Kelner 80th Anniversary by Kelner Family Cigars

The Kelner 80th is a tribute cigar to celebrate Hendrik "Henke" Kelner's 80th birthday. If you don't know who the Kelner family is, then you're missing out. While they have rarely (if ever?) released a cigar under their own name, the Kelner family has been in the industry for generations. Copy and paste from Halfwheel:

"Born into a Dutch family that was in the tobacco business, Kelner started Tabadom, a cigar operation that eventually attracted clients such as the owner of Griffin, a club in Geneva, and Avo Uvezian, the pianist and composer. Both had their own cigars made by the factory and shortly thereafter, Davidoff—the Swiss company whose cigars were made in Cuba—came to look for a new production facility for its eponymous brand."

"Davidoff bought Tabadom, and Kelner worked for the Swiss company for decades, selling tobacco from his family’s farms and overseeing Davidoff’s cigar production at Tabadom, while also serving as the face of the brand’s manufacturing operation at events around the world. In 2020, his employment with Davidoff formally ended."

If you're familiar with the Avowed brand you know what Klaas has been doing recently.  And now he's created a cigar dedicated for his old man's 80th that is also a celebration of a life lived that's steeped in tobacco? Talk about a passion project that sets expectations sky high! 🤯

BRAND / CO:  Kelner Family Cigars
CIGAR:  80th Anniversary
VITOLA:  Diadema - 7" x 50
STRENGTH:  Unknown
WRAPPER:  Ecuadorian Habano, Natural
BINDER:  Undisclosed
FILLER:  Dominican Republic (Yamasá) / Undisclosed
ORIGIN:  Dominican Republic, Kelner Cigars S.A.S.

APPEARANCE & CONSTRUCTION:  Good
It's big and beautiful and honestly, I wouldn't expect anything less. While most of the tobacco is undisclosed, I'm sure Klaas went for high-grade stuff because the wrapper is gorgeous. It's a very warm light brown that has a rosado tint pushing the color into orangey hues of amber and sepia. It has a very light sheen, but light mottling and tooth. There are a number of noticeable and pronounced veins, giving it a slightly rustic feel, but it's beautifully rolled with tight seams. It has optimal feel when you squeeze it too.

And the presentation doesn't stop at just the roll. The bands are beautiful; high-quality prints with gold metallic over the embossed sections. The boxes are just insane in detail and weight. They have a faux marble finish to them while the cigars are enclosed in a pull-out drawer. Just beautiful. 🤌🏻

DRAW & BURN:   Good / Great
It's a figurado, so I v-cut it with expectations of a tight draw that loosens up—and the cigar delivers. Tight, then perfect. The burn starts well with an ultra-crisp burn line that's a little uneven and wavy but well controlled. The ash is a light gray with very widely spaced striations that open out and flake off a little bit. But the burn line improves, getting closer to dead even as it progresses. The only real bummer is the ash was holding beautifully well into the second third, but I had to dump it for a relight.  Otherwise, a beautiful and excellent burn.

FLAVOR PROFILE:   Excellent 
The first couple of draws bring heavy cedar and grassy, hay-like vegetal notes. There's a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg-like baking spice, and light pepper. Rounding things out are a very mild coffee and earth wrapped up with a honey-like sweetness. About an inch in, I'm getting a bit of a mushroom-like savoriness with more funk and spice. Smooth, refined, a little funky, but in a good way and a little restrained. With these ultra-premium cigars, I think there's a desire to have them overwhelm you with flavor intensity or strength. Bros treat it like a dominatrix: you're only getting your money's worth if it's beating you up until you're left crying and humiliated.  Klaas isn't the kind of guy to make a cigar that pummels you, he's going to romance you with nuance 

The second third starts to increase in breadiness, a bit of a sourdough note and very mild nuttiness. That grassy vegetal note is still very dominant along with the savory, mushroom-like musty earthiness. There's more leather, and the honey is becoming more fruity and raisin-like. There's some light saltiness and mineral notes mixed in. I'm also getting coffee and chocolate that are swirling into a mocha flavor. The heavy cedar notes haven't finished at all. I've never smoked a cigar with Yamasá tobacco before, so I wish I had a basis of comparison. If you happen to have a Davidoff Yamasá, I'd be curious if there are some similarities.

The final third doesn't start with any major transitions. Pepper has been a nice medium throughout the burn and it's starting to have a mild numbing effect on my tongue at this point. This is a challenging blend because it's different and a little funky. I'm enjoying it, but I can't say that I absolutely love it. This is one of those cigars where price is a major factor; it's hard to recommend if you're not feeling adventurous and have the budget for these ultra-premium prices. The first example I smoked of this batch felt fresh; this one is better. I've seen people talk about mild ammonia at the end, but I'm not getting any of that. However, I do think that this blend could be stunning with a year or more of rest. But that's a different problem in itself. Who buys a $57 cigar just to age it?

OVERALL EXPERIENCE:   Excellent
Blender's intent. Do we talk about this enough? What did Klaas intend with the blend? Was it to make a cigar that would be an emotional tribute encompassing over 50 years of tobacco industry experience and knowledge? Was it to create a blend that was mainly for his father's palate as a gift? Or was it to create something that doesn't exist and try to fill a void compared to other blends on the market? Because I don't think this cigar was made to compete with similarly priced options from Davidoff, Fuente, or Padrón. To me, this feels like an invitation to experience the bond between a father and son who live and breathe cigars, and the result is a blend steeped in emotion rather than designed just for mass-market appeal.

I don't want to say this is designed for sophisticated and nuanced palates, because that sounds demeaning and elitist. I think it's a cigar you need to approach with an open mind and be ready to experience something different. This is a challenging and funky cigar. It's like jazz fusion and that shit is polarizing. Sometimes it's more about respecting the skill and the craft than getting into something basic and pleasing. If you're able to do that, this cigar is a highly rewarding experience. Otherwise, you're going to be disappointed about the profile and mad about what you spent on this one. But if you're a long-time fan of what the Kelner family does and have the budget for a high-priced cigar, then definitely check it out.

Purchase Singles or by the box HERE

Reviewed by Sean McCloskey of The Collective