THE SPECTACULAR PERFORMANCE BY TOM JONES AND A GRAND AUCTION CLOSE THE 16th HABANOS FESTIVAL

Havana, Cuba, February 28th, The Habanos Festival, the long-awaited annual meeting of lovers of the best tobacco in the world, last night successfully closed its curtains. People from more than 80 countries, including 300 journalists and photographers, travel every year to Cuba to learn more about the origins of the Habano and enjoy a full activity programme that includes exclusive evenings.The XVI Festival began with a spectacular Mapping projected onto the façade of the Club Habana opened the Welcoming Evening of the XVI Habanos Festival. Focusing on the Hoyo de Monterrey and Partagás brands, it included a synchronised swimming show in the Club pool, and ended with the spectacular performance by Juan Formell, winner of two Latin Grammys in 1999 and 2013, and his legendary Cuban band Los Van-Van.The Festival reached its halfway point on Wednesday, with a tribute to the Trinidad brand in the Havana Museum of Fine Arts. The guests had the exclusive pleasure of being the first to sample the new Trinidad Vigía vitola (ring gauge 54 x 110 mm long), with a heavy ring gauge and short length, which makes it possible to enjoy the exclusive Trinidad flavour in an innovative format. In addition, the new Edición Limitada 2014 Cohiba Robustos Supremos (ring gauge 58 x 127 mm long) was presented, the first ring gauge 58 made by Habanos. An unforgettable evening amidst the City's colonial setting, against a backdrop of the best gastronomy. Ron Blaauw, a prestigious Belgian chef with two Michelin stars, and the sommelier and wine and food critic Cuno Van't Hoff offered the guests a delicious menu and drinks that had been specially chosen for the occasion.In the last day of the sixteenth edition of the Festival del Habano, there was the competition for the longest ash where competitors have had to grapple with an H. Upmann Sir Winston (ring gauge 48-pos. 178 mm), while there was a very interesting conference on the combustibility of Habanos. The competition was won by the Cuban journalist Olivia Terry has managed to keep the ashes for a full 169 mm.The long-awaited Gala Evening was held on Friday the 28th February, paying homage to H. Upmann. Guests had the opportunity to be the first to sample in exclusive the first Reserva made by the brand in its 170-year history. Many celebrities will take part in an evening full of surprises, during which the Habanos 2013 Awards will be presented in their various categories. The international music star, Tom Jones, was one of the celebrity guests in the event. Jones sang such well-known songs as It's not unusual, Help yourself, and a very personal version of Bésame mucho, in a performance which was followed by an ovation from the almost thousand guests in the last main event of the 16th Habanos Festival. The British performer, who was visiting Cuba for the first time, said: “I became a great Cuban cigars aficionado in the 60s, and I continue to be one”.One of the moments which had raised most expectations was the presentation of the first Reserva of the historic H. Upmann brand, founded in 1844. Selected Vuelta Abajo leaves from the 2010 harvest were aged for 3 years to create the Upmann No. 2 Reserva Cosecha 2010 (ring gauge 52 x 156 mm long), the Pirámide that constitutes one of the brand's symbols. This landmark vitola, which allows fully enjoy the classic and elegant blend of H. Upmann, was produced Totalmente a Mano con Tripa Larga -Totally hand made with Long Filler- by the most experienced torcedores -cigar rollers- in the H. Upmann factory. The first H. Upmann Reserva comprises a single production of 5,000 individually numbered and lacquered cases. A total of 1,102,210 dollars will be donated in their entirety to the Cuban Public Health System after being raised in the traditional Grand Humidors Auction. Six lots, masterpieces from the most prestigious Habanos brands (Cohiba, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Partagás, Hoyo de Monterrey and H. Upmann), were auctioned, as well as a painting by the Cuban painter Zaida del Rio.