50 TOBACCO BUSINESS | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER | 22 needs. After several meetings with LaAurora’smaster blender, Manuel Inoa, Kafie was finally able to finish that blend he’d been working on for years: the Kafie 1901 Serie L Natural. “Since inception, our company has been focused on making blends that feature tobaccos from many countries. Typically, one cigar blend has tobaccos from multiple countries. Our Kafie 1901 Serie L Natural, on the other hand, is a 100 percent Dominican puro, a blend that was only made possible through the guidance of La Aurora’s head master blender, Mr. Manuel Inoa.” He continues, “This is a cigar that I havebeenwanting tomake for over five 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. Our Kafie 1901 PremiumCigar Core line nowconsists of five blends, each unique in their own way.” The wrapper for the Kafie 1901 Serie LDominican puro is a five-year-aged Corojo from the Cibao Valley in the Dominican Republic. This is a medium to full-bodied cigar with a blend that’s described as “complex” and that has a perfect balance throughout. According to Dr. Kafie, the flavor notes of the cigar includewood, leather, almond, honey and floral notes. The flavor profile is also described as being sweet with an undertone of what Kafie describes as “an undertone of bitter cocoa elegance.” The Kafie 1901 Serie L Natural was first released in a Robusto and Toro format in the fall of this year and will launch in three additional sizes this winter. Each cigar release requires an extreme level of attention fromKafie and from those in the factory. Each tobacco variety used must go through extensive fermentation and aging. In the case of Kafie Cigars, no tobaccos used in the blends have been aged for less than four years. Kafie also believes in working closely with the best blenders in the industry in order to better understand the characteristics of each leaf and the blend as a whole. Kafie’s goal for his company is to produce consistent blends and products that not only bolster the Kafie family name but also help make the cigar industry stronger. “Ourbrandof cigarsproducespermanent lines,”he says. “Wedonot believe in doing short runs because everything we do is produced on a limited scale already. If a consumer falls in love with a line of cigars we offer, we want that individual to always be able to come back and revisit that blend.” He continues, “We thrive on making sure a blend stays consistent over time and that construction and draw always deliver a quality experience to connoisseurs. We take great pride in telling our family story through Kafie 1901 Cigars and want people to know that when you purchase our cigars you’re buying a product from a family with 120-year history in the region. We know quality tobacco, we know our people, we speak the language, and we’re 100 percent invested not only in our company but also our industry. We’re here to make our industry better, not just to sell you a cigar.” Advocating for Boutiques In addition to becoming a brand owner, Dr. Gaby Kafie is known for being an advocate for the cigar industry and, more specifically, for boutique brands. In 2016, Kafie helped establish and launched the Boutique Cigar Association of America (BCAA), an organization with a mission of supporting and promoting small, family owned cigar businesses that sell less than 1 million cigars each year. The 1 million cigars or less designation was important to give a spotlight to those smaller manufacturers who are impacted by regulations differently than larger companies. Before theBCAAwas created, Kafie realized that entities like theU.S. Food andDrugAdministration didn’t understand the range in sizes of most companies in the cigar industry and that although premium cigars were a commonality, a smaller manufacturer had a much different business model than that of a larger producer. “In the FDA report on premium cigars that was published on August 8, 2016, small companies were defined by the FDA as being a company that generated less than $5 million a year and had 15-20 employees. Let’s just say they were way off and had no understanding of our industry and how many companies would go out of business due to their onerous regulations. It was clear at that very moment that we needed to define our segment of cigar In September, Kafie 1901 Cigars revealed an updated look for its Liga de la Casa cigar line, a budget-friendly cigar that is sold in bundles. It is available in three different blends.
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