Has anyone had the Atabey and the Behike?

[Jerren]

I've accepted the fact I may never have the pleasure of enjoying a Cohiba Behike. And I'm ok with that because I recently just heard the story of the Atabey and how it came about (Yes I'm new to this.) Has anyone ever had both? How do they compare to one another? Would you say the Atabey is actually a step up from the Behike.

In case there is someone out there (and I doubt it) who is less knowledgeable about this story than I am:

ATABEY is named after the Supreme God of the Taino Indians. Worshiped at full moon ceremonies, tribe members would sit together in the act of COHIBA (smoking ritual) and blow their smoke over to their tribe leader, the BEHIKE who would raise his hands to heaven through the smoke he received and praise the goddess ATABEY. "This cigar is the next step up for premium cigars.

 

[Anthony_Joseph]

After reading about it, and seeing the cigars it contested with, I doubt very highly it could even come close to a quality BHK. I would of course be willing To try it with open arms.

 

[StogieNinja]

EDIT: After a bit of research, it appears those who have reviewed them say these are actually decent cigars. They're made in Costa Rica, with Central American and Caribbean tobacco, but are apparently pretty good. For $30 though, I'd rather just buy an actual Behike...

 

[Speedbump]

The cost does no equal the quality either

 

[NCost]

The BHK is a very good smoke. I prefer the 52 over the other sizes. Being that I travel so much for work I get the opportunity to try these while I'm overseas. They are pricey but can be found reasonable from time to time.

 

[Speedbump]

The cost does no equal the quality either

Sorry I was referring to the atabey

 

[jmartins]

I have had all 3 sizes of the BHK and IMO I prefer the 54 then 52 and last is 56. To be honest the 54 is potentially one of the best cigars I have ever smoked in my life. I have smoked several cigars and the BHK 54 is just absolutely amazing but there are competitors.

 

[CalixtoLopez]

It's been rumored that the Atabey are actually repackaged Behike. I've smoked both but about a year apart and only remember really loving both of them.

 

[StogieNinja]

It's been rumored that the Atabey are actually repackaged Behike. I've smoked both but about a year apart and only remember really loving both of them.

I'm sure Atabey and/or some B&Ms have put the rumor out there to help sell the product, but no way that's true. I can't see Cuba rolling a few Behikes without pigtails for the sole purpose of selling them in very small amounts through the 20 B&Ms in the US that these are sold through.

 

[CalixtoLopez]

I agree with you. Never believe anything! But anything is possible. Haha.

 

[Stillinger]

I agree with you. Never believe anything! But anything is possible. Haha.

It's not possible.


I doubt the Atabey is great, probably alright, but for that price it should be great. Hope you got your answer from this forum as you might not have gotten it elsewhere.

Take some time, wait a bit, and I imagine you might have a chance to smoke one or both in your lifetime. That's a long time unless you're ancient now.

 

[Hoshneer]

I agree with you. Never believe anything! But anything is possible. Haha.

Words to live by bro....

 

[Donk]

It's been rumored that the Atabey are actually repackaged Behike. I've smoked both but about a year apart and only remember really loving both of them.

I'm sure Atabey and/or some B&Ms have put the rumor out there to help sell the product, but no way that's true. I can't see Cuba rolling a few Behikes without pigtails for the sole purpose of selling them in very small amounts through the 20 B&Ms in the US that these are sold through.

Why not? If they could actually pull it off, that would be aweswome, good for them. I'm going to buy a couple.

 

[Jerren]

I'm not really into blenders and the who's who in the cigar business, but It's my understanding that Nelson Alphonso made this Atebay and he is the same guy that made the Behike correct? It seems like with his naming convention so far, that perhaps this Atabey would be worth looking into.

 

[Stillinger]

He might have been the guy who helped design the Behike product, but blend? Not sure.

In either case, for that price, I rather buy 2-3 boxes of CCs and be done with it, and know I've got real Cuban tobacco, not rumored back room rumblings being used to push product.

 

[Jerren]

Ok so here is some clarification regarding Mr. Nelson and his involvement. I have no idea what it means when they say he designed a cigar....

Atabey is handmade in Costa Rica although it uses no Costa Rican tobacco at all; actually the entire blends of all Nelson Alfonso brands are unknown. Nelson would rather leave it to the imagination or the smoker.



