flavour and enjoyment.

Cheers.

Frank