My first encounter with a cigar happened when I was in high school, when I was about 17 or 18. I was a boarding-school student in Pinar del Río, in the La Soga area, and I and the other students were working in the tobacco fields. On many weekends, I would stay at a farmer’s home. I remember that he would set two rocking chairs in front of the TV and light a cigar that he himself had rolled with leaves from his plantation. The cigar really stung my mouth, and the farmer thought it was funny watching me make faces as I struggled to smoke. Actually, it was funny, but also magic to share a Habano, watch television, chat and have a little drink of rum with your buddy.
I am a Habanosommelier and I work at the restaurant La Bodeguita del Medio, at the bar. Twenty-five years ago, I saw an ad for Habanos in which a very elegant man was showing a tray of cigars to some customers. I was really struck by that image. And I wanted to imitate it, selling the Habanos that we had at the hotel. That’s how I met a journalist who showed me how to light a Habano with a cedar strip. That moment had a big influence on my becoming passionate about the world of cigars.
To become a Habanosommelier, you have to take sommelier studies at one of Cuba’s tourism schools. In these courses, a complete section is devoted to the Habano and spirits. They teach you how tobacco is grown, the different brands, how it is sold, its good features…everything. Once you’re done with the course, you have to give it a lot of effort and love, because it is a difficult activity. The competition to become a champion Habanosommelier is complex, and you really have to train to be able to do well, because there are two stages, theoretical and practical, in which you face two clients. I won the Western Regional championship in 2012. The judges are very demanding and that means that the competition brings prestige to the contestants. My wife, Sulay Nápoles, is a World Champion Habanosommelier in the Blind Tasting category. Watching her compete was very inspiring for me.
A Habanosommelier is an expert who helps you to find the ideal Habano for the perfect moment. If a client is a regular smoker, then you have to respect his tastes because he knows what he wants. If the client is a first-time smoker, then you would recommend a fine-caliber, mild-tasting Habano for a pleasant experience. Personally I like Habanos that are well-rolled, well-made and purchased in the right place. If I’m going to have a drink and chat with a friend, I prefer a mild one, like a Hoyo de Monterrey. For after lunch, I like to have a Romeo y Julieta or a Short Churchills robusto, which has a smoking time of 30 to 40 minutes and leaves a nice taste in your mouth. For a festive atmosphere, I like a strong Habano, like a Partagás or one from the Cohiba Maduro 5 line. Seeing a white, even ash is very important for me, because I have the assurance that I am smoking a good Habano. I don’t have any preferred brands, because here it is very difficult to get attached to just one.
The Habano is a work of art; it is Cuba. It is a perfect creation, made by hand and with a lot of love, in a journey that does not end at the store or when it is smoked; the perfection of its craft makes it an unforgettable memory. Describing it with words is very difficult for me. It is a product that you have to love, because other people have loved it before it came to you. That is why the Habano is king.
Author
Alain L. Gutiérrez Almeida