Nelson is the creator and man behind Atabey Cigars. Born in Havana , Cuba , Nelson is a Visual Artist (Artist, Designer, Photographer and Researcher) and cigar manufacturer. Since 1999 Nelson created designs for all major brands of cigars from Cuba. He published “Puros Habanos” in four languages, winning the best multimedia publication of Cuban cigars by Habanos SA. Nelson Directed the Spanish advertising and communication agency “Golden Age”, where he remains in charge of the image and creativity of all Premium Cuban tobacco brands.



Nelson is the graphic designer and in charge of industrial development in the art of smoking, and the designer of luxury products for brands such as Cohiba, Montecrsito, Partagas, Romeo & Julieta, H. Upmann, Hoyo de Monterrey, among others.

Nelson has won First Prize for Innovative Packaging Design and Products , 4 consecutive years (2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010) at TFWA in Cannes, France, which was made ​​for Habanos SA for the International Duty Free World Wide Show.

In 2010, Nelson Alfonso Designed Cuba’s most luxurious cigar brand Cohiba “Behike” while he began drafting cigar brands “Atabey”, “Byron” and “Bandolero” for Selected Tobacco Company and had a soft launch of the brands this year at the IPCPR trade Show in Orlando Florida.

 

[fsfrancis]

I would like to try the Behike, as well as get my hands on another Monte #2. but first I would like to know how you pronounce "Behike" Anyone?

 

[StogieNinja]

Beh-HEE-kay

 

[StogieNinja]

Why not?

Because it wouldn't be worth it, even if they could pull it off. Cohiba is one of the world's premier brands, and they sell a ton. Behike is one of the most widely recognized and respected labels in the world. There's no benefit to having their best rollers roll a bunch of behikes without the pigtail, ship the cigars over to Costa Rica, to be reshipped and sold in twenty B&M stores in the US. The sales from those 20 stores wouldn't even be a blip on the radar compared to how many Behikes are sold to US buyers already, to say nothing of their worldwide sales. Not only would the minimal increase in sales not be worth the hassle, but additionally, consumers being able to buy a Costa Rican product with the exact profile as one of the world's most recognizably premier Cuban brands would be a huge negative for Cuba.

I'm not really into blenders and the who's who in the cigar business, but It's my understanding that Nelson Alphonso made this Atebay and he is the same guy that made the Behike correct? It seems like with his naming convention so far, that perhaps this Atabey would be worth looking into.

Sounds like he was the designer, not the blender. Then he took what he did there, and attached the Atabey cigar brand to it with the naming convention in order to ride the Behike's coattails as much as possible.

In either case, for that price, I rather buy 2-3 boxes of CCs and be done with it, and know I've got real Cuban tobacco, not rumored back room rumblings being used to push product.

This. Especially given that you can buy legit Behikes for roughly the same price, why mess with a "maybe" (or in my mind, a "definitely not")? I'm not saying it's a bad cigar, I'm saying no way it's related to the Cuban cigar it's trying to market itself as being related to.

 

[pbibby]

Why not?

Because it wouldn't be worth it, even if they could pull it off. Cohiba is one of the world's premier brands, and they sell a ton. Behike is one of the most widely recognized and respected labels in the world. There's no benefit to having their best rollers roll a bunch of behikes without the pigtail, ship the cigars over to Costa Rica, to be reshipped and sold in twenty B&M stores in the US. The sales from those 20 stores wouldn't even be a blip on the radar compared to how many Behikes are sold to US buyers already, to say nothing of their worldwide sales. Not only would the minimal increase in sales not be worth the hassle, but additionally, consumers being able to buy a Costa Rican product with the exact profile as one of the world's most recognizably premier Cuban brands would be a huge negative for Cuba.

I'm not really into blenders and the who's who in the cigar business, but It's my understanding that Nelson Alphonso made this Atebay and he is the same guy that made the Behike correct? It seems like with his naming convention so far, that perhaps this Atabey would be worth looking into.

Sounds like he was the designer, not the blender. Then he took what he did there, and attached the Atabey cigar brand to it with the naming convention in order to ride the Behike's coattails as much as possible.

In either case, for that price, I rather buy 2-3 boxes of CCs and be done with it, and know I've got real Cuban tobacco, not rumored back room rumblings being used to push product.

This. Especially given that you can buy legit Behikes for roughly the same price, why mess with a "maybe" (or in my mind, a "definitely not")? I'm not saying it's a bad cigar, I'm saying no way it's related to the Cuban cigar it's trying to market itself as being related to.

Well written and spot on.