The Good Stuff:

Boofy is back! Mr. Matt Booth caught everyone by surprised when he announced he was stepping away from the cigar industry earlier this year. Then once again, he surprised everyone by announcing he was back only this time he teamed up with one of the hottest names in today’s cigar industry, Robert Caldwell and Caldwell cigars. Together Caldwell and Booth plan on releasing two different blends this year. The first of which, the Hit and Run, is what we’ll be taking a look at today. Produced at Ecuadorian Habano in the Dominican Republic the Hit and Run features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Indonesian Binder, and Dominican filler. Caldwell prides itself on using rare and vintage tobaccos in each of their blends so I can only assume this goes the same with the Hit and Run. The cigar is featured in five sizes: Corona (6 x 46), Almost Robusto (4 3/4 x 52), Super Toro (6 x 54), Piramide (6 x 50), and the Perfecto (5 1/8 x 60 – You can read Jeff’s review of that format here). Each come packaged in boxes of 10 and run between $10.50 and $13.25 a stick with only 100,000 total cigars being produced. We got our over from our good friends at Fox Cigar Bar in Gilbert, Arizona. In case you haven’t heard they recently opened up their online store and already have one of the best selections out there. You can view the store here, shop Caldwell here, and check out this specific cigar here.

Size: 6 x 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Dominican Republic
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium
Price: $12.89
Pairing: Insurgente Xocoveza (Imperial Stout 8.1% ABV)

Prelight

The Hit and Run starts out with a gorgeously consistent medium brown wrapper that almost has a gold sheen to it. The wrapper is covered in thick oils and a small amount of grit. There are a few larger veins running through the cigar’s body but nothing too concerning. The cigar as a whole feels well packed, but not overdone while the wrapper feels very thin and delicate. I didn’t squeeze around too much cause of that, however there were no soft spots to be found from the foot to the tapered torpedo style cap. The Hit and Run sports a manilla band with the Room 101 style flower on the front embossed in gold as well as a secondary band with the word “101” across the front.

The wrapper on the Hit and Run gives off some strong oak aroma while the foot of the cigar releases much more natural tobacco/earthy scents. The cap cut clean and like butter using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The Hit and Run produces a ton of plum, oak, and sweetness on the cold draw. I’m surprised how much fruit is in here and really hope it translates into the smoking experience.

First Third:

The hit and run starts out with some very mild spice before transitioning into some deep oaky goodness mixed with the plum I was hoping to find, some soft sweetness, and honey over a natural tobacco-led makeup. As I smoked more into the cigar a nice vanilla begins to creep in. The draw as fantastic and each little puff kicks out a huge cloud of thick white smoke which doesn’t hang around for very long while the cigar itself releases a standard amount of stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin, and dead even leaving behind a trail of medium to light gray ash which was compacted enough to hold on for a inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

As I venture into the second third of the Hit and Run the dominant flavor is still the oak, backed by vanilla, honey, and some great cinnamon and coconut. It sounds like it tastes like some Hawaiian mikshake but add those flavors onto some natural tobacco and you’ll get the idea. The retrohale really helps bring out some of the spice that is buried deep within the smoke and its mild enough to retrohale quite often. I close out the second third with no nicotine kick, only a whole lot of happiness.

Finish:

All through the Hit and Run experience the cigar has been in the Medium range, but the body has really ramped up here in the final third throwing it steadily in the medium/full range now. The oak still leads the charge backed by the vanilla in strong second while the other flavors have really been holding their own. Lots of honey, cinnamon and earthy flavors with some subtle spice and citrus. This has really been a hell of a flavor profile. It took me two hours to smoke the Hit and Run down to the nub and I loved every second of it. There was no harshness, nor extended heat as I closed out the cigar with almost no nicotine kick at all.

Overview:

Without hesitation I can easily say The Hit and Run is one of the better cigars I have smoked all year. While keeping a mild temperament this cigar almost hit the full mark in body and that’s not something you encounter everyday. It’s as complex as it needs to be, without having to put too much thought into what you’re smoking. It kept me on my toes and never once had me asking for more. The price point is where you would expect it to be, and the limited availability makes it a hot commodity which will sell out very fast. So again, get yours from Fox Cigar Bar while you can.

Pairing:

This particular Xocoveza is not to be confused with Stone’s Xocoveza. This is the Mexican brewery Insurgente’s version of the beer. They partnered up with Stone to create their version of the Imperial Milk stout brewed with Cocoa, Coffee, Peppers, Vanilla, Cinnamon and Nutmeg. Yes, all that is in this beer and it’s incredible. All in all this version is a lot smoother, and tamer than Stone’s version. The beer leads off with cocoa and malt with sweet milk, vanilla, and cinnamon and a very light mouthfeel before finishing very sweet with more milk chocolate, vanilla, and just a dash of pepper. This is such a clean beer. It’s almost like driving a hard chocolate milk. It’s easy to see why I chose something so smooth to go down with the Hit and Run and it paired perfectly.

