The Good Stuff: The Cohiba Behike (or “Tribal Chief) was once deemed the most expensive cigar in the world. I’m not entirely sure when the original release was, but I can tell you the re-release happened this year (2010) during the XII Festival del Habano. Along with the re-release came a dramatic price drop. Although the Behike price has dropped, paying $40+ a stick for a cigar isn’t something I do often. I have seen these cigars for sale ranging from $30 all the way up to $90 a peice. Of course size plays a big role in the price tag. The Behike is composed of Cuban “Medio Tiempo” leaves wich are taken from the top leaves of each tobacco plant. These leaves are said to absorb the most sun therefore produce a unique flavor profile. Needless to say this is probably the main reason why the Behike’s are so rare and will only be produced in very small quantities each year.

Size: 4.75 x 52  -  Wrapper: Cuban  -  Binder/Filler: Cuban

Prelight: The Cohiba Behike is a short, stubby, wider ring gauged cigar. The wrapper is composed of a medium to light brown wrapper which is extremely consistent in color, and silky enough to shine at almost every ray of light it comes across. The cap of the Behike is a double capped semi-pig tail that bleeds seamlessly into the body of the cigar.  There are quite a few smaller veins running the length of the body, but far less than most Cuban cigars I have seen. There are no soft spots at all and the body of the cigar is very firm to the touch giving a ton of resistance when compressed between my fingers. The band is very similar to the yellow and black Cohiba band, but instead of the main crest being the brand name, it is embossed with a gold “BEHIKE” stamp along with a textured hologram of the Cohiba Head logo. At the price each one of these cigars run I am glad to see the extra hologrammed precautions used to ensure authenticity. The back of band has yet another hologram. This one is composed of a ton of smaller “COHIBA” logos along with the head. Above this hologram is the gold COHIBA logo along with another logo as well as the yellow “Habana, Cuba” emblem we are all used to.

The Behike gives off a very slight grassy/earthy aroma from the wrapper which is only more pronounced at the foot with a little touch of spice. The cap cut off clean and easy using my Palio Double Bladed cutter. The cold draw seems a bit tight, actually very tight. I really hope this doesn’t transpose into the smoking experience. The flavors that I picked up in the cold draw is a very starchy, zest flavor backed by grassy and earthy notes. I don’t know what it is but almost every Cuban cigar I have ever had has started off with an almost saltiness that is coming off of the cap of the wrapper.

First Smoke: Yup, saltiness still there. Luckily it was only evident into the first couple of draws before simmering down. After that the flavors really start to take off. The first third gives off a very mild smoke with the flavor profile composed mostly of softer cedar and earthly flavors backed by a very nice spice and even just a dash of pepper that is only evident enough to tease the tip of my tongue. The draw, yup, as expected very tight. I wouldn’t say it was plugged but I really wish it wasn’t as tight as it is. The draw, once it hits me is semi-thick and produces a decent amount of solid white smoke. The Behike does give off a hell of a lot of stationary smoke. At times you can see the oils burning off the wrapper. Very pleasant in scent as well with cedar and spice being the main aromas. Straight out of the gate a large wave started down the burline. This raised quite some concern but amazingly by the end of the first third the Behike managed to correct itself leaving behind an almost perfect burline (amazing for a Cuban at least), with a thicker edge that left behind a trail of darker grey, flaky ash.

Halfway There: The pepper and spice really mellowed out into the second third of the Behike. The cedar and earthy tones are still there in full force but the entire experience has turned to a much more creamy, softer one. I honestly though that, judging by the first third, that this would be a much bolder, harsh smoke. But as of the second third its been more of a smooth flavor bomb. The draw really started opening up (thank god) into the second third and the ash was beautiful for Cuban tobacco. A lot more compressed and compact than I am used to. The burnline is running great and I am only feeling a slight bit of nicotine from this stick.

