After a fairly easy Thursday, I knew the last day of the Festival del Habano XVIII would be packed full, and I was not wrong about that. It started with me waking up early and attending the final day of the XV International Habanosommelier Contest, where the final contestants competed against each other to see who would be named the “Maestro de Maestros.” While the final day usually consists of finalists going through a real-life scenario where they have to choose a combination of food, drink and cigar that meld together, this incarnation engaged in a “champion’s challenge” in which they faced scenarios that had to be faced depending on their categories. Even after seeing the first day, I was surprised at how much the extensive audience got into the competition, with people cheering on their favorites while they smoked a cigar. There were event some spectators that held up a flag of their country when their sommelier was called to the floor. After days of competition, Juan Jesús Machín from Cuba won the “Maestro de Maestros” title, with Luis Manuel García Urrea from the United Arab Emirates and Pedro Tejeda from Cuba taking second and third place, respectively. After the time spent at the Habanosommelier ...
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