Giveaway:

Hooray! Another Giveaway! That’s right, we teamed up with the folks over at Fox Cigar Bar once again to deliver you guys some great cigars! This round we’ll be giving away a 5 pack of the Caldwell/Matt Booth Hit and Run we featured above. How to enter? Same as always. Hit the rafflecopter widget below and get this entries in. We’ll randomly choose a winner next Monday (October 2nd). Must be 21 and over, and live in the continental US.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Hit and Run by Matt Booth and Robert Caldwell + Giveaway! appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

-Tony

When Matt Booth of Room 101 fame announced his departure from the cigar business earlier this year, I didn’t think that he would reappear so quickly, but that he has, with not just one, but two new cigars.  The first to be released is the Hit and Run, in collaboration with Robert Caldwell, whose Caldwell brand has become a hit with serious cigar smokers.  The second line, called The Truth, is due out this month, and is a creation of Booth, Caldwell, and AJ Fernandez.  According to Cigar Aficionado,:

Booth plans on producing only 100,00 cigars from each brand (200,000 total) and is uncertain as to whether they will be produced in limited quantities afterward or if these are true one-and-done, limited-edition cigars.

‘We’ll see what the future brings,’ he said. ‘For now, this is what it is.’

Produced at Tabacalera William Ventura in the Dominican Republic, Hit and Run comes in five sizes: Almost Robusto 4¾ x 52, Corona 6 x 46, Super Toro 6 x 54, Piramide 6 x 50, and Perfecto 5⅛ x 60.  Coming in boxes of 10, prices run from $10.50 to $13.25.

I obtained a handful of the Hit and Run from our friends at Cuenca Cigars.

The Basics:

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Dominican Republic
Size: Perfecto 5⅛ x 60
Price: $13.25
Smoking time: One hour, fifteen minutes
Pairing: Boneyard Notorious IPA3 (ABV 11.5%)

Pre-light:

The Hit and Run Perfecto is nicely presented in a dark tan wrapper that is mostly uniform in color, save for very slightly darker portions at the foot and cap.  While most of the wrapper carries a very slight sheen, the darker areas appear to be a little glossier.  A few fine veins are apparent on the fine-toothed surface, and the pack of the Perfecto is solid.  There is a little “glitch” where one of the small veins hits the edge of the seam, which you may see in the photos, but I don’t anticipate that to be more than a superficial problem.  The main band has a Japanese-style floral mon (emblem) motif, with muted earth tones and gold on a cream-white background, a gold border, and “LTD” and “2017” also in gold.  The secondary band sports a stylized “101” in white on a gold backdrop, and together, they coordinate well with the wrapper color.  Taking a sniff of the wrapper, I pick up a vegetal earthiness, while I have a difficult time getting much more than natural tobacco from the small open area of the foot.  After clipping the cap, the Hit and Run gives up a draw that is a little snug, most likely due to the narrow opening of the foot, and gives up a nice sweet floral spice flavor.

First third:

The Hit and Run Perfecto gets off to a rather surprisingly mild start, with earth and oak on top of a natural tobacco base.  Pepper is pretty much nonexistent, even in the incredibly  smooth retrohale that features a light citrusy sweetness.  The burn line is, for the most part, sharp and even, leaving a trail of solid light gray ash.  As the cigar progresses into the wider portion of the perfecto shape, the flavors deepen, turning more savory with a bit of saltiness, as leather and toast appear on the retrohale.

Middle third:

As the Hit and Run reaches its widest point, it is still maxing out at a very smooth high-mild to low-medium body, but with enjoyably rich flavor.  A floral element, along with the slightest bit of char, has joined in to contribute a nice accent t the experience.  The ash has lasted for nearly half the length of the cigar before falling into my ashtray, and a hint of musk has also come into play, while the saltiness has exited.

Final third:

The Hit and Run enters its final narrowing section with a bump up in sweetness, while maintaining its enjoyable smoothness.  Although the info available on the tobaccos used in this cigar sound rather generic, it’s no secret that Robert Caldwell typically incorporates a number of well-aged and rare tobaccos in his blends, and I wouldn’t be surprised if those used in this cigar fall into that category.  Either the Hit and Run has suddenly ramped up in strength, or the high ABV of the beer has finally gotten to me, but I’m definitely feeling some effect – probably a little of both.  The char has become a little more pronounced, but mixes well with all of the other flavors.  With a little over an inch to go, a subtle bite finally shows up in the retrohale.  The Hit and Run smokes cool and firm, and with absolutely no harshness down to the nub, winding up at medium in both body and strength.

Final thoughts:

I smoked four of the five vitolas of the Hit and Run and enjoyed them all (still have the Piramide to go) and would love to have any of them on hand for a relaxing smoke, although this was probably the mildest of the ones I had.  The construction and burn on all of them was exemplary, and the flavors and smoothness of the smoke were definitely satisfying.  Lovers of big peppery smokes would most likely be a little disappointed by the lack of bombast, but the elegance of the Hit and Run is something that I found gratifying.  The price may be a little bit more than I’m usually comfortable with, but I can’t argue that it is worth it, especially when you take into consideration that it is – at least for now – a limited run stick.  If you’re a fan of rich and smooth mild to medium bodied cigars, I highly recommend picking up a few to try out while you can.

I now eagerly anticipate getting my hands on the Booth/Caldwell/Fernandez creation, “The Truth”.

Pairing:

I thought that I would take a chance on this pairing.  The triple (!) IPA Notorious from Bend, Oregon brewer Boneyard is an extremely rich and hoppy brew with a whopping 11.5% ABV, but I felt that the Hit and Run had enough stuffing to stand up to it.  Plus, I had this half-growler for a couple of weeks and needed to drink it up. J  Displaying big ripe orange and tropical fruit and resiny dank hop on a fairly heavy nectar-like body that easily counters the bitterness of the huge hop presence, the Notorious is a lush mouthful of beer goodness that will surprisingly go very well with a number of cigars and not just full-bodied sticks.  The only downer with the Boneyard Notorious is that it is a limited seasonal offering available only on tap.  It matched up beautifully with the Hit and Run, despite what might seem to be an overload of hops and big flavors, but the cigar held its own against the voluptuousness of the beer.  As with the beer’s versatility, the Hit and Run will also pair up well with a variety of beers such as a DIPA or Belgian Tripel, fruity bourbon, a Scotch that is low in smoky peat, or Irish whisky.

~Jeff Oda

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The Good Stuff:

The Caldwell Eastern Standard Midnight Express is the follow up release to the 2014 release of the Eastern Standard. The Midnight Express is ultimately a tweaked Maduro version of the Eastern Standard which features the same Ecuadorian Aracon Maduro wrapper as the previous released Last Tsar, only a lower priming. The rest of the cigar is made up from a Dominican Habano binder, along with Dominican corojo and criollo fillers. The Eastern Standard Midnight Express is created at the Tabacalera William Ventura factory in the Dominican Republic and is offered in 4 sizes: Per Se Corona (5.75 x 46), Jockey Club Robusto (5 x 50), Palais Royale Toro (6 x 52), and the Outernationalist Pyramide (6 x 50). They all come packaged in 20 count boxes ranging between $10 and $13.80 a stick and is slotted to be a full-production line. I picked a handful of these up at 2 Guys Smoke Shop.

Size: 5.75 x 46
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Aracon Maduro
Binder: Dominican Habano
Filler: Dominican Corojo, Dominican Criollo
Body: Full
Strength: Full
Price: $10
Pairing: Real Ale Black Quad (Quad 10.5% ABV)

Prelight:

The Caldwell Eastern Standard Midnight Express starts out with a very deep, dark brown, rustic looking wrapper. The color is consistently dark, reddish brown for the most part but does have a few darker splotches around the head of the cigar. The texture is very, very oily and smooth. I can literally see the oil residue left on my fingers as I hold the cigar. The wrapper feels decently dense and semi-hard while the entire cigar is packed pretty lightly making it easy to squeeze between my fingers. There are a few small veins, and lots of natural webbing in the wrapper leaf running through the body of the cigar up to the small, round, pigtail style cap. The Caldwell Eastern Standard Midnight Express features the same band design as the Eastern Standard, only in Black and Gold vs the White. The Caldwell Eastern Standard Midnight Express does feature a manilla foot band that simply states “Midnight Express” on it.

The wrapper on the Caldwell Eastern Standard Midnight Express gives off a very oaky, musky aroma while the foot of the cigar is much more natural with lots of earthiness, tobacco, and spice. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces some really oaky, musky flavors as well with some nice spice, and subtle sweetness.

First Third:

The Caldwell Eastern Standard Midnight Express starts off with only a minor black pepper punch which quickly faded after the first few puffs. What was left behind was a ton of deep oak and musk, lots of spice, some soft sweetness and wonderful cherry/berry flavors with just a bit of pepper on the aftertaste. The draw is perfect. It takes very minimal effort to get a great deal of thick smoke in my mouth while the cigar gives off almost no stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burnline is pretty thick, and slightly wavy while leaving behind a very beautiful, tightly compacted staggered black and medium gray ash which held on for about and inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Caldwell Eastern Standard Midnight Express and the cherry flavors have really began to show through the bold flavor palate. The cigar is also still pumping out the strong oak and musk as well as great spice, and soft sweetness. The flavor profile hasn’t changed up too much, but it’s very enjoyable so I am ok with that. The retrohale really piles on the oak as it and musk. The burnline is still a bit wavy, but not concerning as I close out the second third with a decent nicotine kick already.

Finish:

I had a few issues with the Caldwell Eastern Standard Midnight Express wanting to go out here in the final third. I remember having similar issues with the Last Tsar so it may just be characteristics of the Ecuadorian Aracon wrapper. Either way, it only happened a few times and speeding up my smoking speed corrected the issue so no problem there. The flavors are still bold in the musk, oak, and spice departments backed by cherry and sweetness. It took me almost two hours to take this cigar down to the nub, and I loved it. No extra harshness, no extra heat, and very little burn issues outside of the cigar trying to put itself out towards the end.

Overview:

I’ve been a big fan of most Caldwell releases to date, and the Eastern Standard Midnight Express is no exception. While The Eastern Standard is a tame, milder cigar, the Midnight Express version showcases just how potent that blend really is. It’s probably not something I’d recommend for for the Novice cigar smoker as it’s pretty powerful, and the price point may turn a few people off, but this cigar is great for the seasoned cigar smoker looking for an excellent ,premium, bold, cigar to add to their arsenal.

Pairing:

Real Ale’s Black Quad is a 10.5% ABV Black Quadruple ale produced in Blanco, Texas annually. While the recipe has been tweaked a bit in the last few years the beer’s character remains the same. The beer leads with some strong, sweetness and spice backed by tons of berry and plum with a very heavy mouthfeel before finishing even spicier with more plum and berry, malt, and some very tame clove and black licorice. The flavors in the beer married up wonderfully with the existing flavors in the Caldwell Eastern Standard Midnight Express while adding a bit more flavor to an already bold cigar. I loved it, I could also see this paired with a sweet belgian dubbel, a real spicy tawny port, or a sweet bourbon.

