This years Habanos festival Gala Dinner took place at Pabexpo again. I had the feeling that about 800 guests attended as it seemed to be a little less than in previous years.

The atmosphere was really elegant and as every year the pretty hostesses (they are the same since I started looking closer) handed out finest Cohiba cigars between each course of the dinner. I have long given up shouting about the food served at these big events in Cuba. Obviously it is somewhat pointless to do so. It surprises me every year that the organizers do not just call in someone who frigging knows how to do the job. It is certainly a challenge to serve 800 guests at a time – but out there in this global village called the world one CAN find some chefs who know !!

Anyhow, my table had good fun as two seats were left unoccupied. To confuse the cigar servants we kept hopping from one chair to the other to get two more cigars each time. It worked pretty well as we had more than enough good smokes that night. Siglo 1 and 2, a Cohiba Maduro Genios and – of couse the main act of the night – Cohiba Siglo VI Gran Reserva.

As mentioned in the previous blog we sampled the cigar the night before and so I was looking forward to some more impressions. They are as good as I thought – an outstanding and truly unique smoke. The sweetness makes that cigar so special – and it is just packed with the special flavour that makes a great Havana cigar outstanding. When my table started discussing the price some seemed to be fainting …. My personal feeling is they will retail for something like 60 Euro each – coming in boxes of 15 cigars. ( we have them as singles as well once they are out). Now, if you think it’s expensive I recommend you do not touch the new Cohiba Siglo VI Gran Reserva – it would make you addicted to fine smoke anyways. I am not saying that any price is fine for a cigar – but what concerns the Gran Reserva it will not matter as that Havana cigar is a gemstone of its very own.

So far about that. Further remarkable was that nobody grabbed Alejandro Robaina and showed him around (in a wheelchair?) this year. He preferred to stay at home in San Luis/ Pinar del Rio – and that is something I spend my applause for.

A big surprise was when a young chap came to my table asking me if I could remember him. I remembered his name was Felix, he was working as barman at the Hyatt Hotel in Cologne and kept buying cigars from me some years ago. We were chatting a bit until he told me that he now works in Dubai. A German – Havana – working in Dubai – ex barman ?!! I was in fact standing in front of the Champion of the 2009 Habanos Sommelier Contest. 27 years old Felix Hartmann, representing the world most luxurious Hotel Burj Al Arab in Dubai made it! Congratulations Felix !!!!!  Later the night I met my friend Mohammad Moebi, the General Importer of Habana Cigars to Dubai and of course he was proud about Felix too. Thanks much to Moebi and the Jumeirah Hotel Group for giving the young and talented Felix this great opportunity.

My Epilogue will be on the blog by tomorrow afternoon – so stay tuned for some final words including some more information about the cigar called OPEN ;-)

Happy smoking

Christopher Wolters

LCDH Hamburg

www.thecigarsmoker.com