Hendrik “Henke” Kelner

Rarely does a single master blender come to embody the personality of an entire range of luxury cigars, but such is the case with Hendrik “Henke” Kelner. With his weathered Panama hat, relaxed smile and ever-present cigar, Kelner is as much a fixture of Davidoff’s fields as the tobaccos he grows there.

Trained as an industrial engineer, Kelner was producing premium cigars by the age of 24, first for others, then for himself as founder of Tabacos Dominicanos. His intimate knowledge of tobacco varieties, the tastes they produce and the variables of terroir ultimately brought him to the attention of Oettinger Davidoff AG; the result was an almost lifelong association with that brand.

Davidoff, known at the time as a Cuban cigar producer, was looking to reestablish itself in the Dominican Republic while maintaining its luxury bona fides. That’s where Kelner came in. He created for Davidoff an updated, refined identity, and in time developed new blends for the company. A pioneer of the creation of disease-resistant hybrid tobaccos, he’s also responsible for opening up new growing areas, including the Dominican Republic’s Yamasá region, a swampy area where tobacco had never been successfully grown until Henke and his team discovered how to raise the soil’s pH level.

For all his accomplishments, Kelner is quick to praise others, including Davidoff’s master blender Eladio Diaz and agronomist Manuel Peralta. Although recently retired, Henke continues to grow tobacco for Oettinger Davidoff. With his lifetime of knowledge, passion, innovation and dedication, Kelner has become a true icon in the industry.