The post Caldwell Eastern Standard Midnight Express appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Casas Fumando is no stranger to Caldwell cigars. I have been on a mission to review as many of them as I possibly can and this week the Blind Man’s Bluff is at the plate. Caldwell hit the market last year and focuses on creating blends using rare, vintage, and limited tobaccos. The Blind Man’s Bluff is composed of an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over a Honduran Criollo binder and San Vincent Viso (Dominican), Honduran Criollo “Generoso” Ligero  fillers. The Blind Man’s Bluff is the first of a few lines produced at Davidoff’s Agroindustrias Laepe S.A. in Danli, Honduras vs. the usual Tabacalera William Ventura. Cigar Aficionado had some more information about this:

Caldwell Cigar Co. is expanding operations. The cigar company, founded by Robert Caldwell in early 2014, is finishing construction on a new factory in the Dominican Republic that is opening this week and preparing to launch four new cigar lines. Three of the lines, Sevillana Reserva, Gibraltar Extra and Muricas Especial, will be rolled at the new factory, appropriately named the Caldwell Cigar Factory. The fourth line is called Blind Man’s Bluff, and is made at Agroindustrias Laepe S.A. in Honduras, the same factory where Camachos are produced. The new cigars will debut at the 2015 International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers trade show in July.

“It’s been a crazy year so far,” Caldwell told Cigar Aficionado. “We’re excited about our new brands—and the cigar factory is in its final stages of construction. It will begin production this week.”

The core lines in Caldwell’s cigar portfolio are currently made at Tabacalera William Ventura, a small cigar factory in Tamboril, Dominican Republic. This week, those brands move to their new home at the Caldwell Cigar Factory, about a mile away from Tabacalera William Ventura. The Ventura family will still play a major role in Caldwell’s cigar production process.

The Caldwell Blind Man’s Bluff comes in four sizes: The Robusto (5 x 52), the Toro (6 x 52) and the Magnum (6 x 60) which all run for the modest (in Caldwell terms) price of $7.50 – $9.50 a stick. I picked up a few of these from the Caldwell team themselves at Fox Cigar Bar’s Foxtoberfest in Gilbert, Arizona a few months ago.

Size: 6 x 52
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Honduran Criollo
Filler: San Vincent Viso (Dominican), Honduran Criollo “Generoso” Ligero
Body: Full
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $8.50
Pairing: 2015 Goose Island Bourbon County Stout (Imperial Stout 14.3% ABV)

Prelight:

The Blind Man’s Bluff starts out with a very rugged, rustic looking wrapper. The wrapper is medium brown in color with lots of darker, and orange splotched areas scattered throughout. The wrapper’s texture is very, very toothy as it feels like sandpaper with a decent amount of oil splashed over it. There are a few medium sized veins running their course through the cigar’s body as it leads up to a beautiful, round, triple cap. The cigar is finished off with a classic, brown, Caldwell band featuring a thug looking character with his eyes scratched out, and the words “Blind Man’s Bluff” and “We Own the Night” embossed in gold ink. The cigar is very firm, and very tightly packed while the wrapper is extremely dense and hard. There are no soft spots to be found through the cigar’s body.

The wrapper on the Blind Man’s Bluff gives off some very subtle cedar, molasses, and sweetness while the foot of the cigar is very spicy with some strong pepper, and bold tobacco aromas. The cap cut clean and easily using my Palio double bladed cutter. The molasses and sweetness carried over to the cold draw with the same bold amounts of spice and pepper.

First Third:

Caldwell’s Blind Man’s Bluff starts out with a very potent black pepper blast which lasted through quite a few draws. After the pepper faded the cigar let loose some very strong oak, vanilla, espresso, sweetness, molasses and spice flavors. This cigar starts off full-bodied right out of the gate and I’m interested to see where it goes from here. The draw is flawless, each little puff kicks out a massive cloud of thick white smoke while the cigar burns like a while fire as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is a bit wild, and decently sharp leaving behind a very flaky trail of medium gray ash which held on for about 3/4 of a inch before falling into my lap. Gotta love when that happens.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Caldwell Blind Man’s Bluff and it’s still pouring on the flavor. The cigar leads with oak, vanilla, spice, and sweetness backed by espresso and molasses now. The flavor profile is incredible, the ash consistency is not. I ashed on my lap again… I won’t deduct from a review for that though unless its unescapable, which this is not. It’s just from my own laziness. The retrohale showcases the pepper that I picked up in the first third and it’s plentiful. I don’t find myself retrohaling this cigar very often. The burn line is still slightly wavy, but I haven’t had to reach for my torch yet as I close out the second third with a slight nicotine kick.

Finish:

The strength has been hovering around the medium region up into the final third of the Blind Man’s Bluff before it really ramps up into the upper medium/full range. The flavors are still holding their own too leading with oak, vanilla, sweetness and spice with some great chocolate and espresso on the back end. Despite the wild burn I never once had to touch up or relight the cigar. It took me almost 2 hours to take this slow-burning cigar down to the nub and I experience no harshness, extra heat, and a pretty decent little nicotine kick.

Overview:

Caldwell’s Blind Man’s Bluff is another great cigar from the company. They came flying out of the gate and haven’t slowed down. Add the price of this cigar in comparison to the other cigars in Caldwell’s portfolio into the equation and it’s easy to see why this cigar has been so popular amongst the cigar community. The flavors, full body, marketing, and price all lured me towards this cigar. Not to mention Caldwell’s track record, and it impressed me out of the gate. This may be a bit too full bodied for the novice cigar smoker, but it would fit in perfectly with one who wants to venture into full-bodied premium cigars without breaking the bank. On the flip side, and seasoned cigar smoker looking for a great, solid, reasonably priced cigar should be all over these. I plan on picking up a box as this is something I could easily see being a long-time contender in my daily rotation.

Pairing:

It’s a yearly thing for me. Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout needs no introduction. It’s a bold, rare, strong, bourbon barrel aged stout that is only available one day a year. People wait in line for it. People trade for it. People pay ridiculous prices for it. With good reason. The 14.3% stout leads with very bold chocolate, vanilla, coffee, bourbon, sticky sweetness, malt, and caramel with a very heavy mouthfeel before finishing heavy with lots of spice, bourbon, booze, vanilla, and a whole ton of sweetness. This is one of my favorite releases of the year and it always lives up to expectations. The spice, sweetness, vanilla, oak, and coffee paired absolutely perfectly with the flavors in the Blind Man’s Bluff. One thing to keep in mind is that this beer can easily overpower most cigars so you need to pair it with something that can hold it’s own.

The post Caldwell Blind Man’s Bluff appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Caldwell Last Tsar is a very limited edition blend created to celebrate the first anniversary of the company. Only 500 boxes are made and are only distributed to the first 49 accounts that setup shop with Caldwell when they hit the market last year. The Last Tsar is blended at Tabacalera William Ventura using a Hybrid Connecticut Arapiraca Maduro wrapper and undisclosed binder and filler although there is some Carbonell tobacco mixed in. Up into recently the cigar was only offered in a single 5.5 x 52 format but there is a 7 x 47 churchill en route to retailers as you read this. This format will actually be released in 1,000 boxes vs the 500 of the original format. I am not sure what the price point on the Churchill will be, but this standard belicoso format runs $18 a stick.

Size: 5.5 x 52
Wrapper: Hybrid Connecticut Arapiraca Maduro
Binder: Unknown
Filler: Unknown (but it is known to contain Carbonell Tobacco)
Body: Full
Strength: Full
Price: $18
Pairing: FiftyFifty Eclipse 2013 Buffalo Trace Barrel Blend (Imperial Stout 11.9% ABV)

Prelight:

The wrapper on the Last Tsar is a sight for sore eyes. It’s meaty, thick, rustic, and looks as though it’s seen some better days. That being said, some of the best cigars out are wrapped in tobaccos that are less than appealing. Beauty aside, the wrapper on the Caldwell Last Tsar is a very dark, reddish brown in color which is consistent for the most part with some minor darker areas surrounding the natural webbing in the leaf. There aren’t a lot of oils present, but the wrapper does have a toothier texture and a very hard makeup. Not only is the wrapper hard, but the cigar is packed very tightly created a solid feel in my hand. The cigar’s thick body leads of to a very sharp belicoso cap. The cigar is polished off with a very elegant white/manilla band with a photo of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia on the front as well as a small secondary gray band which reads “East is Everywhere” on the front.

The Caldwell Last Tsar’s wrapper gives off a very bold, musk and spice aroma while the foot of the cigar has lots of natural tobacco, pepper, and spice. The cold draw produces a whole ton of pepper, so much that it left my tongue tingling before I even lit the cigar up. The pepper was backed by some coffee, and natural tobacco.

First Third:

The Caldwell Last Tsar starts out with some slight black pepper which quickly fades into a deep musk, espresso, oak leather, and spice. I was expecting a lot more of a pepper zing from this thing seeing how potent the pepper was in the cold draw. The draw is a bit tight, but started opening up more after about a half inch in. It’s now releasing a decent amount of thick, white smoke with each puff. It still takes a little more effort that I’d prefer, but if this cigar is anything like the other’s I smoked from the same box, they will open up as I progress through the experience. The draw line is a bit wavy leaving behind a trail of compacted white and medium gray ash. The first ash happened less than a centimeter in, but then held on for about an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

As I expected the draw has really opened up in the second third of the Caldwell Last Tsar and so has the flavors. The cigar now boasts of deep oak, sweetness, blackberry, espresso and spice. It’s bold, but not over the top as the flavors really balance each other out. My pairing also introduces much more sweetness which helps push the profile. The retrohale is VERY sharp coating my nasal passage with a very strong pepper and oak. I won’t find myself doing it too often. The burn line has cleaned itself up quite a bit now and is now burning pretty even with some soft waves as I close out the second third with a very slight nicotine kick.

Finish:

The body and strength is still pouring on in the final third of the Caldwell Last Tsar. The flavors have gotten sweeter as the cigar progresses leading with oak and vanilla, backed by coffee, spice, and musk. I’m really enjoying the profile here. The strength has really taken a leap forward too. The burn line is still slightly wavy but I haven’t once had to touch up or relight the entire way. It took me about an hour and a half to take this cigar down to the nub (and I mean NUB, my fingers were on fire) and I close out with no harshness at all, no extra heat, and a decent amount of a nicotine kick.

Overview:

I was a bit skeptic going into the Caldwell Last Tsar. All the talk about a “bold”, “full bodied” cigar, while I thought Caldwell already had some bolder cigars in their portfolio had me wondering if the Last Tsar would be over-the-top strength, and no balance in flavors. I was wrong. The Caldwell Last Tsar delivers a very bold, yet very balanced profile which preformed flawlessly. Each time I smoke a Caldwell it’s been better than the next, and the Last Tsar is no exception. It’s a bold cigar for sure, with a hefty price tag so it may not be the best choice for a novice cigar smoker, but I think any seasoned smoker who can appreciate the rare tobacco, with a full-bodied experience should pick up a few of these. They won’t be disappointed.

