Franco-Spanish tobacco producer Altadis presented the world's most expensive cigar, the "Behike", a limited edition of the Cohiba brand and a snip at 375 euros (420 dollars) apiece.

Cohiba released a batch of 4,000 Behike in Madrid to celebrate the Cuban brand's 40th anniversary, showing off boxes of 40 which retail for 15,000 euros.

The Behike -- whose name means a sorcerer, doctor or priest from the pre-Colombian Taino tribe -- were made in the second half of last year in the prestigious El Laguito factory in Havana.

Each one was rolled by veteran El Laguito employee Norma Fernandez, who has worked there for 39 years.

The cigars are aged in humidor containers for up to six years and come in the same size as the Cohiba Lancero (192 millimetres/7.5 inches) with the 20.64 mm (0.9 inch) diameter of the Cohiba Siglo VI.

Altadis is distributing 15 boxes of the select cigars to Spanish market "aficionados".

French specialist publication L'Amateur de Cigare reported in June that Havana cigar distributors had already reserved the remainder of the special run.

US fans will have an even harder time getting hold of one in their homeland owing to the trade embargo Washington maintains against the island's Communist regime.

__________________
Still just visiting? Come say Hello!
We have some open advertising spots available