PCA 2023: Kristoff

As usual, Kristoff has some new cigars to show off at the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show—three in fact. Two new Nicaraguan puros and a limited edition for retailers attending the trade show. But what is a little more subtle is that these three new lines show off what is being described as the new look for the company.

Gone is the shredded tobacco that lined the boxes, and gone is the rough cut form and texture that defined them. While the bands on the cigars are still proofs (and not quite the final product), they exhibit a change from previous iterations. The changes are fairly small and subtle but do signal a new look for the Kristoff brand.

As for the booth, it has evolved a bit, but kept many of its old elements, namely lots of display cases that show off the company’s vast portfolio. As I have said in other booth posts, it’s fascinating to see the growth of a company like Kristoff, especially thinking back to when the company first launched. In fact, it was hard to get a photo that really captured the true expanse of the booth, as all of the display cabinets were to my right in the picture above.

Kristoff Nicaragua

One of two Nicaraguan puros that Kristoff is releasing at the trade show, this line is described as being a 4-out-of-5 on the flavor and intensity scale, highlighted by a corojo binder that gives the blend a more pronounced spiciness.

• Wrapper: Nicaragua
• Binder: Nicaragua (Corojo)
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Kristoff Nicaragua Robusto (5 x 50) — $9.50 (Box of 20, $190)
• Kristoff Nicaragua Toro (6 1/4 x 54) — $10.50 (Box of 20, $210)
• Kristoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 — $10.75 (Box of 20, $215)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: August/September 2023

Kristoff PCA 2023 Signature Series

For retailers attending the trade show, Kristoff has this cigar available. It’s the second year that Kristoff has offered a PCA exclusive, though it is a different blend from the 2022 version, which uses a Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper, a Dominican binder, and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

• Wrapper: Brazil (Maduro)
• Binder: Dominican Republic
• Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaragua

• Kristoff PCA 2023 Signature Series (6 1/4 x 54) — $12 (Box of 20, $240)

Production: 1,000 Boxes of 20 Cigars (20,000 Total Cigars)

Release Date: August/September 2023

Kristoff Tres Compadres

This is the second of two Nicaraguan puros that Kristoff is debuting and one that comes with a sad backstory behind it. The cigar is named for Rolando Villamil, the factory manager at the Charles Fairmorn factory where Kristoff produces its cigars, and Chuck Finch, who Glen Case, Kristoff’s owner, described as his best friend since high school. Both men passed away fairly suddenly in the last year-and-a-half, and Case wanted to pay tribute to them. The name comes from a frame that held a picture of the three of them, and seeing Case talk about them, it is clear it is still hard for him to process that they both have left this world. From a blend perspective, the company isn’t saying much, but does put this cigar at a 2-out-of-5 on the strength and intensity scale, making it the mellower of the two new Nicaraguan lines.

• Wrapper: Nicaragua
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Kristoff Tres Compadres Robusto (5 x 50) — $9.50 (Box of 20, $190)
• Kristoff Tres Compadres Toro (6 1/4 x 54) — $10.50 (Box of 20, $210)
• Kristoff Tres Compadres 6 x 60 — $10.75 (Box of 20, $215)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: August/September 2023