Founded in late 2015 by Swiss native, Sebastien Decoppet, Cavalier Genève has grown to become one of the most sought-after and talked about boutique cigar brands on the market. With its heavily fermented, top-tier tobacco, in-house production capabilities, award-winning blends, and creative international marketing moves, it seems like Cavalier is on the cusp of becoming one of the greatest boutique cigar brand success stories of our time. Oh, wait, it already is.

Let's rewind the tape a touch, and fill you in on how Cavalier came to fruition...

Uncertain as to which path to take in life, Decoppet entered the premium cigar industry at the age of 22, when he moved to Danli, Honduras. On his first day in the country, he was fortunate enough to meet Adin Perez and Nestor Plasencia (yes, THAT Nestor Plasencia), and was subsequently offered a place to stay, along with a job working and training at the Plasencia Cigars Honduran operations. For a full year, Sebastien worked the fields and the factories, apprenticing and studying every step of the cigar manufacturing process, continuously learning how to do things the Plasencia way.

After his apprenticeship was complete, Decoppet and Adin Perez stayed in close contact with one another, with Perez serving as a chief advisor in the development of Cavalier's earlier blends, and later, the brand itself.

But after five years of working with third-party factories, all while saving as much coin as possible along the way, Sebastien was ready to open his own operation. So, in the summer of 2021, Cavalier opened its first cigar manufacturing facility in Danli, Honduras: Fabrica Centroamericana de Tabaco S.A. (FCT). Today, this factory rolls out one small batch cigar at a time, the old way, shipping their blends to over 45 countries around the globe.

And in case you were wondering, yes, that is genuine gold leaf you see meticulously applied to each cigar. Yes, it is food-grade code "E 175" compliant gold, and therefore is completely safe to combust and consume. No, we here at Klaro do not encourage or condone the decision to eat an entire cigar. Gnawing on a yard cigar while raking leaves is one thing. Snacking on a stogie is another.

Now, as for the history behind that hand-applied artisanal golden leaf, apparently it was Decoppet’s wife, Eylin, who was the one responsible for coming up with the idea of affixing edible gold to the outside of the cigar wrapper. This signature selling point is what helped grow the Cavalier brand into what it is today, as it made their blends instantly recognizable, unique, and globally understood.

While not all of Cavalier's portfolio contains the signature "Golden Diamond" that it has become synonymous with over the years, it does emblazon each of the cigars Klaro has started stocking. Oh, and in case you were wondering, yes, it really is genuine 24-karat gold leaf, and yes, your cigar will burn right through it without issue.

But enough with the backstory. Below you will find some quick notes on each of the three cigars we have started stocking from Cavalier, and above you will see our exclusive interview with Sebastien Decoppet while we were in attendance at PCA 2025 this year. Enjoy!

Cavalier Genève White Series

As the original blend from Cavalier, the White Series serves as Decoppet’s take on a mild to medium cigar that does not compromise when it comes to complexity. Featuring an habano wrapper, a Connecticut binder, and a creative concoction of filler leaves from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Paraguay of all places, this vibrant smoke is an ideal option for when something light, bright, and golden in nature is required. 

Cavalier Genève Black Series II

Cavalier's Black Series II is blended to deliver a fresh spin on an old-school maduro smoking experience. Offering plenty of richness and darkness when it comes to flavor, but maintaining a medium strength backbone, this blend guarantees an outstanding, heavily-aged tobacco smoking experience that sits right in the center of the stogie spectrum. Although this is a fuller-bodied dark cigar, it still has many of the tasting profiles we seek in a traditional maduro, but with an outstandingly smooth finish and an impeccable burn.

Cavalier Genève BII Viso Jalapa

Now, as for the BII-Viso Jalapa line, that takes the viso leaf off the tobacco plant and puts it on the front burner before turning up the ante with a Nicaraguan puro one-two punch. Delivering a deep, rich, and relatively oily cigar smoking profile, this new-school stick is the sort of sun-grown stogie you can reach for at any point in the day and never be disappointed. 

While a viso wrapper leaf from the Jalapa region of Nicaragua adorns the outside, the 100% habano core inside of this Nicaraguan blend delivers a fuller-bodied experience that is rich in earth, spice, and tannin notes. The torpedo vitola in particular has been heralded for enhancing the draw and intensifying the flavor journey via the creation of a longer, smoother finish.