Finish: Wow, holy crap did the spice and pepper make a comeback and its making for a totally badass retrohale!  The main flavors have to be the pepper and spice mixture with the cedar and earthy tones making only subtle appearances. The saltiness is still there, but not as evident as the first and second thirds. The burnline has been near perfect all the way through and the ash was amazing for a Cuban cigar. I really started to feel a bit of the nicotine into the final third. It wasn’t enough to knock me off my feet but it’s definitely in there. After all was said and done the Behike took me a little over an hour and a half to smoke. That was WAY longer than I expected. The tighter draw may have had something to do with that but the tobacco used in this cigar really burned a lot slower than I anticipated.

Overview: I really wanted to hate this cigar. The price, the exclusiveness, the marketing behind it, all in my corner. Did I ? Absolutely not. This is one hell of a cigar and sets the bar WAY high for any type of future Cuban cigar manufacturing. This is an extremely complex, yet very well balanced smoke with enough changeups to keep anyone entertained. It was mild/medium with just enough extra punch to keep you on your toes. Flawless construction, excellent burn, with a great flavor profile. If this cigar wasn’t so damn expensive it would be in my everyday line up. I do see myself keeping a few of these on hand though for those “special” occasions.

Pairing: The Cohiba Behike was paired with another one of my regular rotation beers, Belhaven’s Scottish ale. Belhaven’s Scottish Ale is a very malty, hoppy ale with a creamy fruity finish. At 5.2% this beer was a perfect pairing for the Behike. It married up very well with the smoother creamy notes in the cigar and produced a nice balance once the cigar’s spice really took off.  This ale would go perfect with just about any cigar. The Behike would work very well with any ale, IPA, water, coffee, or tea.

I got a few of these in a package that Daniel sent down from the great white north. This is my last out of the handful that he sent over. Each of the cigars that I smoked from that bundle had identical characteristics and flaws. Either way, this cigar is one of the most popular Cuban cigars on the market and for good reason. Let’s find out what makes this cigar so special.

The Good Stuff: As stated earlier the Partagas Serie D No.4 is rated one of the best, if not the best robusto in the world. This cigar is produced in the Partagas factory, the most famous cigar factory in all of Cuba. The Partagas factory was opened in 1845 by Don Jamie Partagas. The Partagas Serie D was originally supposed to be part of a 16-cigar series labled A, B, C and D. The series was introduced into the British market in the early 1930′s but discontinued in 1960. After 15 years of hiding the Serie D No.4 was reintroduced to the market in 1975 and has remained one of the highest ranking cigars ever since.

Prelight: The Partagas Serie D No. 4 is a delicately Cuban wrapped robusto. The wrapper is silky, oily and consistently light brown in color with a few orangish spots.  It seems a bit delicate and I am a bit scared to rough house too much with cigar for fear of tearing the wrapper.  The cigar is then topped off with a round Cuban style triple cap that I state again, I wish more cigar manufacturers would do.  The body of the cigar has just a few smaller veins with one larger one running through the body of the cigar.  The Serie D is extremely firm to the touch and gives almost no response when pressed tightly. The cigar seems packed very tightly. I really hope that doesn’t affect the draw. I have learned that the draw is always very inconsistent when it comes to Cuban cigars. The quality control just doesn’t always seem to be there in comparison to the strict control most Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Dominican cigar manufactures establish. Anyhow, the wrapper gives off just the slightest hint of cedar and spice, where the foot produces a very sweet, raw tobacco smell. The Serie D clipped clean and easy using my double bladed cutter. The cold draw was very interesting. It tasted much like a graham cracker or even a German gingerbread pastry. Really smooth and natural with spice and a ton of sweetness.

