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Great time at the festival, didn't get to meet everybody I had planned but most. Sorry to anybody who was at the Nacional Terrace on the Sunday 21st, I didn't make it until later that evening and had no way to get in touch. Finally got home last Wednesday evening, flight to Paris was cancelled due to weather, so I got delayed by three days. I've been trying to catch up with family and work since.
Anyway here are some pictures.
Was lucky to get in touch with my contact at El Laguito on the Saturday before the festival started so I got a private tour of the factory, one of the highlights of the trip. The place was packed full of festival goers every day during the following week.
El Laguito
El_Laguito.JPG
Esplendidos
Esplendido_El_Laguito.JPG
Esplendidos_2.JPG
Drawers being filled for the Cohiba humidor which was auctioned at the gala dinner.
Cohiba_Humidor_Drawers.JPG
Cohiba_Humidor_drawers_2.JPG
The escaparate (aging room) at Laguito, full of Behikes.
Escaparate.JPG
Managed to snag me a few. Very good cigar, well balanced for so young. Very good tobacco.
Behike.JPG
Lunch with the Hunters crew at El Aljibe, Mitch is in there if you look closely enough. Had a great laugh with David Lewis.
El_Aljibe.JPG
New LCDH LGC Inmenso, behind glass so not a great shot.
LGC_Inmenso.JPG
Welcome night girls. I had to fight these two off with a pointy stick.
Welcome_Night_Girls.JPG
Norma Fernandez, roller of all the original Behikes. Lovely. She's like a bird. I have no idea how she rolled cigars that large. Jemma Freeman is in there too.
Norma_Fernandez.JPG
Simon Chase was fantastic on the plantation tour. Very few people have the combination of his level of knowledge and the willingness to share it.
Simon_Chase_Field.JPG
Boxes of the new Trinidad Short Robusto at La Corona. Huge factory, literally churning out cigars.
Trinidad_Short_Robusto.JPG
Adriano Martinez Ruis(doesn't look like a well man unfortunately, compare his picture in the MRN book), Rob Fox, James Suckling, yours truly.
Suckling.JPG
Bizarre encounter in a nightclub with Alejandro Castro (Fidel's son). I had been talking with some people from the Spanish embassy when one of the girls went right up and asked him if his father was dead.
Alejandro.jpg
Singer Maylu from the Gato Tuerto. I had met her father in Dublin last December, who now lives in Connecticut. I had pictures for her, she had not seen him since she was 15.
Maylu.JPG
What can I say. Another highlight. The immense pleasure of a cigar and an anejo with this man. My only regret was that it was too short.
Nino.JPG
Good looking couple in a club.
Smokers.JPG
That's it for now. Huge thanks must go out to Rob and Stu Fox of Foxes. Had a great time guys. Next year..
Anyway here are some pictures.
Was lucky to get in touch with my contact at El Laguito on the Saturday before the festival started so I got a private tour of the factory, one of the highlights of the trip. The place was packed full of festival goers every day during the following week.
El Laguito
El_Laguito.JPG
Esplendidos
Esplendido_El_Laguito.JPG
Esplendidos_2.JPG
Drawers being filled for the Cohiba humidor which was auctioned at the gala dinner.
Cohiba_Humidor_Drawers.JPG
Cohiba_Humidor_drawers_2.JPG
The escaparate (aging room) at Laguito, full of Behikes.
Escaparate.JPG
Managed to snag me a few. Very good cigar, well balanced for so young. Very good tobacco.
Behike.JPG
Lunch with the Hunters crew at El Aljibe, Mitch is in there if you look closely enough. Had a great laugh with David Lewis.
El_Aljibe.JPG
New LCDH LGC Inmenso, behind glass so not a great shot.
LGC_Inmenso.JPG
Welcome night girls. I had to fight these two off with a pointy stick.
Welcome_Night_Girls.JPG
Norma Fernandez, roller of all the original Behikes. Lovely. She's like a bird. I have no idea how she rolled cigars that large. Jemma Freeman is in there too.
Norma_Fernandez.JPG
Simon Chase was fantastic on the plantation tour. Very few people have the combination of his level of knowledge and the willingness to share it.
Simon_Chase_Field.JPG
Boxes of the new Trinidad Short Robusto at La Corona. Huge factory, literally churning out cigars.
Trinidad_Short_Robusto.JPG
Adriano Martinez Ruis(doesn't look like a well man unfortunately, compare his picture in the MRN book), Rob Fox, James Suckling, yours truly.
Suckling.JPG
Bizarre encounter in a nightclub with Alejandro Castro (Fidel's son). I had been talking with some people from the Spanish embassy when one of the girls went right up and asked him if his father was dead.
Alejandro.jpg
Singer Maylu from the Gato Tuerto. I had met her father in Dublin last December, who now lives in Connecticut. I had pictures for her, she had not seen him since she was 15.
Maylu.JPG
What can I say. Another highlight. The immense pleasure of a cigar and an anejo with this man. My only regret was that it was too short.
Nino.JPG
Good looking couple in a club.
Smokers.JPG
That's it for now. Huge thanks must go out to Rob and Stu Fox of Foxes. Had a great time guys. Next year..
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