Cigar: Cohiba Behike 56
Location: Sydney, Australia
Cronography: 7:49PM, 20th August, 2012
Seating: Outdoor Balcony
Weather: Cool, 16 degrees Celsius / 60 degrees Fahrenheit, 67% RH and climbing
Beverage: Cooled water (not iced)
Ignition: Light, Cut, Smoke method with cedar strips
The construction on this cigar is flawless. A gentle squeeze between the fingers reveal that it's firm from head to toe. The wrapper silky smooth and shining with oils. It looks like it was airbrushed on as I cannot see anything that may distract you from the fact that this is the flagship of the Cohiba brand. The aroma cold is rich with sweet leather and light tobacco.
It is this cigar, I believe, by which all others should be measured. Bold words, yes, but easily justified and agreed upon should you ever have the pleasure of encountering her incredible beauty.
Since I used the LCS method to begin this journey, I cannot write about the cold draw.
After slowly toasting the foot with cedar, I let it rest for about a minute. It gave off a beautiful sitting aroma. I smelled the patience and love that was put into growing, picking, ageing, blending and rolling this fine cigar. Just divine!
Cut with a Palio, I puffed gently a few times to begin the combustion of the leaf. It started off a little muted, but I'm getting caramel now, like you find in a PL. The flavour didn't change throughout the first third, but is still enjoyable. The caramel is think and chewey, like from a Mars bar.
Starting the 2nd third and the smoke between puffs is intoxicating. I wish I could bottle the smell and wear it! The flavour hasn't changed, much to my disappointment, but does not disappoint. At this point in the cigar, I'd have to put the Behike 54 above this by 3 or 4 points. Having said that, the 54 isn't the best smoke I've ever had, but it's way up there. It's as smooth as silk and not as awkward to hold as I thought. Even holding it in my mouth isn't uncomfortable, though I'm not a fan of ring gauges larger than a 52 or maybe a 54 if the smoke is right.
Construction is flawless, the burn is razor sharp but ever so slightly uneven. I won't touch it up as I'm a firm believer in giving it a chance to correct itself, which it does.
In the middle of the 2nd third, I'm picking up hints of a floral nature. It's sweet and I hope it grows stronger. A few puffs later, it's gone and back to the baseline of the PL caramel, which is still enjoyable. As I said before, the sitting smoke between puffs is lovely, taking my mind off the cold weather I'm enduring. The amount of smoke it gives off while sitting is so minimal, one would question whether it was lit at all, then you get a whiff of that beautiful aroma and you realise that it's just waiting on you to make the next move. This is a smoke that will respect you, but only if you do the same. Puffing too hard or too often, it'll change, but if you take your time and serenade the cigar, it'll respond with whispers of sweetness you can't resist.
As I begin the final third, I find myself lifting this girl's skirt a smigen so as not to burn it and I'm rewarded with another burst of sweet flora. And again, after a few puffs, she's gone. Now there's just roasted tobacco, but not like the one you get in your everyday smokes. Oh, no. This is undeniably made from top quality leaf. It's soft and silky like a velvet glove.
Removing her band and exposing her silky smooth nakedness, I'm greeted with another sweet floral burst on the retrohale, turning to a strong and sweet caramel. The smoke so thick that I feel I could chew it. There's a change which I can only describe as roasted nuts, though I'm not sure which one. It's pleasant, but I'd prefer the caramel and flora to hang around a while longer. As I exhale from the mouth, I simultaneously inhale through the nose, which only enhances the flavour. Any chance to taste more of this classic, I'll take.
In this final third, the burn has slowed even though my smoking hasn't. I'm noticing that I'm a bit out of breath at this point. This lovely girl has literally taken my breath away! Some slow deep breathing slows my excited nerves and I'm back on track.
Middle of the home stretch and much to my disappointment, there isn't much change in the flavours. I'm still getting lashings of caramel and the odd hit of flora. This is only the 4th cigar I've had where I have picked up a floral taste and I'm loving it! And as I mention that, there she is again! This cigar is nonstop bait and switch when it comes to the flavour at and beyond the half way mark.