First Smoke: The Serie D lit up with extreme ease using my single flame butane touch. I was greeted with the saltiness on the cap that I seem to pick up on almost every Cuban cigar that I have had. It used to bother me at first but I have since grown to get used to it. The flavors I picked up on during the first third were nothing like the cold draw. Although there was a touch of sweetness the main flavors were a strong cedar, a bit of a spice, a ton of white pepper, and a dash of nut. The Serie D does give off a nice amount of very nicely scented cedar smoke. As with most Cubans I’ve smoked, the burn line is very thick and all over the place. It seems to be a stable in Cuban cigar smoking.  That, and the choppy, flaky, dark grey ash that this cigar is producing as well.  The ash only lasted about an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: The pepper has diminished completely from this smoke and what I am left with is a ton of very sweet, creamy tobacco mixed with an awesome cedar taste and a very oaty aftertaste. I am assuming this is what smoking a cigar box would taste like. The retrohale tells much of the same story only the cedar is much more sharp. I have been retro haling the hell of out this cigar. The burnline is still a bit wild, but for the sake of the review I am refraining from touching it up. I haven’t felt any nicotine at all.

Finish: The body of the Serie D showed a significant increase into the final third, but nothing that I would classify above medium. There wasn’t much of a flavor change-up but due to the wonderful cedar flavor this cigar is kicking out, its not a bad thing at all.  The only other flavors making way through the cedar are a very subtle spice and a bit of natural tobacco. The burnline really started to correct itself into the start of the final third and the cigar started to produce the solid zebra styled ash I am used to.  There was only a light bit of harshness that built up towards the end of this Serie D but I am sure I am a lot to blame for that. I was smoking this thing pretty fast as I was really enjoying it. All in all it only took about an hour to take it down.

Overview: I have always been really partial when it comes to Cuban cigars. I have liked a few, and disliked a lot. I honestly think a lot of the hype is solely based on the fact that they are illegal here in the states. The Partagas Serie D No. 4 has definitely made the cut though. Perfectly balanced with a hellishly good cedar taste, mild, and consistent. This Cuban is top grade and would definitely be a great addition to my Cuban rotation. Perfect for the average cigar smoker and the most experienced. The burn was the only issue and after taking in consideration that almost all Cuban cigars produce a similar burn it cancels itself out.

Pairing: I decided to pair this Partagas Serie D with some Fonseca Bin 27 Port. Fonseca bin 27 is produced primarily from wines from Fonseca’s own quintas in the Cima Corgo. Blended from reserve wines selected for their intense fruit character and depth of color, Fonseca Bin No. 27 spends four years in large wood vats prior to bottling. The Fonseca Bin 27 produces intense black cherry, tart grape, and sweet plum flavors  mixed in with some wonderful spice and cinnamon making for an awesome balance with the smooth, cedar flavors produced by the Partagas  Serie D.

Montecristo No. 2

Montecristo makes a wide variety of different cigars in a wide range of sizes from the tiny Joyita to the massive “A”. The Montecristo No. 2 is one of the original sizes which were limited to No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5. Next to the No. 4, the Montecristo No. 2 is one of the top sellers and a very recognizable vitola.

The date on the box for these cigars is March 2008, so at the time of smoking they had just passed their two year anniversary. I found age to make a big difference on these as the younger ones I’ve tried tended to have a bit of harshness to them. The extra age definitely added an element of smoothness to the profile and also allowed some of the other flavors I hadn’t detected in the younger cigar to shine through in the aged one. I am fully planning to keep a few of them aging in my humidor for a few more years.

One other thing to note about this particular vitola is that all the sticks I’ve seen are not the best looking when it comes to the wrapper and perfect cylindrical shape with the tapered head. A lot of them seem to have water spots, veins, crookedness, etc… But I have to say, aside from the odd draw problem (common for many Cubans), the cigars have all been exceptional and well worth trying.

(Tony) Daniel pretty much summed it up. This is a stick was actually sent to me by Daniel awhile back and he has been badgering me to add my portion of this joint review on for week, heck maybe even months (sorry Daniel) . I haven’t fallen in love with many of the cubans that I have had the luxury of smoking, and I really hope this one throws a few surprises my way. For something rated so highly amongst the Cigar Community, I am anxiously hoping this one does it for me. Since Daniel was kind enough to stick to my review format in the joint review we teamed up to bring you of Illusione’s ~88~ , I will return the favor and conform to his review style.

