After smoking through the Junior Varsity (JV) blends of cigars from the Caldwell Cigar Company, I finally found the full-blown blends at Jungle Jim’s near Cincinnati, OH. if you ever have a chance to get to Ohio, you have to check out Jungle Jim’s, it is the most amazing store I have been in. Besides the fact that it has the most amazing collection of products from around the world it also has a huge humidor with over 2000 facings. I grabbed myself a Long Live the King , Petit Double Wide Short Churchill, to sample and review. I took it back to my hotel where I was able to relax outside in the cool Ohio air, which is a far cry from the heat in Florida and the Stogie Press Lounge. Of course the locals here consider it hot and humid.
Caldwell Cigars – Long Live The King
The Caldwell Cigars – Long Live the King – is a terrific 3 country blend of well aged leaf to say the least. Quite a beautiful stick with a medium brown 2008 Corojo Dominicano wrapper that has well oiled sheen to it, even before firing it up. There are some noticeable veins but the seams are tight and barely noticeable.
It has three different fillers:
- 2006 Corojo Ligero Dominicano
- 2008 Viso Pelo De Oro Peruano
- 2007 Habano Ligero Nicaraguense
The fillers are bound with a 2009 Corojo Dominicano. It is finished with a small pig tail cap.
The Long Live the King is available in 4 vitolas:
- The Heater Corojo – 46 x 5.75
- My Style is Jalapeno Corojo – 40 x 7.25
- Petit Double Wide Short Churchill Corojo – 52 x 6
- Marquis Corojo – 60 x 6
I love the band on this cigar, is make me smile every time I look at. It is an image of a child king with a crown that is just too damn big for his head. The sides of the band define this as the Long Live the King blend. For some reason the smirk on his face makes me think of some young city kid with his pants slung low and exposing his boxers. That’s just me though. I laugh again as I pen this review.
Caldwell Cigars – Long Live The King
Giving the Long Live the King a run or two across the nose, I pick up a toasty scent with a touch of spice it has that well aged aroma to it. I decided to nip the pigtail off with my teeth and fired it up. Immediately there is a slight nasal burn as I retro-hale the first few puffs. The draw is a bit tight with a medium level of smoke production. It fired up a tad crooked but the burn caught itself up without needing to touch it up.
The flavor is a somewhat muted to start but once it gets going there are woodsy and cedar notes filling my palate and the ash is a toothy gray with a touch of flake. An effervescent flavor, like a pop fizz on my tongue, enters shortly afterwards and the draw opens up after an inch or so and a fuller smoke production is now present. A floral aroma fills the cool Ohio air around me and I am greeted with sweet nutty flavors. The ash held tight through a good 2 inches before falling.
This is where it gets interesting. At the half way point there is a slow shift in flavor to what I would describe as a “Chunky Bar” (chocolate, raisin, nut) that eventually morphs into a chocolate covered cherry flavor. What a delightful and pleasant transition. The strength has also picked up considerably at this point to full and the smoke is smooth on the nose. The Caldwell Cigars, Long Live the King, is an extremely enjoyable smoke at this point.
The final third introduced a touch of pepper on top of the already delicious notes and eventually finishes with a peppery nut flavor.
It took me awhile to get my hands on this stick since I had the JV version and I am glad I did. The Long Live the King lives up to its name as I wanted it live longer. I guess I should try the Marquis next.
Overall the Caldwell Cigars, Long Live the King, may be a bit strong for a novice smoker but would please most any experienced one especially with the flavor shifts and creeping strength increase.
Caldwell Cigars – Long Live The King