Kafie 1901 Don Fernando Maduro

The Kafie family has its roots in Honduras, with the year 1901 marking the arrival of their ancestors in the Central American country. In the 1970s, the parents of Dr. Gaby Kafie—founder and owner of Kafie Cigars—emigrated to the United States with their three children. Dr. Kafie initially worked for several years as a physician before diving into the cigar industry in 2013.

Kafie 1901 Cigars: From Honduran Roots to Dominican Craftsmanship

At first, he had his cigars rolled by the Reyes family. Starting in early 2017, he operated his own factory in Danli, Honduras. With around 20 employees, the facility produced approximately 150,000 Honduran cigars annually. Since November 2021, production has been fully relocated to Tabacalera La Aurora in Santiago, Dominican Republic. This decision was influenced by severe hurricanes, COVID-19-related challenges, and general safety concerns in Honduras. The extensive tobacco reserves, excellent infrastructure, and the high level of expertise of the master blenders and torcedores at La Aurora enabled him to further enhance the craftsmanship of his cigars. The first Kafie 1901 Cigars produced in the Dominican Republic were released in spring 2022. Since then, Kafie has focused on what he does best: creating interesting and appealing blends, and overseeing the global distribution and representation of his cigars. Perhaps not a bad move to hand over the “mundane” production to the oldest cigar factory in the Dominican Republic!

Dr. Gaby Kafie: From Physician to Cigar Visionary with Global Ambitions

Since May 2025, the exclusive importer for Germany has been Don Stefano Zigarrenmanufaktur GmbH, based in Heuchelheim, Hesse. The Don Fernando Maduro is essentially Dr. Gaby Kafie’s “signature” line. Despite the dark H-2000 wrapper from Nicaragua, these cigars are considered just a bit more than medium-bodied. The binder is a Cameroon, and the filler blend combines Dominican, Nicaraguan, and U.S. tobaccos. These are robust and complex sticks, characterized mainly by an intense coffee note that pairs with increasingly pronounced woody undertones.

Don Fernando Maduro: Nicaraguan Wrapper Meets Dominican Diversity

In addition to the line presented here, three other variants of Kafie Cigars exist, as well as another brand called San Jeronimo, which was also produced at Tabacalera G. Kafie y Cia. The San Jeronimo brand was acquired by the Kafie family in the late 1930s and is in fact the oldest registered cigar brand from Honduras. However, these lines are now only available in remaining stock. Currently, La Aurora delivers only two lines to Germany: this one and the Kafie 1901 Connecticut Cigars.