One of the most frequently asked questions I have recently is why the Cohiba Behike, which has made a lot of success in a short time, is considered so valuable and expensive.

As I guess most of us know, Cohiba is the name that the Taino natives gave to the cigar-like thing they smoked after a ritual by wrapping tobacco leaves when Christopher Colombus explored America. Behike is the person who leads this ritual and is considered the most respected in the tribe, that is, the chief. So is that what makes Behike valuable and expensive? Of course not.

Before Behike was fully launched, it was produced in a very limited way, at 4000 units per year, and could even find buyers for around USD 500.- each. After 2010, three vitolas - BHK 52/54/56 (each number indicates ring thickness) - are sold in the range of USD 30-40.

Now let's get to the secret of the cigar. The tobacco part of the Behike's consists of 6 leaves, which explains why the lowest is 52 rings thick. And in every Behike, one of these 6 leaves is a tobacco leaf called Medio Tiempo. This leaf is what makes Behike so special.

This leaf, which grows at the top of the tobacco plant, that is, on the upper part of the Ligero leaves, does not grow on every tobacco plant, but also grows 2 on the growing plant (about one out of every ten plants). Of course, being at the top causes them to be exposed to all the effects of the sun for a long time and to have a more complex and powerful structure even than Ligero leaves.

The interesting thing is that you may have smoked this tobacco in the cigars you smoked before Behike without realizing it. Medio Tiempo's were not collected and used deliberately until recently. When they become aware of their properties and start collecting and using them consciously, this is how they add value to cigars and raise the price.

Now that you know the secret, enjoy smoking your cigar knowing what you're paying for.