Profile: Hendrik Kelner, Jr.

This past Monday night, Principle Cigars threw a little party introducing their new boutique that will be part of the new 12th & Pine liquor store opening up in the Gulch of Nashville.  And who should attend the party but Hendrik Kelner, Jr.  Kelner is the son of Henke Kelner, master blender of Davidoff, and owner of his own factory, Kelner Boutique Factory (KBF).  I had the chance to talk to Kelner about his heritage, his passion, and what goes into the cigars he blends.

When asked about following in his father’s footsteps, Hendrik said that it was a natural progression.  He explained how his father partnered with Davidoff after they left Cuba, and became the master blender for them.  The son would grow up, working the fields with his father, learning about the soil, the plants, and climactic affects on the harvested leafs.  He learned about aging, the nuances of leaves brought out over time, and what characteristics different leaves produce and how to marry them into an enjoyable cigar.  And something he told me was that he feels it is very important for a blender to work the fields day in and day out and put his hands in the soil to better understand the tobacco plant and how little things can change the nuances of the finished product.  To be a master blender, tobacco has to be your life.  His hands have to stay dirty.  From seed to harvest, from year to year can someone greatly understand tobacco properly to bring about the best blends.  No doubt Kelner, Jr. learned from probably the best.

After Junior left his father’s side to start KBF, he started blending private blends, including his own Smoking Jacket line which was launched last year and is distributed by Davidoff  (check out Dave’s review if you haven’t read it yet).    In regards to his cigars that he blends for his line or for other private lines, I asked if he used only Dominican tobacco since his factory is based there.   He said he buys tobacco from all over and will use that tobacco to find the right blend for his client’s products.  And currently, he enjoys tobacco coming from Brazil, although most of his products are made with Dominican tobacco and it remains a favorite of his.

I didn’t want to take up too much of his time, but I did try to get the down low on any up and coming projects.  Kelner said that he only had a few days in the U.S. and that he had to get back to his factory.  He’s got new bales of leaves that he’s ready to start experimenting with and a couple of new lines are in the works.  But he was mum on any specifics.  Needless to say, I am ready to partake of the new product.