The Factories

Kafie 1901

La Aurora

Kafie 1901 Cigars moves all production to La Aurora Factory.

Effective immediately the Kafie Trading Company, LLC owners of Kafie 1901 Cigars will be moving all premium cigar production to La Aurora Cigars, located in Santiago, Dominican Republic. A strategic move which will allow for the growth of our company without compromising the quality and consistency that Kafie 1901 connoisseurs have become accustomed to.

I am grateful to the country and the people of Honduras for all their support. Our company and brands would not be where we are today without our principal years in Honduras. The love I have for Honduras and its people will forever live on. Honduras is where our family roots are, there will always be a place in my heart for Honduras.

Last year I announced a new blend for our portfolio, the Kafie 1901 Serie L Natural. This cigar is a very special blend I’ve been working on as it marks my 7th year in the business and celebrates my 50th birthday. After working for nearly 2 years to develop this blend, it only came to life with the help of Mr. Manuel Inoa of La Aurora Cigars, one of the finest master blenders in our industry today. My experiences with La Aurora, their tobacco, and team was so rewarding that when the opportunity presented itself, our organization decided to transfer all of our cigar production to La Aurora. The level of professionalism at La Aurora exceeded all my expectations.

La Aurora has made it possible for us to tap into their vast tobacco reserves, infrastructure, and knowledge in order for our company to continue to build the Kafie 1901 Cigars brand portfolio. I’m honored that the team has welcomed me with open arms. I have never felt more positive about the direction we are headed in. The transition will be seamless as our company has vast inventory reserves in the United States, enough to hold us off until new product starts arriving in the Spring/Summer of 2022. All the blends of our core lines will remain constant, however the tobacco in our blends will now use minimum 4 year aged tobacco. Expect our blends to be more refined and sophisticated moving forward. More details to come as shipments arrive to the U.S.

We are also happy to report that all brands manufacturing premium cigars at Tabacalera G. Kafie y Cia., will now be coming with us to La Aurora Cigars. Such brands include Cedar Creek Cigars, The Chief Cigars, and The Mansa Cigars (AS Reserve). Everyone is equally as important. Our goal is to always deliver the finest premium cigars and to build long lasting quality relationships.

A very special thank you goes out to Mr. Guillermo León and the León family, master blender Mr. Manuel Inoa, and the entire team at La Aurora Cigars for affording us the luxury of working with such a fine team with over 120 years of experience in the premium cigar industry. It is extremely rewarding to have such a valuable partner. Our family, business partners, and I are truly grateful for the opportunity.

Kafie 1901

Tabacalera G. Kafie y Cia (USA)

Those who follow Kafie 1901 Cigars know the passion of its owner and founder Dr. Gaby Kafie when it comes to both his brand and the cigar industry. Now Kafie is ready to take that passion to the next level with the opening of his new premium cigar factory “Tabacalera G. Kafie y Cia”. The factory is located in Danli, Honduras, the country Kafie’s family has a history dating back to 1901.

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It was Kafie’s passion for cigars that led him in 2013 to launch Kafie Trading Company LLC and his handmade premium cigar brand, Kafie 1901 Cigars. Not only did he want a brand to reflect his own passion, but he wanted a brand to represent his family’s heritage. Therefore, it was an easy decision to select Honduras as the place to produce his cigar.

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To accomplish his goals, Kafie made a decision to partner with one of the oldest cigar factories in Honduras, Tabacalera Puros Aliados. This is the factory founded by the late Rolando Reyes Sr. According to Kafie, “Working with this factory allowed me to dive in and begin to create blends from a factory that already had infrastructure in place for over 25 years. The process, methods, and materials used at this factory are as traditional as it gets in the cigar making process. The family, Doña Oneida, Don Enrique, and their sons really treated me like family. We enjoyed working with one another, and I enjoyed learning everything I could from them.”

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As he grew his portfolio to four lines, Kafie established a strong partnership with the Reyes family. Concurrently, Kafie continued to grow as a cigar maker. His passion for the industry fueled his desire to become more creative and innovative while producing high quality premium cigars. This lead to the decision to open Tabacalera G. Kafie y Cia.

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Tabacalera G. Kafie y Cia is an intimate facility – and its perfect for Kafie to remain hands on for the cigars he produces. He purchased a 2000 square foot building to be the home for the factory. While an intimate setting, it includes modern amenities such as air-conditioning and a draw test machine. At the same time, he also went through an extensive process to acquire some of the best experienced cigar workers in Honduras. This process not only allows Kafie to staff his factory with the best talent, but also a way to create and keep jobs in Honduras.

The new facility will also feature a 100% Spanish cedar aging room that will be a core component to the operations. All Kafie 1901 Cigars will be aged a minimum of three to six months prior to packaging and shipping. Kafie’s goal will be to stay ahead of production at all times and keep about 30,000 to 40,000 cigars in the aging room.

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Tabacalera Kafie y Cia is now up and running. Tobaccos used for his blends are fermenting and he is ready to move full steam ahead. Production of the Kafie 1901 Don Fernando Maduro, Kafie 1901 Connecticut, Kafie 1901 Sumatra, and the recently launched Kafie 1901 San Andres will transition to the factory. Each of the four blends were created using tobaccos personally selected by Kafie and this will continue as production transitions to the new factory. “At this point, we will not be involved in growing tobacco. We feel there is an abundance of quality tobacco to choose from in Central America,” commented Kafie.

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In terms of distribution, Kafie 1901 Cigars will continue to follow his strict philosophy of selling only to brick and mortar retailers. “Our success as a company has come from supporting Brick and Mortar cigar shops, our loyalty lies with them, and we hope to continue to grow in a manner where quality is at the forefront,” commented Kafie.

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Kafie and his company have also been staunch supporters of Cigar Rights of America. Each box produced out the factory will not only have the Tabacalera G. Kafie y Cia name on it, but will now feature the new CRA stamp. This stamp will demonstrate the company’s commitment to the grassroots organization. In addition Kafie Trading Company LLC produces a specialty grade organic coffee from Honduras called “Kafie 1901 Coffee”. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of that company is also being donated to Cigar Rights of America.

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Kafie is quite grateful for reaching this point as a cigar maker. Concurrently, he is excited about the future. He commented, “We would like to take the time to thank the Reyes family, our loyal Brick & Mortar tobacconists, all cigar media, and all of our customers, for the support and love they have all demonstrated to us. We are focused and determined to stay true to the craft, and to continue to support all of you that have helped us along the way.”

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Photo / Image Credit: Kafie Trading Company LLC

Author / William Cooper of Cigar-Coop

Kafie 1901

Tabacalera Puros Aliados (Honduras)

Getting started in the premium cigar industry was not easy. The most difficult task was to find to find a factory and a family that was willing to bring me in and teach me the art of tobacco as it pertains to premium cigars. As with any formal training, I decided to talk to the Reyes family and the legendary cigar brands know as Puros Indios, Cienfuegos, Cuba Aliados and Roly. Rolando Reyes Sr. had been named the greatest tobacco technician to ever live by Cigar Aficionado Magazine in the early 1990’s. What better place to start this learning process of how to make fine premium cigars.

Our entire portfolio of offerings was first developed and introduced to market from this legendary cigar factory. Since then, we have expanded our lines and continue to innovate and offer new products that connoisseurs desire. The journey has been an amazing one. I wouldn’t change by path for the world. It’s legitimate, it’s hands on, and it’s authentic. The only way I know how to do things. The one thing I have learned about this industry is that it’s all about people. Honest work combined with passion and discipline with a focus on the connoisseur is what has built our company.

Thank you all for your amazing support over the past 8 years. God willing, many more years to come.