Earlier this year, Dr. Gaby Kafie announced he was moving production of his Kafie 1901 Cigars to the La Aurora Cigars Factory in the Dominican Republic. The company decided to undergo a total rebranding of their 4 core lines as well as introducing their new Kafie 1901 Serie L Natural.
The core brands that have underwent rebranding are:
- Kafie 1901 DF Maduro (Released in 2013)
- Kafie 1901 Connecticut (Released in 2014)
- Kafie 1901 Sumatra (Released in 2015)
- Kafie 1901 San Andres (Released in 2016)
The Kafie 1901 Serie L Natural
In a recent press release Dr. Kafie stated:
Over the past 2 years I have been working on a very special project. The Kafie 1901 Serie L Natural. As you may know, in November of 2021 I closed my factory Tabacalera G. Kafie y Cia in Danli, Honduras and moved all cigar production to La Aurora S.A. in order to be able to continue to work on what I call dream blends. The holy grail of all blends is a good “PURO”. I’ve dedicated the past 3 years of my life towards achieving this goal.“
The new blend, which is named Serie L (Roman Numeral for 50) Natural, was created to commemorate Dr. Kafie’s 50th birthday, and (near) decade long investment in the premium cigar industry. Since inception, the company has been focused on making blends which feature tobaccos from many countries. Typically 1 cigar blend has tobaccos from multiple countries. The Kafie 1901 Serie L Natural on the other hand is a 100% Dominican Puro, a blend which was only made possible through the guidance of La Aurora’s head master blender Mr. Manuel Inoa. This is a cigar Dr. Kafie has been wanting to make for over 5 years, it has finally come to life and such a quality blend was only possible in the Dominican Republic. This will be a permanent addition to the Kafie 1901 Cigars portfolio. With this new addition, the Kafie 1901 Premium Cigar Core line consists of 5 blends, each unique in their own way.
The company decsribes the Serie L Natural as:
- Wrapper – 5 year aged Corojo from the Cibao Valley
- Binder – Cibao Valley in the Dominican Republic
- Filler – Cibao Valley in the Dominican Republic
The cigar is described as medium to full bodied, complex, and with perfect balance throughout. Flavor notes impart wood, leather, notes of almond, honey, floral notes, sweet but with an undertone of bitter cocoa elegance.
Dr. Kafie says – “This is a great 100% Dominican Cigar.”
This cigar, as with the company’s entire core line will come in Cuban style dress style boxes featuring the newly redesigned Kafie 1901 branding. The cigar box is adorned with images of Dr. Kafie’s grandparents (Don Shucri & Doña Regina Kafie) tracing the family roots to Central America and Honduras dating back to 1901.
Dr. Kafie noted:
“Our story is one of immigrants, in search of the finest places, people, talent, and raw materials. 120 years later I find myself in the same quest, however very focused on tobacco. The ship featured on the artwork is a steam ship named the Athenas that used to travel from England to New York and then to Central America during that era. Our brand tells a real story about the Kafie family. A story which continues to this day and I am extremely proud to represent.”
All Kafie 1901 premium cigars are now being made at La Aurora Cigars Factory. Each cigar box will come stamped with the factory logo on the bottom for identification purposes. Furthermore, each cigar box seal will include the Pro-Cigar Festival participating factory seal which is a tamper-proof sticker that contains a specific serial number for each box. The company currently exports to 46 countries and this will guarantee distribution partners will receive authentic Kafie 1901 Cigars.
Initial offerings for the Kafie 1901 Serie L Natural include (To be available September 15, 2022)
- Robusto (5 x 50) – MSRP $9.50
- Toro (5.75 x 54) – MSRP $11.00
This winter (December 15, 2022) they will be launching 3 other sizes
- Belicoso (6.25 x 52) – MSRP $11.00
- Churchill (7 x 47) – MSRP $12.50
- Gran Toro (6 x 58) – MSRP $12.50
The first shipment is set to arrive September 15, 2022. The company expects to start shipping orders the following week. This is the first of many projects they plan to have with La Aurora Cigars Factory.
The Other Core Brands
The other core lines (4) will also be arriving at the same time as the Kafie 1901 Serie L Natural. Initial offerings will be in Robusto and Toro and pricing across all lines will range from MSRP $9.50 – $15.50. Some blends contain new exotic tobaccos like Andullo tobacco and Cameroon tobacco, both of which come at a premium. All information will be available on www.kafie1901.com in the weeks to come. The company core blends were maintained and improved at La Aurora with access to finer and more well aged tobaccos. Connoisseurs will be pleased with the new products across the board.