As Casdagli’s Cypher 3311 line enters its second year of release, the company is adding a new vitola, a 5 x 54 robusto vitola called Boniface that gets its name from British intelligence’s code-breaking initiative, Ultra, and a fictional spy network employed to protect the secrecy of their successes against the Germans during World War II.
The line uses an Ecuadorian wrapper, a binder from Costa Rica, and fillers from Peru and the Domninican Republic, as well as a third country of origin that is not being disclosed. It is produced at the IGM Cigars factory in San Jose, Costa Rica.
While the Boniface vitola won’t be available in the U.S. until March 2024 when it is released at the 2024 PCA Convention & Trade Show, the cigar will be released in other markets this month, as its debut will coincide with Remembrance Day, which occurs on Nov. 11 and honors the armed forces members who have died in the line of duty since World War I. When it does arrive in the U.S., it will be priced at $30 per cigar.
The Boniface is presented in 20-count boxes and will be a very limited release, with just 4,000 cigars produced per year, meaning just 200 boxes. It becomes the fifth size in the line, all of which are named for covert operations during World War II:
Note: The following shows the various Cypher 3311 vitolas. Some of these cigars may have been released after this post was originally published. The list was last updated on Nov. 10, 2023.
- Cypher 3311 Needle (7 1/2 x 48) — $50 (Box of 8, $400)
- Cypher 3311 Colossus (6 x 60) — $50 (Box of 8, $400)
- Cypher 3311 Enigma (7 1/2 x 49) — $50 (Box of 8, $400)
- Cypher 3311 Lorenz (9 1/5 x 58 diadema) — $60 (Box of 8, $480)
- Cypher 3311 Boniface (5 x 54) — $30 (Box of 20, $600)*
*Not pictured
Colossus and Needle use an Ecuadorian wrapper over an Ecuadorian binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Peru and an undisclosed country. The Enigma and Lorenz sizes use an Ecuadorian wrapper, the only component the company is disclosing.
The Cypher 3311 line, which debuted in 2022, pays tribute to war heroes and the enigmatic world of secret codes, and specifically to Major A. T. Casdagli, the grandfather of Jeremy Casdagli, the founder of Casdagli Cigars. During World War II, A. T. Casdagli was captured by the Nazis but was allowed to stitch crosspoints, some of which were sent back to Britain. Inside those stitching were secret messages, part of his work as a member of the British Intelligence unit MI9.
“The response to our Cypher 3311 Line has been heartwarming,” said Jeremy Casdagli, via a press release. “Sharing this project with global enthusiasts has evoked profound connections and tales.”
The line placed third on halfwheel’s 2022 Packaging Awards.
As part of the announcement of the new vitola, Casdagli has announced that it has donated $8,000 to the Red Cross as part of its commitment to donate a dollar from every Cypher 3311 sold.
Images courtesy of Casdagli Cigars.
I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.
