Bohekio Robusto Review: Haiti's First Premium Cigar

The Bohekio Robusto is a cigar I wanted to like more than I did. It carries real significance as one of the first premium boutique cigars to come out of Haiti, and there is a rustic charm to the flavor. But the construction problems I ran into across this smoke are too significant to overlook, and an honest review has to put them front and center.

Construction of the Bohekio Robusto

The Bohekio Robusto arrives with a matte wrapper and a light oiliness. Two things stood out before lighting: a large vein running down the middle of the cigar, and a visible knot at the head. There was a light oiliness to the leaf. These were warning signs, and unfortunately they turned out to matter once I lit the cigar.

Band Impression

The band carries a striking gold image of Bohekio against a black background. Bohekio was a cacique, a Taíno ruler of Xaragua, the region of Hispaniola that includes present-day Haiti. Supreme Tobacco named their debut line after him, and the choice carries genuine meaning. This is a cigar tied to the history and identity of Haitian tobacco, and the band wears that proudly.

Size of the Bohekio Robusto

Length: 5 inches (127 mm)
Ring Gauge: 50 (19.8 mm)
Format: Robusto

A classic robusto at 127 mm with a 50 ring gauge, smoked over approximately 65 minutes.

Blend of the Bohekio Robusto

The Bohekio is significant as Haiti’s first premium boutique cigar, debuted by Supreme Tobacco at the 2021 PCA Convention. The binder and filler are both Haitian, grown in the fertile soils of the country, while the wrapper is a sun-grown Habano leaf from the Dominican Republic.

Wrapper: Dominican Sun-grown Habano
Binder: Haitian
Filler: Haitian

Scent and Cold Draw of the Bohekio Robusto

Before lighting, the wrapper gave off notes of fruitiness and a light farmyard character. The foot offered hay. Rustic and earthy.

The cold draw brought maltiness. Simple and clean.

Let’s Light Up the Bohekio Robusto

The cigar opened with a rich and creamy texture that still carried a dryness alongside it. Toward the end it softened a little, becoming creamier and less dry.

The flavors I felt were a pepperiness with a suggestion of rose pepper, a prominent carbonation, hay, a burnt woodiness, and a general woodiness. Underneath those came light minerals, a light saltiness, a light general sweetness, light roasted nuts, a light breadiness, and a light marzipan. This profile held its course through to the nub without developing into anything new.

The carbonation here was prominent and is a note I rarely encounter so clearly. The rose pepper on the pepperiness gave the smoke a distinctive character.

The retrohale had a light tickle with white pepper.

This is where the problems began. Around the middle of the cigar the burn went incredibly uneven and needed correcting several times. As I approached the nub, the wrapper began to crack. These are not minor cosmetic issues. They affected the smoking experience directly and required repeated attention that pulled focus away from the cigar itself.

After Taste

The aftertaste was short, carrying only a brief woodiness. Nothing lingered.

Smoke Time

Approximately 65 minutes from lighting to the final puffs.

Draw

The draw itself was acceptable, but the burn was the real story here. See below.

Burn Quality

This is where the Bohekio Robusto struggled the most. Around the middle of the cigar the burn went incredibly uneven and required correcting several times throughout the smoke. As I reached the nub, the wrapper began to crack. The large vein down the middle and the knot at the head, both visible before lighting, are the likely culprits. If you want to understand what causes this and how to prevent it, our guide on why a cigar wrapper cracks covers the causes, prevention, and fixes. For a cigar at this price, these construction issues are difficult to forgive.

Body of the Bohekio Robusto

Medium on the border of full. The body was the most consistent part of the experience, sitting at a satisfying weight throughout. If you are still learning how to read cigar body and what it means for your experience, our guide to cigar sizes and their impact covers it in full.

Price of the Bohekio Robusto

The Bohekio Robusto has an average retail price of around $10 per cigar. Given the construction problems and the lack of complexity, that price feels a little high for what the cigar delivers.

Conclusion

The Bohekio Robusto is a cigar with a story worth telling and an execution that did not quite live up to it.

There is real significance here. Haiti’s first premium boutique cigar, named after a Taíno ruler, built entirely on Haitian binder and filler. The cigar showed promise with prominent carbonation, rose pepper, and a rustic woodiness. But the burn went incredibly uneven around the middle and needed correcting several times, the wrapper cracked near the nub, and the profile held its course throughout with hay and wood rather than developing any new complexity along the way.

If I compare price versus quality versus flavor, the price feels a little high given the problems I had and the lack of complexity. That said, the Bohekio does have a place. It suits the role of an everyday cigar, for the days when you do not want to give a cigar your full attention and simply want to enjoy something while your hands and mind are busy elsewhere. For that purpose, the rustic Haitian character has a certain appeal.

As a piece of cigar history, the Bohekio is worth trying once. As a daily smoke for undemanding moments, it has a role. But the construction needs to improve before it can be more than that.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Bohekio Robusto

Is the Bohekio Robusto worth buying?

It is worth trying once for its significance as Haiti’s first premium boutique cigar, and it works as an undemanding everyday smoke. However, the construction issues and limited complexity make it hard to recommend as a regular purchase at its price.

What does the Bohekio Robusto taste like?

The Bohekio opens with rose pepper pepperiness, prominent carbonation, hay, burnt and general woodiness, light minerals, saltiness, roasted nuts, breadiness, and a light marzipan. It holds this character throughout the smoke without developing further. The aftertaste is short, carrying a brief woodiness.

How strong is the Bohekio Robusto?

Medium on the border of full. The body is consistent throughout and is the most reliable part of the smoking experience.

How long does the Bohekio Robusto smoke?

Approximately 65 minutes at a comfortable pace.

What tobacco is in the Bohekio Robusto?

A Dominican sun-grown Habano wrapper over a Haitian binder and Haitian filler. It is handmade by Supreme Tobacco in Haiti.

The Bohekio Robusto was purchased independently. No compensation was received for this review. At VDG Cigars, no cigar is reviewed because of who makes it or who asked. Only because it deserves to be.

About the author: Peter Stefanic is the editor of VDG Cigars and a certified cigar sommelier. He has personally reviewed a wide range of cigars and conducted exclusive interviews with brand owners and master blenders across the industry. Every cigar he reviews is smoked in full and assessed on its own merits. Read more about him here.