Cigar:Montecristo No. 2
Drink (Daniel): Grahams Late Bottled Vintage Tawny Port (2003 Bottle Year)
Drink (Tony):Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre
Vitola:Torpedo/Piramide (6.125 x 52)
Wrapper: Cuban
Binder: Cuban
Filler: Cuban
Price: $30.00 in Canada, about $10 in Cuba
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction (Daniel):
• A few bumps along the wrapper but no major veins
• Cleanly applied cap
• Light brown colored wrapper
• Tightly packed foot
• Evenly packed along the body with a perfect spring to it, some of them had small soft spots
• Nice oily wrapper with a tiny bit of bloom in some areas
• Slightly tight draw, I could cut more but it will likely open up later
• Draw opened up as predicted at the halfway point

Montecristo No. 2

Construction (Tony):
• Almost box pressed body and foot
• Nice almost sticky triple cap
• The Wrapper is Slightly oily with a nice soft gleam
• Very tightly packed foot and body
• One large vein running 2/3 of the way through the body
• Very firm to the touch
• No softspots at all
• Color is a consistently milky brown
• A bit of cracking towards the end of the final third, probably due to my over humidification

Burn (Daniel):
• Toasting was nice and even with no dark spots
• A little wavy burn at the start, is slowly correcting itself
• Needing some extra attention to stay lit
• The wave stayed to the halfway mark but isn’t getting any worse
• After the ash fell at halfway the burn realigned and is razor sharp now
• Was burning fast for the first half, now it’s nice and slow with no extra attention needed
• Allowing me to slow down the draws and enjoy it a little more
• The quick burn at the start made this a shorter smoke than expected, definitely wish it would have lasted longer

Montecristo No. 2

Burn (Tony):
• Lit up very easily with my triple flame torch
• Burn line went all sorts of crazy during the first third but evened out
• Very thin, sharp burn line
• It did tend to go off in its own little tangents here and there but always quickly corrected itself
• I was very surprised on just how extremely fast this cigar burned, not only in the first half but all the way through
• No need for touch-ups or relighting.

Smoke & Ash (Daniel):
• A little less smoke that I’d like at the start
• Resting smoke is quite abundant and smells great, toasted cedar and earthy tones
• Ash is a very light grey
• Ash is holding strong with no flakes or crookedness
• Ash held on for close to 2 inches
• No wind outside and the smoke is dancing in front of me, giving a nice aroma
• Amount of smoke was very full after the halfway point

Montecristo No. 2

Smoke and Ash (Tony):
• Decently big Draw, nothing to write home about, but nothing too tight
• Lots of cedar smelling stationary smoke with hints of spice
• Ash is light grey mixed with dark, almost black spots
• Ash is a bit flaky, but holds firm
• Very dry smoke, leaving my throat and mouth very dry. I may need a few drinks to finish this cigar up
• Ash held on for almost 2 inches before falling off.

Tasting Notes (Daniel):
• A light cedar and earthy aroma on the wrapper
• Stronger cedar aroma on the foot along with a light sweet spice, close to cinnamon-sugar
• Pre-light draw definitely has the cedar and the spice, but the sweetness isn’t there
• Initial draws were of smoky burning wood, more of that spice, along with some leather and earthy notes
• Retrohale is very mild with a smooth cedar finish
• Slight dryness on the back of the throat, Port is taking care of it!
• At the halfway mark, the leather has disappeared and is replaced with a black licorice flavor, smoky cedar and spice are still there
• Throughout the first half, the cigar was fairly mild and had a smooth creamy finish to it
• After the ash fell off near the halfway mark the licorice flavor really came out
• Still can’t quite pinpoint the exact spice but this cigar definitely has some complex flavors that I’m enjoying!
• Body started quickly ramping up to medium-full past the halfway mark
• Flavors are bursting out of this cigar now, super cedar, spice, earthiness, licorice and a great creamy finish
• Got some espresso notes making their way in during the last 1.5 inches or so

