Behike & Medio Tiempo Leaf

[brian1]

So the BHK line is a big success on the back of the Medio Tiempo leaf adding a certain "Je ne sais quoi" to the flavor profile and making these outside the Sig VI Gran Reservas the best Cohiba on the market today IMHO.

So before the BHK line, what happened to the Medio Tiempo leaf? was it just discarded? doubtful. Where was this holy of all holys leaf used pre BHK? Anyone know..?

[sama]

this reminded me of laficion's post of "cigars and the man" by charles graves from the 1930s. in it there was an ad for "tweenies" and the description sure sounded like medio tiempo.

[Dbone]

Great question, I'd like to know too.

[kcheek]

Great question, I'd like to know too.

+1

I'm intrigued.

[sg1234]

I have a book at home called The Havana Cigar, published in the early 1990s, I believe. The book discusses medio tiempo leaf and how scarce it is. I don't remember if it mentioned which cigars see medio tiempo leaf, but the leaf has definitely been around and vegueros have known about it for at least 20 years (long before the Behike line came out). Hope this helps.

[IShotAManInReno]

The medio tiempo used to be classified as the lightest shade of ligero. Therefore, it was kept in the ligero classification before it was broken out as its own unique leaf type.

[CanuckSARTech]

Man, won't we all be kicking ourselves in the ass if/when we find out that all this time, all these years, that they've been using this "premium, much-sought-after" medio tiempo leaf in..................gasp.............wait for it...........Guantanameras!

[IShotAManInReno]

According to David Savona

"...in the past, Cuban tobacco processers would simply include it with the tobacco graded as ligero"

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/blogs/show/id/15719

[Smallclub]

… it was kept in the ligero classification …

As mentionned in the book "Havane, cigare de légende" by Charles del Todesco (1997)

[michael69]

used to make fairy umbrellas I believe

[Tom Bolivar]

Being in Cuba last year when the Behike was launched there was a lot of talk about this Medio Tiempo.

One of the explanations I got was that the Medio Tiempo leaf, being the last on top, takes one to two weeks longer to grow. Due to time scheduling/improving/saving time/economizing of the crops (starting somewhere in the 90ies?) many tobacco growers did not wait for the Medio tiempo to fully grow and did therefore not harvest it.

The other thing I have been told by several other persons was what was mentioned here already: Medio Tiempo was simply harvested and treated/graded as Ligero.

Out of smoking experience with cigars that have been produced way before the Behike launch I am inclined to believe in particular the later of the above theories since my impression is that cigars I have found to be particularly of good quality tobacco had this Behike 'twinge' (little salty on the tip of your tounge and mouth coating taste/sensation). Not all of them mind you but some. I believe that the Cuban Masterblenders used Medio Tiempo consciously for some cigar blends they wanted to be rich and full bodied in the past.

The above is just what is left in my head and pure hear say and subjectiv imagination of course. Now the below (attachted) is from an actual book I own which is a copy from a Cuban book that is a copy of a 1940 published Cuban original.

Medio tiempo is mentioned everywhere, classified as sun-grown as well as shade tobacco and it seems to be (have been) used for Capa or Tripa.

[bassman]

I recently bought custom rolled lonsdales with medio tiempo leaf from a certain LCDH. Superb cigars- very strong, with a sweet spicy flavor. Similar to the Bespoke customs, but with a more complex flavor.