Cigar News: Casdagli Cigars Announces Cypher 3311 Boniface

Casdagli Cigars has announced a fifth blend under its ultra-premium limited edition Cypher 3311 line called Boniface. The cigar will have a limited release in the International market but will make its U.S. debut at the 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. The early release is being with Remembrance Day to honor those who died in the line of duty since World War I.

The Cypher 3311 draws inspiration from company founder Jeremy Casdagli’s grandfather, Major A.T. Casdagli, who was a prisoner of war and created cryptic messages in his embroidery artwork when he was a POW. The name Cypher 3311 was inspired by the POW number worn by Casdagli’s grandfather. The Coat of Arms used as this line’s primary image replicates one of his Grandfather’s wartime embroideries.

“The Imperial War Museum affirmed in 2012 that my Grandfather not only protested against the Nazis with encrypted messages in his artworks but also was a part of MI9, tasked with POW escapes and secret communication to London,” commented Jeremy Casdagli in a press release.

The names of each of the 3311 cigars Enigma, Colossus, Needle, Lorenz, and the newly introduced Boniface – all hearken back to covert operations during the Second World War. The Boniface’s name hails from British Intelligence’s code-breaking initiative, Ultra, and a fictional spy network employed to protect the secrecy of their successes against the Germans.

Boniface is produced at the IGM Boutique Factory in San Jose, Costa Rica. Like the other four sizes, the blend for Boniface comes in one unique to the line – in this case, a 5 x 54 Robusto Gordo. The blend consists of an Ecuadorian wrapper, Costa Rican binder, and fillers consisting of tobaccos from Peru, the Dominican Republic, and a third leaf of undisclosed origin. The cigars come in 20-count boxes. Pricing is set at $30.00 SRP per cigar. Consistent with the other four blends, production is limited to 4,000 cigars annually.

When Cypher 3311 was launched, the company also announced it would donate a portion of the sales to the Red Cross. Early in 2023, the company sold 8,000 cigars (split nearly evenly between the U.S. and International markets). Casdagli Cigars said that based on those sales, it has donated $8,000.00 to the Red Cross. The company says a 2024 donation is coming based on 2023’s sales.

In addition, Casdagli is reissuing the book “A Stitch in Time. God save the King – Fu*k Hitler!” This personal narrative penned by Jeremy’s father, Captain A. Casdagli RN, recounts the experiences of Major A. T. Casdagli during WW2. In line with the project’s philanthropic spirit, 25% of the book’s proceeds go directly to the Red Cross. In addition, cigar enthusiasts can also procure a themed Cypher 3311 silk pocket square from the Villa Casdagli Collection online shop.

At a glance, here is a look at the Casdagli Cypher 3311 Boniface: