Master Cigar Sommelier Diploma

aboutus The International Association of Cigar Sommeliers is a network of tobacco professionals who act as a liaison between consumers, retailers and producers, to enhance the most advanced sensorial experience while smoking a premium cigar.

WE TRAIN AND CERTIFY SOMMELIERS IN:

Production Service

Management Pairing

OVER 600 IN MORE THAN GRADUATES 20 COUNTRIES

Our curriculum is progressive, broad, and provides students with up-to-date industry information, covering not only the basic cigar knowledge (For all the tobacco regions), but also pairing and spirits education as well as service and management tools for retailers and hospitality professionals.

The IACS’s certified instructors bring a wealth of diverse back- grounds. Among our instructors are agronomists, hospitality consultants, businessmen, importers, distributors, and retailers. What binds our network of instructors together is a love for sharing their experience and knowledge with students and the common goal of helping both cigar lovers and hospitality professionals to become experts on the tobacco world. why us? The IACS’ Cigar Sommelier Certificate is the most internationally recognized cigar education degree. IACS faculty has participated as main speakers in the three major cigar festivals worldwide (Nicaragua, Dominican Republic & Cuba).

Upon successful completion of the Cigar Sommelier programs, you will become a member of the IACS, which will provide access to exclusive material for continuous education in our learning platform, discounts, referral programs for career opportunities and exclusive benefits in industry events. You will not only graduate with a certificate that designates you as an expert in the cigar world, you will become a part of a community of BOTLs and SOTLs around the globe that strive to help each other grow. who should study thiscertification?

Aficionados & connoisseurs Sommeliers & hospitality proffesionals Tobacconists & cigar clubs managers Cigar producers

Distributors Cigar journalists, bloggers & influencers

Ourgraduatesin theworld

OurGraduates

Indiana Ortéz Master Cigar Sommelier • Quality Control Manager and CMO at Agrotabaco (Ortez Cigars) • Master Blender for Ventura Cigars

Robert Abreu Master Cigar Sommelier • VP en Goldman Sachs • Whiskey Ambassador • Certified Executive Bourbon Steward • Creador de cigarpairings.net

Gustavo de Hostos Master Cigar Sommelier • Master of Wines • Master Blender and owner of Puros de Hostos (Super premium brend with exclusive sales in Luxemburg and Dubai) Mikaela Paim Cigar Sommelier • Gourmet blogger & Influencer • Wine, spirits, coffee, water and tobacco sommelier • Maitre at Osteria Generale Restaurant

Manuel Santiago Cigar Sommelier • Habano Sommelier & Brand Ambassador • Marketing Diretor at IEPT (Habanos S.A. Distributor in Mexico)

Kiki Lee Master Cigar Sommelier • Smoking accessories designer • Sales and production manager at Lubisnki Cigars ourfaculty

YAMIR PELEGRINO,PhD master wine & cigar sommelier

Yamir was born in Cuba, he holds a degree in Social Sciences, a JD, a Master in Wine & 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) and Honorary Maître of the Republic of Cuba.

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-cre- ated 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 and Puro Sabor Festival in Nicaragua. cigar sommelierdiploma ( Available online) This training covers all the core material to become an expert on the tobacco industry, it also includes tasting and pairing tech- niques for both, cigars and spirits. Even though this program is originally designed to hospitality professionals, aficionados are welcome to join, the skills developed in this program can be used either to provide an exceptional service for hospitality or to achieve a new level of enjoyment for cigar enthusiasts.

History of tobacco Cigar Tasting IACS Methodology

•The Taino civilization and the • Cold tasting tobacco • Hot tasting • The tobacco and the discovery • Organoleptic analysis • The tobacco in the world

Caring and aging Cigar production • Temperature and humidify • Terroir • Conservation problems • Tobacco regions • Aging • Organoleptic patterns • The tobacco plant • Varieties of tobacco Pairing • Leaf classification • Agricultural process • Spirits tasting • Production and manufacturing • Principles of pairing • Spirits pairing • Three course cigar pairing

Concepts • Cigar anatomy • Wrapper classification • Vitolas Service • Blends & origins • Cut and lighting • Strength • Etiquette • Cigar service “This is a fantastic organization!... The staff has excellent knowledge very friendly no pressure atmosphere, this is a very valuable training for anyone looking to get deeper into the cigar world…”

Eric Gaudreault, CSD Canada . Master cigar sommelierdiploma This is the highest level of education of the IACS, for applying to it is required to be satisfactory graduated from the CSD. The program includes a visit to the field to experience the real process of tobacco growing, a factory visit to analyze the production process on site, a blending seminar, advanced pairing with wine and spirits and business management for private labels and Cigar Shops owners.

