Scheduled to hit Cuban shelves later this month, the Diplomáticos Leal, a new Edición Regional release by Habanos S.A., was showcased at a launch event on December 8. The cigar is expected to make its debut at La Casa del Habano stores and other cigar retailers across the country in the second half of December.

Crafted in the Duke vitola, a robusto extra measuring 5 1/2 inches (140mm) in length with a ring gauge of 54, the Diplomáticos Leal shares its vitola with the Romeo y Julieta Dukes, an Edición Limitada release from 2009. This vitola has been utilized in various Edición Regional releases since then and is also the same as the Partagás Serie E No.2 and the Bolívar Soberanos, a 2018 Edición Limitada release. The release comprises 10,000 numbered dress boxes, totalling 100,000 cigars.

Named in honour of Eusebio Leal, a Cuban historian and the overseer of the restoration of Habana Vieja (Old Havana), the Diplomáticos Leal pays tribute to Leal’s efforts in having Havana’s historic centre recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. Eusebio Leal passed away on July 31, 2020, after battling cancer.

This marks the seventh Edición Regional, and the second Diplomaticos release for the Cuban market, joining the ranks of:
• La Gloria Cubana Deliciosos — 2009
• El Rey del Mundo Infantes — 2013
• Diplomáticos Excelencia — 2015
• Saint Luis Rey Marquéz — 2016
• San Cristóbal de la Habana La Cabaña — 2017
• Punch La Isla — 2018
• Diplomáticos Leal — 2021

As is customary with Edición Regional releases, the Diplomáticos Leal was part of the 2021 class, even though it is being introduced in the current year. Similar delays occurred with previous releases like Punch La Isla in 2019 and San Cristóbal de la Habana La Cabaña in late 2019, despite their designated release years and with almost all regional editions for other countries and all limited-edition releases from Habanos.

The pricing details for the Diplomáticos Leal have not been disclosed as of now.