Greetings from Havana!
 
Today’s weather was monsoon in the
morning and sunshine in the afternoon!
 
Custom blend Yolandas and
Vigia rum at the Melia Habana this morning and custom blend La Chinas and Havana
Club rum at Partagas in the afternoon.
 
Lunch at Prado Neptuno for
the best pizza in Town (plus smoking of course permitted!)
 
Jazz
club this evening (near Melia Cohiba) with a few Siglo VI’s gifted to me at
Partagas today 🙂
 
It’s been a fabulous week in Havana for the
Partagas Festival, possibly the best one yet.
 
The Italians win the
prize for being the best represented country here! They are everywhere 🙂 A few
Germans, French, Canadians, Americas and Austrians and ummm Me
representing the UK!
 
Partagas LCDH is one of the best places to
herf in Havana and I’m always meeting new friends from all over the world (Hello
Josey from Canada!)
 
What has struck me is the incredible quality of
Havanas. In terms of blending and construction as well as appearance, the
improvement over the last 4 years has been breathtaking. Its so rare to get a
badly rolled cigar these days and the newer the vintage the better the cigar in
my opinion. 
 
In the 11 years I have been visiting Havana
it amazes me how so little has changed. The buildings are still crumbling. The
people in general appear to be living in varying degrees of poverty but everyone
seems happy and friendly. Everyone asks me when I think the embargo will end and
what the ramifications will be. The answer is in truth I have no idea. Hopefully
Havana will not lose its charm but the people will have a better standard of
living.

No sign of Havana Club 15 year old rum anywhere, seems like its not being made anymore, so if you have a bottle – savour it!

Italy possibly has the most enthusiastic Havana cigar scene anywhere in the world with the
incredible Cigar Club association represented all over the country. Massimo is
definitely El Jefe 🙂
 
I’m off for a Daiquiri on the veranda at the
Hotel Nacional with Zaff 🙂
 
Hasta
luego
 
Saludos
 
Mitch