Over the past few decades, Cohiba has grown from being Fidel Castro's private brand to the most well-known and popular cigar brand in the world. Like Rolls-Royce and Patek Philippe, the name Cohiba has become synonymous with luxury goods.
In the blind review of Cigar Aficionado magazine, the Cohiba series has always scored very high. Among them, BHK52 was selected as the best cigar of the year in 2010. As a brand, Cohiba may be Cuba's most valuable asset. If you ever get the chance to buy a real Cohiba, it may be the most sparkling addition to your cigar humidor. Before you decide to acquire one of these rare cigars, you need to know a few facts about this mysterious brand.
1. Cohiba means tobacco
The word Cohiba (koh-HEE-bah) is easy to pronounce, has a strong rhythm, and is catchy. It means tobacco in the Taíno language. Before the Spanish conquest of Cuba, Taíno was the native language of the indigenous Arawak people.
2. Cohiba is a young brand
Many of the Cuban cigar brands we see today were owned by individuals before the Cuban Revolution and were nationalized after the revolution, but this does not exist with Cohiba. It was born in 1966 and was designed for Fidel Castro. Therefore, Cohiba has nothing to do with old Havana. It is a symbol of Cuba under Castro and a symbol of the revolution.
3. Cohiba was born by accident
The Cohiba brand was not specially designed by Cuba's tobacco department. It was originally a cigar smoked by Castro's chief guard and rolled for him by his friends. After Castro smoked it on a whim, he fell in love with this cigar, so he ordered more quantities, and finally this brand became his personal exclusive cigar.
4. Even if you had money, you couldn’t buy Cohiba.
For many years, the only way to get your hands on a Cohiba was if Castro gave it to you personally. This brand was selectively given to diplomats, foreign dignitaries, foreign heads of state, and people whom Castro deemed worthy of giving. At that time, Cohiba came in only one size, the spear, which was 38 gauge thick and 7.5 inches long.
5. Final commercialization
Cohiba didn't appear on the market until 1982, and even then you could only buy it in Spain. At that time, there were three sizes of spears with a diameter of 38, also called Lajito No. 1. The crown with a thick ring diameter of 38 is also called Lajito No. 2. The 26 ring gauge Bentley is also called Lajito No. 3. It was not until 1989, after Cohiba was promoted globally, that Cohiba with a thicker ring diameter appeared. New sizes include the 50 ring gauge Robust, the Churchill model 47 ring gauge Tutor, and the very thin 33 ring gauge Custard.
6. Cohiba has four product lines
Cohiba has four product lines, the core product line is called Línea Clásica, there is also the Siglo Series, also called the 1492 series, and the Maduro Line, called the Horse Series. Duro 5 and BHK series, the full name is Behikes. As if Cuba’s Cohiba isn’t expensive enough, the BHK series will let you see what the most expensive cigars look like. The BHK series is the top of the entire Cohiba product line.
7. The Century Series was created to fill a void.
In case you don’t know, Davidoff was once a Cuban cigar brand. When Davidoff moved production to the Dominican Republic, Cuba launched Cohiba's Century Series in 1992 to fill the gap left by Davidoff. Some styles in the Century collection are available in the same sizes as some Davidoff products. For example, the dimensions of Century 1 are the same as those of Davidoff’s Château Haut Brion. The dimensions of Century 2 are consistent with those of Davidoff’s Château Margaux. Century 3 has the same dimensions as Château Mouton-Rothschild. Century 4 is the same size as Davidoff 5000. Century 5 and 6 have no equivalent sizes to Davidoff.
8. Cohiba’s parent factory is Lajito Factory
The Laguito Factory is a large yellow mansion located in the Miramar area of Havana with dense vegetation. The mansion was built by Cuban industrial tycoon Alberto Casimiro Fowler and later turned into a factory for the production of Cohiba. Cohiba's logo is eye-catchingly printed on the staircase wall, and you can see it as soon as you enter the door. However, the Laguito factory is not the only one rolling Cohiba. In order to meet the demand, Habanos has expanded the production of Cohiba to other factories, but it is generally believed that the best Cohiba must be From Lajito Factory.
7. The Century Series was created to fill a void.
In case you don’t know, Davidoff was once a Cuban cigar brand. When Davidoff moved production to the Dominican Republic, Cuba launched Cohiba's Century Series in 1992 to fill the gap left by Davidoff. Some styles in the Century collection are available in the same sizes as some Davidoff products. For example, the dimensions of Century 1 are the same as those of Davidoff’s Château Haut Brion. The dimensions of Century 2 are consistent with those of Davidoff’s Château Margaux. Century 3 has the same dimensions as Château Mouton-Rothschild. Century 4 is the same size as Davidoff 5000. Century 5 and 6 have no equivalent sizes to Davidoff.
8. Cohiba’s parent factory is Lajito Factory
The Laguito Factory is a large yellow mansion located in the Miramar area of Havana with dense vegetation. The mansion was built by Cuban industrial tycoon Alberto Casimiro Fowler and later turned into a factory for the production of Cohiba. Cohiba's logo is eye-catchingly printed on the staircase wall, and you can see it as soon as you enter the door. However, the Laguito factory is not the only one rolling Cohiba. In order to meet the demand, Habanos has expanded the production of Cohiba to other factories, but it is generally believed that the best Cohiba must be From Lajito Factory.
14. Cuba’s most expensive brand
To date, Cohiba is the world's most expensive cigar regularly produced. In the UK, a Cohiba robusto costs as much as $45, and in Canada, it costs $52. The BHK series is even more expensive. In some areas, a BHK costs even more than $100.
15. There is no cheap Cuban Cohiba
Cohiba never goes on sale, demand far exceeds supply. The wholesale price of Cohiba is very expensive. If you find that Cohiba is cheaper than usual, it may be a fake. Don't expect to find cheap Cohiba. This is just deceiving yourself. Rather than wasting effort and trying to save costs, you should find a reputable dealer. Generally we recommend looking for a specialty store of Havana House in Cuba.
