Behind the Scenes of Habanos

Twelve club members met for an honest expert discussion of the postponement of the XXVI Festival del Habano and what the festival continues to mean to Habanos enthusiasts.

At the beginning of the evening, club chairman Dmitry Gribov introduced the cigar intrigue — Cohiba Ambar, measuring 132 mm with a 53 ring gauge — and named the main subject: the objective reasons behind the postponement of the XXVI Festival del Habano.

The conversation quickly moved beyond possible new dates and potential solutions. Twelve participants turned to the festival’s history and the way its meaning, atmosphere and role within the international Habanos community have changed.

The tone was set by writer Andrey Malinin, Taino factory owner Anton Reyes, Denis Kibisov and Mikhail Pashaev from Saint Petersburg. Their personal experience transformed the meeting into a deep, informal examination of the ‘Cuban question’.

Andrey Malinin discussed the transformation of the festival’s meaning; Dmitry Gribov offered a retrospective of previous editions; Anton Reyes assessed the current situation in Cuba; and Denis Kibisov proposed possible directions for festival formats in a changing world.

After the theoretical discussion, members considered Cohiba Ambar. They found it gentle, noble and deserving of thoughtful attention — a vitola that reveals the distinctive qualities of the best Cohiba lines from its opening moments.

In the finale, Andrey Malinin introduced his new tobacco novel Tary-Bary ahead of its forthcoming presentation at the Moscow Cigar Club. The evening became a model of private club conversation, where a rare cigar meets candid opinion and genuine industry experience.