There’s a new Edición Regional from a familiar brand on store shelves in France, as the Quai d’Orsay Robusto Diplomatico is available in tobacco shops across the country as of Dec. 1.
Quai d Orsay Robusto Diplomatico ER 2015 single

The new cigar comes in a Hermosos No.4 format, measuring five inches in length (127mm) with a 48 ring gauge and bearing a price of €129 per box and €12.90 per cigar. A total of 70,000 cigars were made for the one-time release, split between 7,000 boxes of 10. It becomes the third Edición Regional of the brand for France, joining 2013’s Belicoso Royal and 2011’s Robusto Embajador.

According to Seita Cigares, the exclusive distributor of the Quai d’Orsay brand in France, the cigars share the brand’s flavor profile of precious woods, creamy and pastry notes such as honey, vanilla and hazelnut, while adding “a beautiful bouquet of dried flowers and a surprisingly medium-bodied finish with earthy tones.”

Quai d Orsay Robusto Diplomatico ER2015 Open box

The Quai d’Orsay brand’s history dates to around 1973, when Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, then Minister of Finances and soon-to-be President of the French Republic, sent a letter to the state tobacco monopoly asking why there was no French cigar. A request was made to Cubatabaco, whose chief blender crafted a new creation that would come to bear the name Quai d’Orsay, named for the wharf along the Seine where the tobacco office was located. It remains the only brand made completely in Cuba at the request of another country.

(Images courtesy of Seita Cigares)

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.