Casdagli First Half Football Series Limited Edition

Casdagli First Half Football Series Limited Edition

The Casdagli First Half Football Series Limited Edition is a boutique, small batch cigar wrapped in a smooth Ecuadorian Light Habano leaf over a Dominican Monte Plata binder grown on the Kelner family’s private farm and a four tobacco filler blend of Dominican Criollo 98, BVS African tobacco, USA Broadleaf, and Dominican Corojo long fillers, handcrafted at the Kelner Boutique Factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Only 800 cigars have been produced, each aged over a year before release. The football series name connects Casdagli’s deep European roots to the world’s most popular sport, and the “First Half” designation signals that a second release will follow. The Ecuadorian Light Habano wrapper brings a golden, creamy elegance to the blend, while the Dominican Monte Plata binder from the Kelner family’s own tobacco farm adds a proprietary, terroir-driven depth that no other cigar maker can replicate. Underneath, the four nation filler blend crosses continents: Dominican Criollo 98 provides spice and body, BVS African tobacco delivers an exotic, floral, and spicy complexity, USA Broadleaf adds dark, earthy sweetness, and Dominican Corojo rounds out the blend with pepper and richness. The result is a layered, internationally blended cigar from one of the most refined boutique partnerships in the industry.

• Ecuadorian Light Habano wrapper with a golden, luminous appearance and a smooth, refined texture that delivers cream, cedar, and mild pepper while allowing the complex filler blend to express itself without being overshadowed.
• Dominican Monte Plata binder grown on the Kelner family’s private farm, a proprietary tobacco sourced from the Monte Plata province east of Santo Domingo, adding a terroir driven depth and sweetness that is unique to Casdagli’s Kelner produced cigars.
• Dominican Criollo 98 filler, a versatile, spice forward seed variety developed in the Dominican Republic, providing backbone, body, and a peppery complexity to the blend.
• BVS African tobacco filler, a rare inclusion in premium cigars, adding an exotic, floral, and spicy dimension that distinguishes this blend from anything else in the Casdagli portfolio or the broader market.
• USA Broadleaf filler, the same Connecticut Broadleaf tobacco prized as a wrapper leaf in many premium cigars, contributing dark, earthy sweetness, cocoa, and a rich, fermented depth from the filler position.
• Dominican Corojo filler adds peppery spice, oiliness, and a full bodied richness that complements the lighter Ecuadorian wrapper and balances the exotic African tobacco.
• Aged over one year before release, allowing the four nation filler blend to marry and integrate, smoothing out any rough edges and creating a unified, cohesive smoking experience.
• Limited to 800 cigars worldwide, making the First Half Football Series one of the smallest production runs in the Casdagli portfolio.
• Handcrafted at the Kelner Boutique Factory (KBF) in Santiago, Dominican Republic, by Hendrik Kelner Jr., son of Hendrick “Henke” Kelner, Davidoff’s legendary Master Blender.

The Kelner family connection

The Kelner Boutique Factory (KBF) was established in 2012 by Hendrik Kelner Jr. in Santiago, Dominican Republic. His father, Hendrick “Henke” Kelner, is Davidoff’s Master Blender, one of the most respected figures in the cigar industry. The younger Kelner built KBF as a small, artisanal operation focused on precision blending and boutique production runs, the opposite of the high volume factories that dominate Dominican cigar manufacturing. Casdagli has been KBF’s anchor client since 2013, when Jeremy Casdagli discovered the newly opened factory after his previous roller, Cuban master Carlos Valdez Mosquera, retired.

The Dominican Monte Plata binder is one of the most distinctive elements of this cigar. The Kelner family grows tobacco on their own farm in the Monte Plata province, located east of Santo Domingo in a region not typically associated with premium cigar tobacco. The terroir of Monte Plata produces a leaf with characteristics that differ from the more commonly used Cibao Valley tobaccos, and the family farm’s private cultivation means the tobacco is exclusive to Kelner produced cigars. Using this proprietary binder in the First Half Football Series gives the cigar a flavor component that cannot be sourced or replicated by any other manufacturer.

Casdagli Cigars

Casdagli Cigars was founded in 1997 by Jeremy Casdagli, a British entrepreneur whose family has been involved in grain, tobacco, cotton, and horse breeding since the 1800s. The brand was originally known as Bespoke Cigars before being renamed Casdagli Cigars in 2018. From the beginning, Jeremy Casdagli’s vision has been to create European-influenced cigars that emphasize elegance, complexity, and storytelling over brute strength. The Casdagli portfolio is produced across two factories: the Kelner Boutique Factory in the Dominican Republic and Tabacos de Costa Rica in Costa Rica. Each line tells a story, from the Daughters of the Wind to the Brothers of the Sabre (Napoleonic war generals) to the Villa Casdagli line. The First Half Football Series continues this tradition by connecting cigar culture to the passion and tradition of European football.

Casdagli’s reputation for limited, story driven releases has earned the brand a devoted following among collectors and enthusiasts who seek cigars with both exceptional quality and genuine narrative depth. The brand has won multiple Cigar Trophy Awards from Cigar Journal, and its limited editions routinely sell out in small production runs. At only 800 units, the First Half Football Series represents one of the most exclusive releases Casdagli has ever produced.

The four nation filler blend

The First Half Football Series filler blend is unusually international for a Dominican made cigar. Most KBF produced Casdagli cigars use Dominican and occasionally Nicaraguan fillers. The inclusion of both BVS African tobacco and USA Broadleaf alongside the Dominican Criollo 98 and Corojo creates a four nation blend (Dominican Republic, Africa, USA, and Ecuador via the wrapper) that brings together tobacco traditions from three continents.

