The XVIII Habanos Festival in Havana concluded last Friday with a closing gala that was celebrated in Pabexpo in the residential neighborhood of Siboney. It was a long comprehensive week when hundreds of cigar lovers from all over the world participated in numerous activities that included tastings, visits to the plantations as well as the to the legendary cigar factory of El Laguito, where all Cohibas are made. The central theme of the closing gala was the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Cohiba. Throughout the night guests had the chance to enjoy the music of Cuban luminaries like Chucho Valdés as well as international artists like Uruguayan Jorge Drexler and the Spanish flamenco singer Estrella Morente.
During the multi-course dinner, guests smoked a range of Cohiba cigars such as the newly released Cohiba Medio Siglo as well as a Cohiba Robusto, a Cohiba Maduro 5 and a Cohiba Behike 54. The humidor auction raised a total of 865,000 Euros for the Cuban healthcare system. The commemorative Cohiba humidor, a cabinet laminated with Vuelta Abajo tobacco leaves framed in 24-karat gold paper containing 50 50th Aniversarios, attracted the highest bid, 320,000 Euros. It was an exceptional night and one of the finest since the inception of the festival. Enjoy the video.
– Jacobo Andrade Garcia Llamas, senior editor at JamesSuckling.com and HavanaInsider.com