As she burns beyond her original band, Im beginning to feel the heat on my fingers, but that is not enough to make me lay her down yet. I have a feeling she's got another surprise in store for me, all the while still loving her thick aromatic scent! Even as she heats up, the draw is perfect and the smoke is cool in the mouth. On the rehale (out the mouuth and in the nose) I taste a soft white pepper, very different to the black pepper of a DPG or Tat. At this point, my fingers are beginning feel the brunt of the final few puffs. Still undeterred, I press on and forward.
With the last 2 puffs, I am greeted with lovely cinnamon which is a pleasant change.
End time: 9:52PM
Conclusion
After reluctantly laying this nub to rest, I realise that the beginning of the cigar was merely a gentle introduction for what was to come, even though the profile hadn't changed at first. The overall sensation was electric which only made me want more and more.
Even though this is now amongst the best cigars I have had the privilege to smoke, I can find only one flaw; it just wasn't long enough. Yes, it's a mammoth smoke, lasting 2 hours and 3 minutes, but it's as though time was at a standstill. The cigar metaphorically tears a gaping hole in the space time continuum and pulls you through to the other side, a side where time does not exist. I would normally be restless and uncomfortable in my chair after an hour or so, but as the minutes rolled by I could do nothing but be wholly and completely immersed in the pleasures of this titanic cigar. To me, while smoking this piece of art, time simply did not exist. They say that time flies when you're having fun. How true that is!
If I were to compare the Behike 56 to the 54, I simply could not bring myself to put one over the other. Both are excellent in their own right and have their own unique characteristics, but to rate one higher than the other would not be fair in my mind to the exceptional nature that these two smokes are. Sure, I'm pinning them both at the same point, but the reason for which is simple. The BHK54 is cheaper whereas the bHK56 lasts longer. It's like asking a parent to choose a favourite child.
And now, without further adieu, the photographs. Please pardon the cell phone pics.
Rich'd
Location: Sydney, Australia
Cronography: 7:49PM, 20th August, 2012
Seating: Outdoor Balcony
Weather: Cool, 16 degrees Celsius / 60 degrees Fahrenheit, 67% RH and climbing
Beverage: Cooled water (not iced)
Ignition: Light, Cut, Smoke method with cedar strips
The construction on this cigar is flawless. A gentle squeeze between the fingers reveal that it's firm from head to toe. The wrapper silky smooth and shining with oils. It looks like it was airbrushed on as I cannot see anything that may distract you from the fact that this is the flagship of the Cohiba brand. The aroma cold is rich with sweet leather and light tobacco.
It is this cigar, I believe, by which all others should be measured. Bold words, yes, but easily justified and agreed upon should you ever have the pleasure of encountering her incredible beauty.
Since I used the LCS method to begin this journey, I cannot write about the cold draw.
After slowly toasting the foot with cedar, I let it rest for about a minute. It gave off a beautiful sitting aroma. I smelled the patience and love that was put into growing, picking, ageing, blending and rolling this fine cigar. Just divine!
Cut with a Palio, I puffed gently a few times to begin the combustion of the leaf. It started off a little muted, but I'm getting caramel now, like you find in a PL. The flavour didn't change throughout the first third, but is still enjoyable. The caramel is think and chewey, like from a Mars bar.
Starting the 2nd third and the smoke between puffs is intoxicating. I wish I could bottle the smell and wear it! The flavour hasn't changed, much to my disappointment, but does not disappoint. At this point in the cigar, I'd have to put the Behike 54 above this by 3 or 4 points. Having said that, the 54 isn't the best smoke I've ever had, but it's way up there. It's as smooth as silk and not as awkward to hold as I thought. Even holding it in my mouth isn't uncomfortable, though I'm not a fan of ring gauges larger than a 52 or maybe a 54 if the smoke is right.
Construction is flawless, the burn is razor sharp but ever so slightly uneven. I won't touch it up as I'm a firm believer in giving it a chance to correct itself, which it does.