Pairing:

FiftyFifty is the king of imperial stouts aged in various bourbon barrels. This particular selection was aged in Buffalo Trace barrels. The only way to tell which particular brew you scored is the distinct color differences on the melted wax around the beers neck. Coming in at 11.9% ABV this beer isn’t for the faint of heart. The FiftyFifty Eclipse leads with sweet vanilla, and milk chocolate with some slight barrel and a medium mouthfeel before finishing very sweet with lots of bourbon, oak, vanilla, malt, and chocolate with a very thick, sweet aftertaste. The beer really helped add a whole other level of sweetness to the flavor profile in the Caldwell Last Tsar. Other pairings would be any sweet, strong stout, a malty and sweet porter, or a sweet bourbon.

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The Good Stuff:

As we all should know by now, Caldwell cigars is founded by Robert Caldwell who is best know for his work with Christina Eiroa at Wynwood cigars. The King is Dead is the third cigar in the Caldwell portfolio (with more on the way). We’ve taken on the Long Live the King and the Eastern Standard and will do what we can to review the new blends on the way. Caldwell Cigars separates themselves from other cigar manufacturers by utilizing rare and vintage tobaccos in their blends. The King is Dead features a Negrito Dominican wrapper from 2008 with a Corojo Dominican binder from 2006 around Dominical Corojo Ligero from 2006, Dominican Negrito Viso from 2008 and HVA 20/20 from 2010. The Negrito tobacco isn’t used very often in other blends out today, and Caldwell states that it’s difficult to get this tobacco to play nice with other tobaccos in the blend, but the team over at Tabacalera Ventura made it happen. (Thanks Cigar Coop for the info). The King is Dead is packaged in boxes of 24 with the exception of the Broken Sword which comes in a box of 37. The blend is offered in four sizes: Broken Sword Negrito (40 x 5), Premier Negrito (50 x 5), the Last Pay Day Negrito (52 x 6 Torpedo) and the Supreme Negrito (52 x 7) running between $7 and $12 a stick. I got mine over from our good friends at Fox Cigar Bar in Gilbert, Arizona.

Size: 5 x 50
Wrapper: Negrito Dominicano 2008
Binder: Corojo Dominicano 2006
Filler: Corojo Ligero Dominicano 2006 (30%), Negrito Viso Dominicano 2008 (20%), and HVA 20/20 2010 (50%)
Body: Full
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $9
Pairing: Stone Farking Wheaton w00tStout (Imperial Stout 13% ABV)

Prelight:

Caldwell’s The King is Dead starts out with a very consistent medium-brown wrapper. The wrapper carries a few average sizes veins and a small amount of natural tobacco leaf webbing. The wrapper is laid seamlessly over itself with a very smooth texture, almost no tooth, and a decent amount of oils. The wrapper feels pretty thin a delicate while the cigar itself has a slight sponge feel to it as it leads up to a beautifully round, stubby, pigtail cap. The King is Dead is polished off with a manilla and gold band with gold metallic accents and “The King Is Dead” printed in black ink.

The wrapper on the King is Dead gives off a magnificent spice and syrup aroma while the foot of the cigar is just a bold with lots of pepper and spice over the same syrup and natural tobacco. The cap cut like butter under my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw is extremely bold featuring some pepper, spice, lots of musk, and some sweetness.

First Third:

Caldwell’s The King is Dead starts off with a decent little black pepper blast which quickly fades away as the cigar lets loose a crazy amount of bold flavor leading with some musky molasses, strong spice, brown sugar, and oak. The draw is perfect. Each little puff kicks out a great amount of thick white smoke while the cigar releases only a mild amount of stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is thin and solid leaving behind a trail of compacted medium gray and white ash which held on for an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

Into the second third of Caldwell’s The King is Dead and the flavors have started to mellow out a bit, but are still a bold bunch. The oak and dark chocolate lead the way with a good amount of espresso, spice, and sweetness over a great musk. The retrohale is very sharp with strong spice and oak. It’s a bit rough so I don’t find myself doing it too often. The cigar is burning like a champ, dead even, and I close out the second third with only a very slight nicotine kick.

Finish:

The strength and pepper really ramped up into the final third of the King is Dead. The flavors are still real bold and the oak and dark chocolate still lead the way accompanied by musk, molasses, espresso and some slight sweetness. It took me a little over an hour and a half to take the King is Dead down to the nub and I experienced absolutely no harshness. In fact, I am impressed with how balanced the cigar finished off. It left me with a little nicotine kick too, but nothing too bad.

Overview:

I’m only 3 blends deep into Caldwell’s portfolio but I’ve been impressed with each and every one so far. The King is Dead is a big, bold cigar that isn’t overpowering in any direction. The flavors are great, and complex but not overdone. It’s a great departure from the norm in terms of flavor while the burn experience was flawless. Caldwell mentioned that the Negrito tobacco didn’t play nice with others, but you wouldn’t be able to tell. The King is Dead burned like a dream. This cigar is a bit pricey, but as with most of Caldwell’s blends the tobacco is rare and hard to find so you kind of expect the higher price tag. The question is, “is it worth it?”. In the case of the King is Dead is most certainly is. This is a perfect cigar from seasoned smokers looking for something slightly different, but solid while this may be a bit more cigar than I would comfortably recommend to novice cigar smokers. Either way, they will easily find a way into my regular rotation.

