X Festival del Habano, La Habana, Cuba: del 25 al 29 de Febrero
By Andrew Panico
Mercer Cigars
Merida, MX

The statuesque Habanos ladies, modeling smart two-piece silver suits and black bikini tops, ushered the last of the international guests and cigar industry luminaries down the red carpet, past the modern lobby of the Karl Marx Theater, and into their seats. The lights dimmed, prompting the start of the X Festival del Habanos. As has become the custom in the last several years, the festival kicked off the week with a lively, multi-media evening of music, dance, film and still photography, all designed to remind the audience of the mystique of the Habanos brand and to promote new product launches. Following short welcomes by Co-Presidents of Habanos S.A., Oscar Basulto and Buenaventura Jimenez, industry types and cigar aficionados alike were abuzz with approval over the presentation of the H. Upmann Magnum 50 and the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial.

The festival, equal parts business convention, trade show, and cocktail party, now in it’s 10th year, prides itself on being the premier Cuban cigar event in the world. Started in 1997, the festival has evolved into a 5 day event that kicks-off with a Welcome Night at the Karl Marx Theater on Monday night in Miramar, followed by a cocktail reception at Club Havana, a beach club astride a beautifully restored Spanish Colonial Mansion in Playa. Guests arrive at the beach club on a series of a dozen ultra-comfort buses and are greeted by yet more Habanos Ladies handing out bags with a lacquered, hardwood gift boxes, each containing a pair of the new cigars and an additional complimentary pair to sample that evening. Following a sumptuous spread of roast pork, prosciutto, smoked salmon, and a lobster curry, guests are lavished Mojitos and Cuba Libres as they puzzle over the newest additions to the Habanos line-up while savoring the warm, salty breezes on the manicured beach.

After Monday night’s modest celebration, events continued in earnest on Tuesday. While many of the interested tourists took the 2+ hour journey out towards San Juan y Martinez tobacco fields in Pinar del Rio, and also home to Don Alejandro Robaina, at age 89, Cuba’s most eminent tobacco producer, and the premier tobacco vuelta in the East, the Co-Presidents, Cuban Ministers and industry executive cut the ribbon on the festival Trade Ferria at the Palacio de Convennciones, located behind the Hotel Palco. The trade fair, dominated by large booths from Habanos SA and Humidif de Barcelona, a maker of premier humidors and official Habanos presentation boxes, is an eclectic mix of national and international vendors, selling all types of necessary and unnecessary cigar paraphernalia to wholesalers, tabaquerías and collectors from around the globe.

On Wednesday, after tours of the H. Upmann and La Corona fabricas, participants listened in on Habanos SA, Vice President of Commercial affairs discussed the state of the business affairs for Habanos around the globe. This year, once again, Habanos S.A. retains the distinction of the largest most successful premium cigar company in the world, and the Montecristo #4 retains the distinction of being the number one selling puro. Wednesday night was an insider’s celebration as salesmen from the La Casa del Habanos all over the island joined with the Habanos distributors and retailers from Germany and Switzerland for a raucous party in one of the vintage salons at the Hotel Nacional.

After brisk lectures on Thursday concerning such topics as “Architecture in Cigar Factories”, “Tobacco: The Oldest Story” and “Woman and Her Role in the Tobacco World” festival participants were treated to a master class in cigar rolling and the finals of the Armangac Trophy, a yearly competition where vintners from Armangac, France compete to see whose production of this golden cognac-like liquer will match best with last year’s puros.
Friday, weary participants save their last ounces of energy, sprinting through a few more, mature lectures and the announcement of the winner of the Habanosommelier contest to prepare for the Gala Dinner. A rich, lavish dinner and auction that intends to provide a large ballroom full of prominent people from around the globe with a 8 course dinner and spectacular show of musical guests and dancing. The food was excellent, once again I particularly enjoyed the lobster and seafood melody. In between each course, the Habanos ladies visited our tables to present us with a gorgeous gift box, with 10 cigars, one for each year of the festival. They also provided us with much to smoke between each delicious course. The culmination of the evening finds the dashing Simon Chase, a distinguished Cigar lover and writer, who has the honor of being the master of auction ceremonies. Humidors are for sale from some of the finest furniture and humidor manufacturers from Cuba, Europe and Asia. A highlight of the evening is the Humidors’ Auction, the full proceeds of which will go to the Cuban Health-Care System. These humidors contain renowned Habanos brands, auctioned at previous festivals, as a special way to celebrate its tenth anniversary.

At the end of the week exhausted revelers will find their way to Jose Marti Airport, their trinkets packed, and their cigars boxed for home. Though many may wonder were the time went, none will ever forget the pomp, elegance, hospitality and charm that the dedicated people of Habanos SA bring to the cigar world the last weekend of February every year.