The 25th edition of the Festival del Habano is set to take place next week, from February 24 to 28, 2025, in Havana, Cuba. This year’s festival will pay tribute to three iconic brands in the Habanos universe: Cohiba, H. Upmann, and Romeo y Julieta.
Amid growing speculation, reports suggest that Habanos S.A. may be preparing to introduce 2x new vitolas in celebration of the 15th anniversary of the prestigious Línea Behike.
If this is confirmed, the BHK 58—boasting an impressive 58 ring gauge (58 x 178 mm)—would claim the title of the largest vitola in the world of Cuban cigars. Some claim that prototypes were quietly circulated during the annual importers’ meeting in Havana last June. Read more here.
Interestingly, this is not the first time Habanos S.A. has explored the idea of introducing a BHK 58. A similar plan was reportedly considered in 2020, when the Cohiba Behike line was celebrating its 10th anniversary. At the time, prototypes were distributed to cigar merchants during a marketing workshop in Havana in June 2019. A launch event was also planned in Monaco under the leadership of Coprova, the exclusive distributor of Cuban cigars in the region. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent production disruptions in Cuba caused the project to be shelved. Read more on Cigar Inspector.
In 2020, Alex Cigar Dandy, a prominent cigar influencer on social media, had the opportunity to meet Mr. Melon, who was then celebrated as the master roller of the renowned Behike 58 cigars.
In the latest edition of France’s L’Amateur de Cigare magazine, it is suggested that the new Cohiba could be priced around £240 ($300). This estimate aligns with the current prices of the BHK 52, which is approximately £160 ($200), and the BHK 56, priced at around £200 ($250). Unfortunately, actual prices in the UK tend to be significantly higher than these figures.
Ajay from the cigar shop and sampling lounge at No. 6 Cavendish Square even suggested in a recent social media post that the new Behike 58 could have a new cigar band! 👀
There are also whispers about a potential BHK 59 being announced. This one would be the first Figurado in the series, measuring 144 mm in length. Like other offerings in this line, it will feature a perilla stopper (pig tail) at the end. This vitola would not be part of Cohiba’s regular production; instead, it would be released as a limited edition, packaged in special boxes.
A visitor to the El Laguito Factory, home of Cohiba, Andrea Stachi, was invited last year to a tasting. He posted this 👇.
In the meantime, cigar enthusiasts have something to look forward to with the release of a new video on Tuesday 18th February 2025. This video is part of a three-part series by Kirby Allison, titled “The Magic of the Behike.” In collaboration with Habanos, the video promises to provide an in-depth exploration of what makes the Behike line so legendary.
Also, Habanos’ official website is currently down, displaying a maintenance message:
“Dear fan, our website will be down for a few days due to necessary maintenance. We know that only a good Habano can liven up this wait, so take a break and enjoy an unforgettable #MyHabanosMoment. Thank you for your patience. We’ll be back soon!”
With the timing so close to the festival, could this downtime be a sign of a major update—possibly gearing up for the announcement of next week’s anticipated new cigar releases.
While Habanos S.A. has yet to confirm these developments, it is expected that the Festival del Habano’s gala dinner will be the stage for major announcements regarding the future of the Behike line.
Will this rumour come true? Only time will tell!
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