Pairing:

Stone’s Farking Wheaton w00tStout has a strange name. But when you realize Drew Curtis (founder of fark.com), Wil Wheaton (yes, THAT Wil Wheaton), and Greg Koch (CEO &  Co-Founder of Stone) is behind this beer, it starts to make a little more sense. Coming in at 13% ABV this massive Imperial Stout isn’t for the faint of heart. Stone’s Farking Wheaton w00tStout leads with a very bold palate of dark chocolate, roasted malt, espresso, and spice with a very heavy mouthfeel before finishing just as bold with loads more dark chocolate, espresso, and a bit of booze with a cocoa aftertaste. This beer is bold, and strong, and I love it. It paired wonderfully with the bold presence of the King is Dead while the chocolate, spice, and espresso all married up flawlessly. In most cases, this beer can easily overpower cigars but since the King is Dead carries such a heavy body it was able to compliment it without overpowering.

The post Caldwell The King is Dead appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

As I stated in my review of the Long Live the King, Caldwell cigars are non-existent in these parts, but thanks to our friends at Fox Cigar Bar I was finally able to wrangle up a few. Caldwell cigars is the brain child of Robert Caldwell who is best know for his partnership with Christian Eiroa running Wynwood cigars. Last year the partnership had dissolved and Robert has since teamed up with Henderson and William Ventura of Tabacalera Ventura in the Dominican Republic to create his newest blends. One note is that Caldwell cigars often uses rare tobaccos and vintages to create their blends. The Eastern Standard features a Connecticut Hybrid Ecuadoriano (Dark Connecticut), a Habana Dominicano Binder, and Criollo ’98 Viso Dominicano, Corojo Dominicano Ligero, and Habano Seco Nicaraguense fillers.

The Eastern Standard comes packaged in boxes of 24 and is offered in three standard sizes: The Euro Express (5.5 x 44), the Corretto (5 x 50), and the Cream Crush (48 x 7) running between $9 and $11 a stick. There is also one limited edition size called the Silk Road (7.5 x 40) which runs $12 per stick with only 500 boxes of 24 produced and features a tweaked version of the original blend. On top of that, there is a shop exclusive size out there called the Marble House (5 x 40) which features the same tweaked blend as the Silk Road, and is only available at Maxamar’s Ultimate Cigars of Orange, California which comes in boxes of 37 and runs $7.50 per stick. I got a handful of the Euro Express format over from our friends at Fox Cigar Bar in Gilbert, Arizona.

Size: 5.5 x 44
Wrapper: Connecticut Hybrid Ecuadoriano
Binder: Habana Dominicano 2005
Filler: Criollo ’98 Viso Dominicano 2008 (30%), Corojo Dominicano Ligero 2006 (30%), Habano Seco Nicaraguense 2007 (40%)
Body: Medium
Strength: Medium
Price: $9
Pairing: Ommegang/Boulevard Spiced Saison (Saison 7.3% ABV)

Prelight:

I absolutely love the look of not only the bands, but the ruggedness of the Caldwell Cigars and the Eastern Standard is no exception. Starting with the rough, rugged texture the wrapper features a mix of medium to dark brown colors with some slight natural leaf webbing. The Eastern Standard carries some mild oils and a few larger veins running through the course of the cigar’s body to its round, stubby pig tailed, triple cap. The cigar is very firm and tightly packed with a bit of sponginess around the foot. The wrapper is a lot more dense than I come to expect with Connecticut leaf and is very firm to the touch. The Eastern Standard features a simple band with a sketched portrait of an older gentleman in black and white, surrounded by the words “Eastern – Live East” and “Standard – Die Young”.

The wrapper on the Caldwell Eastern Standard gives off almost no aroma. I really had to reach for it and all I pulled out was some soft cedar. The foot of the cigar is modest in aroma too but I was able to get some sweetness, spice, and natural tobacco from it. The cap cut clean and easily using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw produced a really piney, cedary, grassy mixture of flavors with some slight pepper at the tail end of it. The cigar lit up clean and easy using my S.T. Dupont Maxijet lighter.

First Third:

The first few puffs of the Caldwell Eastern Standard showcased some great, unexpended black pepper backed by a ton of sweet cedar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and earthiness. I wasn’t expecting the cigar to start out with as much flavor as it did. The draw on the Eastern Standard is awesome, each tiny puff kicks out massive clouds of very thick, white smoke which take forever to dissipate while the cigar gives off almost no stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin, and perfectly even leaving behind a trail of bright white ash which held up for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

The flavors in the Caldwell Eastern Standard have taken a step back into the second third, becoming milder and much more creamier. The cigar leads with some great cedar and brown sugar still with some nice creamed coffee notes, spice notes, and some slight grassy/earthiness buried in there. The retrohale rocks, coating my nasal passage with a really smooth cedar and cashew which I don’t really pick up in the standard experience. The cigar is still burning clean and even leaving me with absolutely no nicotine kick as I close out the second third.

Finish:

The body and strength have ramped it up a bit into the final third of the Caldwell Eastern Standard. The cedar has turned into more of a musky oak while the spice and earthiness are still rocking on with some nice coffee underneath. There isn’t a lot of changeups in the flavor profile of this cigar, but the flavors have remained enjoyable. It took me about an hour and fifteen minutes to smoke this cigar down to the nub and I experienced absolutely no harshness nor any type of nicotine kick through the entire experience.

