The Livery Newsletter and Gazette Issue 29 Summer 2018 | Page 14

UK Triumphs In Havana
Darius Namdar, club director of Mark’s Club, has
triumphed over an international field of competitors
to win the prestigious World Habanosommelier
crown in Havana.
Every year during the last week of February people
from all over the world gather together in Havana
to celebrate their mutual love of Cuban cigars at the
annual Habanos Festival. The festival, now in its
third decade, has grown every year and become a
permanent fixture in many enthusiast’s diaries.
The week includes guided tours of tobacco
plantations and cigar factories, first tastings of new
cigars to be released later that year, various different
masterclasses and tastings, culminating in the
famous gala dinner and charity auction.
For the past seventeen years one of the highlights of
the festival has been the World Habanosommelier
Finals.
The competition pits the world’s best cigar
sommeliers against each other, each of whom
will have won through their domestic market’s
The lunch was deliciously catered by Mark Grove
and his team at Cook & Butler and we cracked
along at a goodly pace. Our guests were admirably
introduced by Liveryman Fran Morrison and our
Principal Guest, Tim Wonnacott gave a generous and
very humorous reply to which I responded initially
by drenching poor Tim in a glass of water - he was
very kind about it (sorry Tim!). I was very pleased
to show off the newly found Livery Grant of Arms
and Letters Patent which have been missing for many
years - our Clerk tenaciously sought them out, and
the new Immediate Past Master, Chris Allen, and his
IPM, Mark Gower-Smith have funded a beautiful re-
presentation and they are now resplendent in frames
carved with tobacco leaves (or close to); Sandra also
located a huge banner not seen since 1985 and Angus
Menzies, Clerk to the Master Mariners and never shy
of a challenge saw to it that it was displayed on the
Quarterdeck.
Whilst all this was going on, apparently biblical-
preliminary
rounds,
the title
style
downpours
were for being
had of
all World
over London
Habanosommelier
Champion.
- oblivious to all that drama we ended our lunch
and
trooped format
back to for
the the
quarterdeck
where
The precise
finals in Cuba
has Coffee,
evolved
Cigars,
and
Cognac
awaited
us
(I
did
mention
over time. In 2018 there were a series of rounds that
our
Livery blind-tastings
enjoyed dining
the and
High drinks.
C’s..) and
including
of on
cigars
which
seemed
to
hit
the
mark
–
Liveryman
Contestants were then invited to present the Jemma
panel
Freeman
had
kindly
provided
the
torpedo
cigars
of judges with the cigar and drink pairing they had
and
had them
in souvenir
tubes
our
been had
working
on in placed
their home
countries
for with
months
Crest
emblazoned
on
it.
Several
of
us
also
sported
in the build-up to the final.
a limited edition Livery Smoking hat - originally
Darius presented
Havanan hat,
Afternoon
conceived
as a sort “The
of shooting
it serves Tea”,
its
a purpose
concept so inspired
by
requests
he
and
his
team
well as a “team” hat, that of the twenty
received
from
their
members
cigar
terrace
ordered, but one
remained
by on
the the
close
of the
day! at
Mark’s
Club
for
an
afternoon
cigar
pairing.
It
was
Thank you to the Master Mariners for allowing us an
the
elegant
and
exceptionally
well-balanced
Cuban
twist
use of the venue, to Tim for being a perfect Principal
on the classic
afternoon
tea.
Guest,
and for English
everyone
attending
and giving my
year
such
a special
start.
Darius
first
served the
panel of international judges
a cup of Himalayan Imperial black tea as a palate
cleanser, much as the catadores (cigar tasters) in
The the
Master
Cuba still do to this day, before moving onto
main event. Darius then introduced El Rey Del
Mundo Choix Supreme and paired it with Grand
Marnier Cuvée du Centenaire. Toward the end of
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