Montecristo No. 2

Tasting Notes (Tony):
• Very cedary aroma from wrapper
• Light cedary and more earthy aroma from the foot. Very Dirt and Grass smelling
• Very salty start from the wrapper
• Great cedar Aftertaste
• Very Earthy, with notes of hay and grass
• Spicy notes at the beginning with hints of Cinnamon that mellowed out very quickly
• Retrohale is very smooth and contains lots of cedar with a bit of fruit and earth tones
• Earth and hay flavors ramp up big time in the second half.
• The saltyness on the wrapper is now becoming sweet, making for an interesting changeup.
• Now the creamy, almost milked coffee flavors are coming into play during the last third
• Not a lot of body in this cigar. I did find a slight spike close to the end of the second third, but nothing stronger than medium.
• The final third did end up with quite a few unexpected flavors. Although finishing off a bit harsh there was a ton of cedar, spice, earth, cinnamon, coffee, fruit, and even an uproar of the saltyness that I encountered at the start of the smoke

Final Thoughts (Daniel):
I love this cigars attitude. It was all kind and friendly/mild at the start and then BANG! Flavor + body came out of nowhere and made this smoke even more amazing. The creaminess and espresso flavors at the end were almost like a heartfelt farewell. I did not want this cigar to end! Simple as that. If you have a chance to get some of these, they are definitely a must try. As with most Cubans, be prepared for some bad construction or draw on some of them. If you are buying singles, try to pick ones with no soft spots and a clean wrapper. The well balanced flavors and multiple dimensions while still staying true to typical Cuban cigars flavor were exceptional. I enjoyed every draw from this cigar and will definitely be seeking out more.

Montecristo No. 2

Final Thoughts (Tony):
This was classic cuban through and through. Mild body, with a ton of earthy flavors, and a crappy burn. If you are fond of earthy cigars, or cubans this is a great stick. Don’t let the burn mislead you. Almost every Cuban I have had to date carries similar characteristics in construction and burn. Its like a trade mark for them. This was a good stick, but it left me craving more. More body, and a longer burn. All together it only took me about an hour to tear through this one. One thing to keep in mind is I have not yet read Daniel’s review on this stick. Again, he’s been pestering me for weeks, if not months (Sorry again man) now to add my piece to this review and I really wanted to go in here with a completely biased approach. Hopefully our findings matchup.

Pairings (Daniel):
For me, this Tawny port was an absolute perfect pairing. It would also go amazing well with a nice glass of wine or a smooth scotch/cognac. For non-alcoholic, I think a strong coffee such as a Cuban or Americano would go very well and match better than sweet tea or soda. This cigar definitely deserves a good pairing that allows the flavors from the cigar to really shine. Try not to overpower with something very strong or palate altering to truly enjoy this.

Pairing (Tony):
The Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre proved to be a charming mix and actually helped me battle my way through the random notes I picked up in this cigar. Raison D’Etreis a deep, mahogany Belgian-style brown ale brewed with beet sugar, raisins, and Belgian-style yeast. Not to mention it carries with it a nice 8.0% ABV tag. The sweetness gave a lucrative balance to the saltyness I picked up on an off from the Montecristo while the boldness and strength made up for the mild body of the cigar. I honestly think something even sweeter, such as cola, or sweet tea would be a perfect match.

On a side note (Tony): After adding my portion to this review I found it extremely interesting how different Daniel’s and my experience was. Although many aspects were similar, the flavors seemed to be on different spectrums. Maybe it was the saltyness that I kept picking up in this cigar that gave me a different perception of the cigar, or maybe Daniel purposely stored my cigar with his condements before sending. Whatever it was I love the fact that we had totally different experiences. It goes to show just how different my taste’s and his really are.

Daniel’s Side Note: After weeks of waiting I never thought we’d get this posted due to Tony the slacker! hehe. I did store this cigar with onions and sea salt, attempting my own infused cigar (just joking!) I think the pairings affect flavors as well but even considering that it seems we were fairly close on most things. What does everyone else think about the comparisons between the two?