The cigar Sommelier is the hospitality professional Responsible of providing an exceptional service and giving Gourmet recommendations for pairing cigars.

In early 2000’s Habanos S.A. in Cuba realized there was a Need to train and standardize the service of cigars in hospitality, so they teamed up with the President of the Cuban Club of Sommeliers and developed the Habano Sommelier standards that later on leaded to the Habano Sommelier Contest and education. Some years after, the President of the Cuban Sommeliers Club left Cuba and partner with a team of Sommeliers and education experts to develop a more extended curriculum, getting as a result what our cigar Sommelier program is today.

The program is suitable for both Sommeliers and cigar Aficionados, any previous education is not required. However, wine sommeliers will find easier the path since some concepts are similar between cigar and wine education. Furthermore, the organoleptic analysis skills are normally more developed on people who have already Gone through any Gourmet education.

Our trainings are not influenced by any specific brand; as Any Other Gourmet education institution we aim to be independent. However, we do have Good relationship with premium brands and producers some of our trainings have been sponsored by distributors and companies such as Habanos, Rocky Pattel, La Familia Robaina Arturo Fuente or Davidoff, furthermore personalities like Hirochi Robaina (Habanos) or Henke Kelner (Davidoff) have recorded lectures that are currently part of our educational programs.

After graduating can i get a job in the cigar industry?

There are some similarities, both of them should be Knowledgeable about the product, processes, flavor profiles and history but the Tobacconist is more focused on the retail while the cigar Sommelier focuses on the hospitality, so should have more knowledge on Gourmet pairings, etiquette and cigar service.

Not really, a Master Blender is a title that can be only earned by years of on-site training and experience working in the cigar industry. However, this training can help you to increase your knowledge and Get more technical vocabulary so you can better transmit to a master blender or cigar manufacturer what do you expect from the cigar you are making but will never substitute their experience.

We don’t offer any open “Instructor training”, our programs Do not offer the possibility to certify more people, we are very strict on the quality of our trainings, so only few people who have Graduated from our Master program are invited to become part of our faculty.

Yamir Pelegrino – Lead Instructor and Director of Education

Yamir was born in Cuba, he holds a degree in Social Sciences, a JD, a Master in Wine and Spirits Education and a PhD in Tourism. He is President of the American Gourmet Academy (AGA), Director of Education of the International Association of Cigar Sommeliers (IACS), Honorary Maître of the Republic of Cuba and former President of the Cuban Club of Sommeliers.

He was awarded “Best Sommelier of 2017” by Excellencias Group and obtained the Gourmand World Cookbooks Award twice (Considered as the Nobel of Gastronomic Literature). Best known as the “Sommelier of the Stars”, Yamir has hosted dinners with more than 110 Michellin Stars being responsible of the wine and cigar pairing.

Yamir is a pioneer of the cigar education, 30 years ago he co-created the Habano Sommelier concept. He has been jury of the International Habano Sommelier Contest and facilitator of cigar training seminars in the Habano Fest in Cuba, Procigar Festival in the Dominican Republic, INTERTABAC Expo in Dormund, Festival del Puro y el Café in Honduras, Hainan Tobacco Festival in China and Puro Sabor Festival in Nicaragua.

Jose Bello – IACS Ambassador Venezuela
Dom Emmanuel – IACS Ambassador Brazil
Christian Cepero – IACS Ambassador USA
Alejandro Rodas – IACS Ambassador Spain
Tommy Liu – IACS Ambassador China & Taiwan