Brand guide
Kristoff cigars
Kristoff is a cigar brand founded in 2004 by Chicago's Glen Case, and its cigars are rolled at Tabacalera Von Eicken in the Dominican Republic.
Kristoff began as a broker's side door
Glen Case, a Chicago resident, founded Kristoff in 2004 after leaving a career in finance, according to Cigar Aficionado.
He did not start as a blender. Cigar Coop says Case first worked as an independent cigar broker alongside his wife, then became a cigar maker within six months. His company traded under another name at first and was rebranded Kristoff Cigars as the Kristoff lines took over the portfolio.
The start date is a little loose. Cigar Aficionado's brand page says 2004, while one of its 2012 articles refers to a 2005 debut. Case marked his 20th year in the industry in 2024, which lines up with 2004.
Where is Kristoff made?
Kristoff cigars are rolled at Tabacalera Von Eicken S.R.L. in the Dominican Republic, the factory once called Charles Fairmorn.
Case partnered with the factory early on and has made nearly everything there since, per Cigar Coop. Rolando Villamil, whom Cigar Coop calls Case's friend and mentor, has since died. The one exception was the Galerones series, made at PDR, and Galerones is now discontinued. Even Kristoff's 2023 Nicaraguan puro was rolled in the Dominican Republic at Von Eicken, using leaf shipped in from Nicaragua.
Kristoff names lines for their wrapper
Kristoff's core brand is built out with line extensions named for the wrapper leaf: Criollo, Connecticut, San Andrés, Sumatra and Cameroon.
So the name on the band is the wrapper, in most cases. Cigar Aficionado lists those lines along with Maduro, GC, Ligero Criollo and Corojo Limitada. The newer releases spell out full blends. The 2024 Veinte, Case's 20th-anniversary cigar, uses a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper over an Indonesian binder, with filler from Nicaragua and Pennsylvania. The 2023 Kristoff Nicaragua is 100 percent Nicaraguan leaf from Condega, Estelí and Jalapa. For what those regions are, see cigar tobacco regions.
Kristoff lines with a stated wrapper
Kristoff's wrapper is stated in the line name for its classic extensions and in published specs for its recent releases.
| Line | Wrapper (stated) | Status | Notable sizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kristoff Veinte (2024) | Brazilian Arapiraca | Regular production | Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 1/4 x 54), 6 x 60, Perfecto (6 x 60) |
| Kristoff Nicaragua (2023) | Nicaraguan | Regular production | Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 1/4 x 54), 6 x 60 |
| Tres Compadres (2023) | Not published in our sources | Regular production | Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 1/4 x 54), 6 x 60 |
| PCA 2023 Signature Series | Brazilian maduro | Limited, 1,000 boxes of 20 | Box-pressed Toro (6 1/4 x 54) |
| Criollo, Connecticut, San Andrés, Sumatra, Cameroon | Named for the wrapper | Core extensions | Not published in our sources |
Kristoff does not publish strength ratings in our sources. Tres Compadres honors two late friends of Case, Chuck Finch and Rolando Villamil, and the box carries all three men's initials.
Kristoff by the year
Kristoff's milestones start with its 2004 founding and run through a packaging overhaul two decades later.
- 2004: Glen Case founds Kristoff.
- 2012: Corojo Limitada line covered by Cigar Insider.
- 2013: Cigar Aficionado reports a major expansion of the nine-year-old brand.
- 2022: Guardrail and the first PCA Signature Series arrive in sleek boxes.
- 2023: first Nicaraguan puros; Case announces the switch to modern packaging.
- 2024: Veinte marks Case's 20 years in the business.
Before you open a box of Kristoff
Kristoff is known for pigtail caps and uncut feet, and older boxes come packed in loose tobacco.
The packaging changed in 2023. Case said the whole range would move from rough-cut, loose-tobacco boxes to a sleek, modern look, so the same line may sit in two very different boxes depending on its age. The Veinte, for example, ships in charcoal and silver. Box-pressed Kristoffs are rare and mostly limited, per Cigar Coop. For an unfinished foot, the basics in how to light a cigar still apply, and check sizes in the cigar size chart.
Kristoff questions, answered
Where are Kristoff cigars made?
At Tabacalera Von Eicken in the Dominican Republic, the factory formerly known as Charles Fairmorn. The Galerones series was the exception, made at PDR.
Who owns Kristoff cigars?
Glen Case, a Chicago resident who left a career in finance, founded the brand in 2004 and is named as its owner by Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Coop.
Why do Kristoff cigars have a pigtail?
The pigtail cap with an uncut foot is a Kristoff signature, per Cigar Aficionado. It is a finishing style; the pigtail is clipped or twisted off before lighting.
Did Kristoff stop packing cigars in loose tobacco?
Yes, mostly. In 2023 Glen Case said the portfolio would move from rough-cut boxes packed with loose tobacco to sleek, modern boxes.
Where the Kristoff facts come from
- Kristoff brand highlight, Cigar Aficionado
- PCA 2023: Kristoff Cigars, Cigar Coop
- Kristoff Veinte Twentieth Anniversary Toro, Cigar Coop