In the middle of the 2nd third, I'm picking up hints of a floral nature. It's sweet and I hope it grows stronger. A few puffs later, it's gone and back to the baseline of the PL caramel, which is still enjoyable. As I said before, the sitting smoke between puffs is lovely, taking my mind off the cold weather I'm enduring. The amount of smoke it gives off while sitting is so minimal, one would question whether it was lit at all, then you get a whiff of that beautiful aroma and you realise that it's just waiting on you to make the next move. This is a smoke that will respect you, but only if you do the same. Puffing too hard or too often, it'll change, but if you take your time and serenade the cigar, it'll respond with whispers of sweetness you can't resist.
As I begin the final third, I find myself lifting this girl's skirt a smigen so as not to burn it and I'm rewarded with another burst of sweet flora. And again, after a few puffs, she's gone. Now there's just roasted tobacco, but not like the one you get in your everyday smokes. Oh, no. This is undeniably made from top quality leaf. It's soft and silky like a velvet glove.
Removing her band and exposing her silky smooth nakedness, I'm greeted with another sweet floral burst on the retrohale, turning to a strong and sweet caramel. The smoke so thick that I feel I could chew it. There's a change which I can only describe as roasted nuts, though I'm not sure which one. It's pleasant, but I'd prefer the caramel and flora to hang around a while longer. As I exhale from the mouth, I simultaneously inhale through the nose, which only enhances the flavour. Any chance to taste more of this classic, I'll take.
In this final third, the burn has slowed even though my smoking hasn't. I'm noticing that I'm a bit out of breath at this point. This lovely girl has literally taken my breath away! Some slow deep breathing slows my excited nerves and I'm back on track.
Middle of the home stretch and much to my disappointment, there isn't much change in the flavours. I'm still getting lashings of caramel and the odd hit of flora. This is only the 4th cigar I've had where I have picked up a floral taste and I'm loving it! And as I mention that, there she is again! This cigar is nonstop bait and switch when it comes to the flavour at and beyond the half way mark.
As she burns beyond her original band, Im beginning to feel the heat on my fingers, but that is not enough to make me lay her down yet. I have a feeling she's got another surprise in store for me, all the while still loving her thick aromatic scent! Even as she heats up, the draw is perfect and the smoke is cool in the mouth. On the rehale (out the mouuth and in the nose) I taste a soft white pepper, very different to the black pepper of a DPG or Tat. At this point, my fingers are beginning feel the brunt of the final few puffs. Still undeterred, I press on and forward.
With the last 2 puffs, I am greeted with lovely cinnamon which is a pleasant change.
End time: 9:52PM
Conclusion
After reluctantly laying this nub to rest, I realise that the beginning of the cigar was merely a gentle introduction for what was to come, even though the profile hadn't changed at first. The overall sensation was electric which only made me want more and more.
Even though this is now amongst the best cigars I have had the privilege to smoke, I can find only one flaw; it just wasn't long enough. Yes, it's a mammoth smoke, lasting 2 hours and 3 minutes, but it's as though time was at a standstill. The cigar metaphorically tears a gaping hole in the space time continuum and pulls you through to the other side, a side where time does not exist. I would normally be restless and uncomfortable in my chair after an hour or so, but as the minutes rolled by I could do nothing but be wholly and completely immersed in the pleasures of this titanic cigar. To me, while smoking this piece of art, time simply did not exist. They say that time flies when you're having fun. How true that is!
If I were to compare the Behike 56 to the 54, I simply could not bring myself to put one over the other. Both are excellent in their own right and have their own unique characteristics, but to rate one higher than the other would not be fair in my mind to the exceptional nature that these two smokes are. Sure, I'm pinning them both at the same point, but the reason for which is simple. The BHK54 is cheaper whereas the bHK56 lasts longer. It's like asking a parent to choose a favourite child.
And now, without further adieu, the photographs. Please pardon the cell phone pics.
Rich'd
