Backstory: The Quai d'Orsay marca was created in 1973 by Cubatabaco for the French state tobacco monopoly SEITA, born from a request by then-Finance Minister (and later President) Valéry Giscard d'Estaing for a refined Cuban cigar that could carry French prestige and pair with champagne and foie gras. The name evokes the Parisian avenue along the Seine — home to the French Foreign Ministry and historically to SEITA's headquarters — bridging French elegance with Cuban craft.

Release: World premiere on October 20, 2022 at the Hôtel de la Marine on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, with ~150 attendees. Co-president Luis Sánchez-Harguindey Pardo de Vera presented the cigar and underscored the importance of the French market to the Cuban cigar industry. Regular production; ships to French tobacconists from late November 2022 onward.

Tobacco: Long-filler blend of 100% Cuban tobacco sourced from the Vuelta Abajo region of Pinar del Río — wrapper, binder, and filler all selected from the area's vegas. Specific seed varieties and primings remain undisclosed.

Color: Smooth, semi-oily wrapper with the lighter, refined sheen characteristic of the marca — historically positioned as a delicate, French-leaning expression of Cuban tobacco.

Fun Fact: The No. 52 sits between the No. 50 (5″ × 50) and No. 54 (6″ × 54) in the modern numbered lineup. At 6 1/8″ × 52 (156 mm × 52 RG), it is a slightly elongated toro that does not correspond to a classic Cuban factory vitola — a bespoke size built for this release.

Fun Fact: Sold in boîte nature semi-gloss boxes of 25 (also offered in 10s in some markets). Launch price set at €19.10 per stick in France (≈$18.85 USD at launch).