World’s Premiere for the Quai d’Orsay No. 52 in Paris

On October 20th, the new enrichment to the Quai d’Orsay’s regular portfolio, alongside the Coronas Claro, the No. 50 and No. 54, took place in an amazing historical building. Located place de la Concorde, surrounded by the National Embassy and the Eiffel Tower, the Hotel de la Marine hosted about 150 people from all over the planet who gathered to discover the new brand’s vitola, the No. 52 (52 ring gauge x 156 mm length).

The event was organized by Coprova, the exclusive distributor of Habanos in France. Its two co-CEOs, Enrique Babot and Antoine Bathie welcomed there Cuba’s Ambassador to France, H.E. Mr. Otto Vaillant Frias ; Habanos S.A.’s Co-President Luis Sánchez-Harguindey Pardo de Vera, who made the trip from Cuba, as well as 28 official regional distributors, cigar club members, French cigar accessories makers (Élie Bleu, S.T. Dupont, Les Fines Lames), tobacconists and cigar influencers.

During a quite emotional speech, Antoine Bathie paid homage to Gilbert Belaubre, the former SEITA’s sales manager who initiated the brand’s birth in 1973, convincing the President Valéry Giscard-d’Estaing to push the French excellence’s limits with a cigar brand “that could only be be handmade in Cuba”. At almost 92 years old, the discreet old man, who attended the dinner, got an ovation from the participants.

After the dessert, the new vitola could be lit by excited attendees outside, on the large balcony with a view on the place de la Concorde. As part of them, we can already say that though it of course needs to age a bit, this No. 52 is already a balanced and distinguished cigar.

The release should start in late November exclusively in France for a few weeks (at 19,10 € retail price) before being distributed worldwide.