The BVS African tobacco is the most unusual component. African grown tobacco is rare in premium cigars, most commonly encountered as Cameroon wrapper leaf. Using African tobacco in the filler position is a blending choice that very few cigar makers attempt, and it delivers a floral, aromatic, and subtly spicy quality that reads as exotic and unfamiliar alongside the more conventional Dominican and American tobaccos. The USA Broadleaf in the filler is equally interesting: Broadleaf is overwhelmingly used as a wrapper leaf, and placing it in the filler brings its dark, cocoa rich, fermented sweetness into the core of the blend rather than on the surface. The combination of these two unconventional filler choices with the more traditional Dominican Criollo 98 and Corojo creates a cigar that should taste like nothing else in the Casdagli lineup.

Smoking experience

The Ecuadorian Light Habano wrapper is golden brown with a smooth, silky texture, minimal veins, and a refined appearance that reflects Casdagli’s commitment to aesthetic elegance. The pre light aroma presents cedar, light floral notes, mild spice, and a faint sweetness from the wrapper. The cold draw brings cream, cedar, mild pepper, and a subtle nuttiness.

The opening puffs should deliver the Ecuadorian Light Habano’s signature creaminess and cedar, with the Dominican Criollo 98 and Corojo fillers providing an immediate but measured pepper and spice. The BVS African tobacco’s floral and aromatic qualities are likely to emerge early, adding an exotic top note that distinguishes the First Half from conventional Dominican blends. The USA Broadleaf contributes a dark sweetness and cocoa undertone from the filler position. With over a year of aging, the blend should be well married, with smooth transitions and no rough edges. The Monte Plata binder adds a proprietary depth underneath the wrapper that grounds the more exotic filler components.

As the cigar progresses, the Broadleaf’s earthy sweetness and the African tobacco’s floral spice should build against the Criollo 98 and Corojo backbone. Expect leather, earth, and dark chocolate to emerge as the cigar warms and the fuller bodied fillers assert themselves. The Ecuadorian Light Habano wrapper will continue to contribute cream and cedar throughout, keeping the blend balanced and preventing any single filler component from overwhelming the profile. The over one year aging period should produce a rounded, integrated finish with a lingering sweetness and spice on the palate.

Why “First Half”

The “First Half” designation is a direct football reference, signaling that this is the opening act of a two-part series. In football, the first half sets the tone, establishes the tactical approach, and builds anticipation for what comes after the interval. The cigar operates the same way: it introduces the Football Series concept, establishes the blending direction, and sets expectations for a “Second Half” release that will presumably offer a different blend, a different wrapper, or a different vitola as the counterpart. For collectors and Casdagli enthusiasts, the First Half is the opening chapter of a story that is designed to be completed.

Summary

• Production: 800 cigars
• Region: Dominican Republic
• Strength: Medium (estimated)
• Binder: Dominican Monte Plata (Kelner family farm)
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Light Habano
• Filler: Dominican Criollo 98, BVS African, USA Broadleaf, Dominican Corojo

What is the Casdagli First Half Football Series?

It is a limited edition cigar from Casdagli Cigars with an Ecuadorian Light Habano wrapper, Dominican Monte Plata binder from the Kelner family’s private farm, and fillers from the Dominican Republic (Criollo 98 and Corojo), Africa (BVS), and the USA (Broadleaf). Only 800 cigars were produced, each aged over one year before release. Handcrafted at the Kelner Boutique Factory in the Dominican Republic.

What makes the First Half unique?

The four nation filler blend is unusually international, combining rare BVS African tobacco and USA Broadleaf (typically used as a wrapper) alongside Dominican Criollo 98 and Corojo. The Dominican Monte Plata binder is grown on the Kelner family’s own farm. At only 800 cigars, it is one of the smallest production runs Casdagli has ever released.

What is BVS African tobacco?

BVS African tobacco is a rare inclusion in premium cigars. African grown tobacco is most commonly encountered as Cameroon wrapper leaf, and using it in the filler position is an unconventional blending choice that delivers a floral, aromatic, and subtly spicy quality that reads as exotic alongside more conventional tobaccos.

Who makes Casdagli Cigars?

Casdagli Cigars was founded in 1997 by Jeremy Casdagli. The First Half Football Series is produced at the Kelner Boutique Factory (KBF) in Santiago, Dominican Republic, founded in 2012 by Hendrik Kelner Jr., son of Hendrick “Henke” Kelner, Davidoff’s legendary Master Blender. Casdagli has been KBF’s anchor client since 2013.

What is the Monte Plata binder?

The Monte Plata binder is grown on the Kelner family’s private tobacco farm in the Monte Plata province, east of Santo Domingo. This proprietary tobacco is exclusive to Kelner produced cigars and delivers a terroir driven depth that differs from the more commonly used Cibao Valley tobaccos.

Why is it called “First Half”?

The name references the first half of a football match, signaling that this is the opening act of a two part series. A “Second Half” release is expected to follow with a different blend or presentation as the counterpart.

Will there be a “Second Half”?

The “First Half” designation strongly implies that a “Second Half” release will follow, completing the Football Series. Details on the second release have not been announced.

How many cigars were made?

Only 800 cigars were produced worldwide, each aged over one year before release. This makes the First Half Football Series one of the most exclusive limited editions in the Casdagli portfolio.