MCSD includes participation in the PROCIGAR Festival

History of tobacco Cigar Tasting IACS Methodology •History of iconic brands and • Advanced organoleptic families: analysis •Cohiba • Blind tasting •Davidoff •Fuente •Plasencia Pairing • Whisky & Whiskey Cigar production • Brandy, Cognac and Armagnac • Advanced terroir • Tequila on the cigar pairing • Tobacco biology and genetics • Rums of the Caribbean • Tobacco diseases • Wine pairing • Advanced agricultural process • Port (Field visit) • Champagne • Advanced cigar manufacturing • Red wines (Factory visit) • Beer pairing • Rolling techniques • Coffee & chocolate tasting • Blending seminar

Concepts Service and management • Raw tobacco • Economy and entrepreneurship in the • Tobacco and health cigar industry • Cigar management for private labels • Cigar shop management “I am very impressed, exceeded my expectations … IACS is admirable for the overall education on the proper cigar etiquette and pairing, they respectfully teach passion and over all perspective of the worldwide tobacco industry…”

Diony Paz, CSD New York

PROCIGAR FESTIVAL

The Procigar Festival is a truly unique and memorable experience unmatched in the cigar industry that beautifully combines educational opportunities, entertainment, leisure activities, loads of premium cigar smoking and lifetime memories. One of the Festival’s most compelling attractions is that it allows guests to have one-on-one dialogues with the industry’s biggest cigar makers all the while smoking their cigars and fraternizing with an international community of like-minded enthusiasts in an unprecedented way cigar manufacturers, retailers and consumers.

PROCIGAR MEMBERS (AVAILABLE VISITS) AGENDA

Day 1 – February 15 (Punta Cana) 13:00 – 14:00 Lunch 14:00 – 18:00 Training

Day 2 – February 16 (Punta Cana) 9:00 – 12:30 Training 12:30 – 13:30 Lunch 13:30 – 18:00 Training

Day 3 – February 17 (Punta Cana) 9:00 – 12:30 Training 12:30 – 13:30 Lunch 13:30 – 18:00 Training

Day 4 – February 18 (Punta Cana - Santiago) 10:00 – 12:00 Tabacalera de García Factory Tour 12:00 – 14:00 Lunch 14:00 – 19:00 Transfer to Santiago 19:00 – 19:30 Festival registration in Santiago 19:30 – 11:00 Welcome Cocktail

Day 5 – February 19 (Santiago) 8:30 – 16:00 Farm or Factory Visit (Lunch included) 16:30 – 17:00 Tobacco Seminar 19:00 – 23:00 Welcome Dinner Party (Cocktail Attire)

Day 6 – February 20 (Santiago) 8:30 – 14:00 Farm or Factory Visit (Lunch included) 14:30 – 17:30 Tobacco Contest 19:00 – 00:00 White Dinner Party (White Attire)

Day 7 – February 21 (Santiago) 10:00 – 17:00 FPROCIGAR members field day (Lunch included) 19:00 – 00:00 Gala Dinner Party (Formal Attire) MCSD: Dominican Republic RESERVE TODAY

WHERE WHEN Punta Cana – MCSD Santiago – PROCIGAR Festival Feb 15th – 21th 2020

WHAT’S INCLUDED? FEE Training US$ 2,500 (CSD Online included) Materials US$ 2,200 (For CSD graduates) Cigars & spirits for pairing IACS Membership Transportation from Punta Special discounts for: Cana to Santiago • Groups International Certificate • Wine Sommeliers PROCIGAR Festival • Tobacco business owners/employees

CONTACT RESERVATIONS [email protected] www.cigarsommelier.org