Behike 58: The Crown Jewel of Cohiba in 2025

If you follow cigar news even casually, you’ve seen the buzz: Behike 58. A cigar that doesn’t just raise eyebrows—it pushes them into the air. In 2025, the Cohiba Behike 58 became not just a new release, but a symbol—of rarity, craftsmanship, and a price that defies what many thought cigars could reach. What makes it special is not only its size or pedigree, but the way it’s built, the extraordinary leaves it uses, and the record-shattering auction that put it in headlines around the world.

The Story of Behike and the Mystery of Medio Tiempo

The Behike line has been Cohiba’s crown jewel since its first release in 2010, when the BHK 52, 54, and 56 stormed the market with their luxury image and bold profiles. From the beginning, they were tied to something unique: the use of medio tiempo leaves. These are rare leaves that sprout at the very top of the tobacco plant, above the ligero primings. They don’t appear on every plant—many estimate that fewer than 10–15% of plants produce them at all—and when they do, they are thicker, oilier, and more powerful thanks to direct sun exposure.

For decades, medio tiempo was overlooked. The leaves were small, inconsistent, and too difficult to rely on. But when Cohiba built the Behike line, they turned this weakness into a strength. With careful selection, extended fermentation, and patient ageing, medio tiempo became the signature that gave Behikes their unmistakable richness and creaminess without harshness. The Behike 58 continues this tradition, using carefully hand-picked medio tiempo leaves alongside other primings to achieve balance.

Its format is also part of the magic. At 7 inches by 58 ring gauge, the Behike 58 is the largest of the family. The girth allows the roller to incorporate more filler tobaccos, letting the medio tiempo shine in concert with seco and ligero. Larger ring gauges generally offer cooler, slower burns and can show off complexity in layers. In this cigar, the size isn’t just about impact—it’s a canvas big enough to display everything the blend has to offer.

Record Auctions, Prestige, and Why It Matters

When Cohiba launched the Behike 58 in 2025, they didn’t just put it on shelves. They made a statement. A special humidor containing 400 Behike 58 cigars sold for a staggering €4.6 million, which works out to roughly €11,500 per cigar—a new record in the cigar world. For many, that single figure made it the most talked-about release of the year. But the price tag is only part of the story.

The auction highlighted everything that makes the Behike 58 rare. The scarcity of medio tiempo leaves means production is inherently limited. The extra fermentation and ageing add time and risk. The meticulous blending ensures elegance rather than brute strength, with tasting notes of chocolate, nuts, and coffee emerging in early reviews. And then there is the name itself: Behike, already Cohiba’s most exclusive line, steeped in prestige.

For collectors, the Behike 58 is as much a cultural artifact as a cigar. Owning one is like owning a piece of history, a fusion of Cuban tradition and modern luxury branding. For smokers fortunate enough to try it, it promises a long, elegant experience, where richness builds without ever becoming rough. For the industry, it sets a new benchmark: proof that scarcity, craft, and story can command values once unthinkable.

From Leaf to Legend

The story of the Cohiba Behike 58 is ultimately a story of how biology, tradition, and culture intersect. The biology lies in the plant itself, in the rare medio tiempo leaves that appear only under certain conditions. The tradition is in the Cuban expertise—farmers topping plants, curing and fermenting leaf with patience, and torcedores rolling with precision. And the culture is what turns it into legend: the Cohiba name, the prestige of Behike, and the drama of an auction that shocked even seasoned collectors.

For cigar lovers, the Behike 58 isn’t just another vitola—it’s a milestone. It represents the absolute peak of what a Cuban cigar can be in terms of rarity, price, and reputation. Whether you see it as a symbol of excess or the pinnacle of craftsmanship, there’s no denying that in 2025, the Behike 58 is the cigar everyone is talking about. Light one, if you can find one, and you’re not just smoking tobacco—you’re smoking history.