Music, glamour and the most exclusive Montecristo star in the closing gala of the 19th Habano Festival
- The gala evening included the presentation of the Línea 1935, with three new vitolas, making it the prestigious brand’s most premium offer yet
- A total of 1.265.000 euros were raised at the traditional Humidores Auction marking a high point in the festival’s closing ceremony
- Ara Malikian and his musicians along with internationally acclaimed Cuban artists provided the music and artistic virtuosity during the Gala Evening
The 19th Habano Festival, the biggest international event bringing together lovers of [tippy title="Habanos"]The official Denominación de Origen Protegida (D.O.P.), or Protected Denomination of Origin used only to describe the most outstanding brands of cigars, which are manufactured in Cuba to the most exacting standards established by the Regulatory Council, from tobaccos grown only in particular areas of the island that are also protected as Denominations of Origin. In English the word translates as Havanas, which are widely considered to be the best cigars in the world.[/tippy] tobacco comes to a close following a week packed with activities and events, with the Gala Evening event providing a fitting end to a highly successful festival that saw the presentation of the new Línea 1935, the brand’s most premium offer to date.
Guests at the evening celebration could taste the three vitolas of the novel and innovative Línea 1935, two of them brand new to the Habanos portfolio: Maltés (53 x 153 mm) and Dumas (49 x 130 mm), while the Leyenda (55 x 165 mmm) takes the form of the Montecristo 80 Aniversario, launched as a special limited edition in 2015 to commemorate the brand’s 80th anniversary.
The Habanos in this new line have been carefully made [tippy title="Acopio y Beneficio"]The process of gathering and improving tobacco leaves after they are harvested up to the point when they are placed in bales to mature.[/tippy] con [tippy title="Tripa Larga"]Long filler. Filler that is made from full-length tobacco leaves.[/tippy] (Totally by Hand with Long Filler) following a selection of exquisite [tippy title="Tripa"]Filler, the blend of two, three or four different types of tobacco leaves that form the heart of a Habano and dictate its flavour.[/tippy], [tippy title="Capote"]The binder leaf. Selected from the largest and finest volado leaves grown on the lower part of the plant.[/tippy] and [tippy title="Capa"]The outside wrapper leaf of the Habano.[/tippy] leaves from the grassy plains of [tippy title="Vuelta Abajo"]The finest tobacco-growing land in the world, Vuelta Abajo is the main source of tobacco for Habanos, and the only zone that grows all types of leaf: wrappers, fillers and binders. A Protected Denomination of Origin.[/tippy]* ([tippy title="Pinar del Río"]The name of the region that embraces all of the important growing zones in the west of Cuba, and the name of the provincial capital. A Protected Denomination of Origin.[/tippy]*), the land where the best tobacco in the world grows. The Línea 1935 comes with a full strength flavour blend for the first time in the Montecristo brand, and complements the medium to full strength flavour of its Línea Clásica and Línea Edmundo lines as well as the medium strength flavour blend of its Línea Open.
The evening’s festivities included performances from internationally acclaimed Cuban artists such as Latin Grammy winner Haila, David Torrens, and the Ballet de Litz Alfonso, one of Cuba’s most international dance companies that last year celebrated 25 years on the dance floor. The Hispano-Lebanese violinist of Armenian origin Ara Malikian together with his musical ensemble closed proceedings with a final performance charged with innovation and musical energy.
The traditional Humidores Auction once again provided the finishing touches to a highly successful Festival. On this occasion the usual humidified cigar boxes put up for auction from brands such as Cohiba, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Partagás, Hoyo de Monterrey and H. Upmann, were accompanied by an exquisite Bolivar-branded humidified cigar box, commemorating its 115th anniversary. The auction of seven lots raised a total of €1.265.000, which will be donated in full to the Cuban Public Health System.
The 2016 Habano Awards prize giving ceremony was also held during the course of the evening. Gordon Mott, journalist and freelance writer for the Cigar Aficionado magazine received the award in the Communication category. Edward Sahakian was awarded in the category of Business, in recognition for his work developing the Habano cigar market in the UK and Josefa Acosta Ramos, with over 60 years’ dedication to the tobacco industry in Cuba, was the winner in the Production category.
Puro Tabaco (Chile), with its representative Felipe Rojas, was unanimously voted the winner of the XVI Edition of the International Habanosommelier Contest. Slavomir Marek Bielicki (United Kingdom) and Krystian Hordejuk (United Arab Emirates) were the runners-up in second and third place respectively. The finalists were faced with a practical Habano cutting and lighting test and a descriptive tasting and pairing session with different beverages, including the most well-known international cocktails, following in the footsteps of last year’s 2016 special edition.
This yearly event celebrating the world’s finest tobacco has reached a milestone in its history, reuniting in its 19th edition more than 2,000 participants from over 50 countries, who were able to see and experience the most significant global launches of Habanos first hand.
Corporación Habanos, S.A.Corporación Habanos, S.A. is a world leader in the commercialisation of “Premium” cigars both in Cuba and across the world. It has a network of exclusive distributors in five continents and more than 150 countries. To find out more, visit www.habanos.testwalking.com Habanos, S.A. commercialises 27 Premium brands, all [tippy title="Totalmente a mano"]Totally by hand. A description created in Havana to differentiate between Cuban methods of making cigars by hand from the semi-mechanised metods used elsewhere that can legally be described as "Hecho a Mano" or "Hand Made".[/tippy](Totally hand made) and covered by the Protected Appellations of Origin (P.A.O.), which include Cohiba, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Partagás, Hoyo de Monterrey and H. Upmann, and many more. Habanos are unique, [tippy title="Totalmente a mano"]Totally by hand. A description created in Havana to differentiate between Cuban methods of making cigars by hand from the semi-mechanised metods used elsewhere that can legally be described as "Hecho a Mano" or "Hand Made".[/tippy] (Totally hand made) for more than 200 years, and have become a world reference. |
For further general information: www.habanos.testwalking.com
For further information for the press:
Habanos, S.A.: Daymi Difurniao (ddifurniao@habanos.cu, 5372040513 ext 565)
Young & Rubicam:
- Cristina Andreu Tel: +34 609 46 44 05 press.habanosfestival2017@yr.com
- Carla Lladó Tel: +34 683 70 15 64 press.habanosfestival2017@yr.com
- Izaskun Martínez Tel: +53 521 243 89 press.habanosfestival2017@yr.com
