Festival del Habano XXIV: Day 3

The first thing on my agenda for Wednesday—after a shower, breakfast and a bit of work—was a Master Lecture at the convention center where most of the Festival del Habano XXIV seminars were taking place.

Since tonight’s formal dinner was commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Quai d’Orsay brand, it was not exactly a surprise that this particular lecture was titled Quai D’Orsay 50th anniversary: Two cities united by the Habano. In addition, there were four different speakers: Migeul Barrage Maceo, Antoine Bathie, Rodrigo Gonzalez and Walid Saleh.

The speakers first detailed the entire 50-year history of the Quai d’Orsay brand, from its origins as a cigar that French diplomats could use as gifts to the present day as a brand that is sold all over the world. There was also detailed information about the different vitolas that have been a part of the marca over the years, including the newest addition that debuted at the festival, the Quai d’Orsay Especial d’Orsay.

For the final part of the lecture, Walid Saleh—who is the ceo of Phoenicia T.A.A. Cyprus Ltd.—discussed how the numerous members of the press have helped to get the word out about the Quai d’Orsay brand, including on websites, in magazines and on various social media sites.

From that lecture, I walked across the convention center to Room 1 to take part in a relatively unique pairing of three different Cuban cigars with three different champagnes from Taittinger.

The exact pairings were:

• A San Cristóbal de La Habana La Fuerza paired with Taittinger Brut Réserve
• A Quai d’Orsay No. 50 paired with Taittinger Prestige Rosé
• A Trinidad Media Luna paired with Taittinger Millésimé

From a personal standpoint, I found the Taittinger Prestige Rosé to be a bit sweet and the Taittinger Brut Réserve to be drier than I like, but the Taittinger Millésimé was spot on and paired extremely well with the Trinidad Media Luna.

By the time the pairing was over, it was time to go back to the house and get ready for the second dinner event of the Festival honoring the 50th anniversary of the Quai d’Orsay brand. As has been the case for many of the formal dinners over the years, it was being held at the El Laguito Protocol Room. However, unlike many of those events that utilized the three different massive levels outside to incorporate a number of different stages, more than 20 food and alcohol stations, and a giant area that could used to feature artists and their works, this dinner was a sit-down dinner inside the main room.

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As attendees walked down the driveway and entered the outside portion of the event space, they were given gift bags that held a number of items, including a Quai d’Orsay 50th Anniversary-branded lighter and cutter combo, a leather three-pack cigar case containing three Quai d’Orsay Especial d’Orsay cigars and a couple of other Quai d’Orsay vitolas.

There were also multiple stations along the walkway that led to the building entrance where the dinner was taking place, including a bar serving custom drinks and multiple photograph backgrounds for people to take portraits in front of. In addition, attendees were given a Quai d’Orsay Coronas Claro on a tray to start the night, although more vitolas from the line would obviously be served throughout the night.

After sitting at my seat, the night’s entertainment started with a video retrospective of the Quai d’Orsay brand, followed by various other acts that took the stage in about 20-minute increments. The list of acts included dueling violinists, artists who painted with various forms of light, singers with background dancers and even a chorus line of can-can dancers.

Following some good cigars, good food and great conversation with tablemates, I left the dinner after about three hours and barely had time to take my shoes off before falling into bed exhausted, knowing I had to get up early and photograph the El Laguito factory the next day.