Overview:

The Caldwell Eastern Standard is a great mild cigar. It’s not going to wow you in the flavor department, nor is it going to punch you in the face with strength, and that’s ok. Let the other cigars in their portfolio do that. The Eastern Standard delivers a solid smoking experience. While I tend to gravitate more towards bolder cigars, I can see having a few of the Eastern Standard in my rotation for the times I am craving a mild smoke, especially early in the morning or early afternoon. The price point is a bit high on this one for me, but that goes along with Caldwell’s reach into rare and limited tobaccos. Pick a few up, let me know what you think.

Pairing:

Tis the season for Saisons! That being said, there are two breweries in the U.S. who brew up Belgian style, Saisons like no other. Those two breweries are Ommegang from New York, and Boulevard from Kansas City and they both teamed up to create the 7.5% ABV Spiced Saison. The Spiced Saison is almost closer to a tripel in terms of flavor in my opinion, leading with lots of celery, citrus, banana, and brown sugar with a dense mouthfeel before finishing crisp with some nice lemon, caramel, and more fruity goodness. This was a refreshing pairing. It’s in the upper 80’s here so I wanted something that wouldn’t be too heavy while adding some great flavors to the Caldwell Eastern Standard and not overpowering it since it’s not the boldest smoke out there, and the Spice Saison was absolutely perfect. This cigar would also pair great with some black coffee, marzen, or a nice porter.

The post Caldwell Eastern Standard appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Well, thanks to a great friend I finally got my hands on some Caldwell cigars. They are pretty hard to find in these parts. Robert Caldwell, owner of Caldwell cigars is best known for his partnership with Christian Eiroa running Wynwood cigars. Last year the partnership had dissolved and Robert has since teamed up with Henderson and William Ventura of Tabacalera Ventura in the Dominican Republic to create his newest blends. One note is that Caldwell cigars often uses rare tobaccos and vintages to create their blends. The Long Live the King features a Dominican Corojo wrapper from 2008, and Dominican Corojo Binder from 2009, and a flock of rare fillers: Dominican Corojo Ligero from 2006 (50%), Viso Pelo Oro Peruno from 2008 (10%), and a Nicaraguan Habano from 2007 (40%).

The Caldwell Long Live the Kings is offered in 4 sizes: The Heater: (5 3/4 x 46), The Petit Double Wide Short Churchill: (6 x 52), The Marquis: (6 x 60) and the My Style is Jalapeño: (7 1/4 x 40). Each size comes in boxes of 24 and run from $9 to $12 a stick. I got a handful of these from out great friends over at Fox Cigar Bar in Gilbert, Arizona.

Size: 5 3/4 x 46
Wrapper: 2008 Dominican Corojo
Binder: 2009 Dominican Corojo
Filler: 2006 Dominican Corojo Ligero, 2008 Viso Pelo de Oro Peruno, 2007 Nicaraguan Habano
Body: Full
Strength: Full
Price: $9
Pairing: Ninkasi Vanilla Oatis (Oatmeal Stout 7.2% ABV)

Prelight:

The Caldwell Long Live the King starts out with an absolutely gorgeous, consistent dark brown wrapper. There are a few noticeable darker areas surrounding the foot and the natural webbing in the cigar. The cigar carries a very rugged texture with some soft tooth, and a whole ass-ton of oils. The wrapper sports only a few smaller veins through its slender body as it leads up to a beautiful round, triple cap with a stubby little pig tail at the end of it. The cigar feels very firm, and very tightly packed with no soft spots at all while the wrapper feels pretty stable and thick.

The wrapper on the Caldwell Long Live the King gives off a bold pepper, spice, and cashew aroma while the foot of the cigar releases a very sharp pepper which made my nose tingle with some great cedar underneath. The cap cut very clean and easily using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw wasn’t nearly as pepper-filled as I was expecting as it produced a more nutty/grassy flavor with some slight spice and pepper underneath.

First Third:

The Caldwell Long Live the King starts out with some smooth cayenne pepper, which like the cold draw wasn’t nearly as potent as I was expecting. The pepper quickly made it’s exit and I was left with a lot of cashew, cocoa, vanilla, spice and cedar. The cigar starts out very bold right off the bat in both the flavor, and strength departments. The draw is perfect despite how tightly this thing it packed. Each little puff kicks out a thick cloud of white smoke. The burn line has a ton of small waves, but if you average them all out it’s burning pretty solid and I don’t see any immediate problem areas. The ash left behind is a bit flaky and medium gray in color. It only held on for about 3/4 of an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Caldwell Long Live the King and I’m impressed with how bold this cigar is. The flavors haven’t really switched up much, still leading with lots of cedar, cashew, vanilla and cocoa with some nice pepper, spice, and some great honey. I’m not picking up the sweetness from honey, only the flavor, in fact the flavor profile of the cigar is quite dry (like dry wine, not dry as in moisture). The burn line is still a bit wacky, and probably do to the amount of Ligero in the cigar it has gone out on me twice. I’m not bothered by that at all, but I need to remember to pick up the pace to keep this bad boy lit. The retrohale is really bold showcasing a lot of the pepper I picked up in the pre-light. I am already feeling a decent little nicotine kick as I close out the second third of the Caldwell Long Live the King.

Finish:

The Caldwell Long Live the King is still rocking hard. The flavors are still very much the same. Lots of cocoa, cedar, vanilla, and cashew with some nice spice and honey but there has also been the introduction of a very bold musk into the final third which adds an unbelievable amount of character to the profile. It took me an hour and forty five minute to smoke this thing, it burns really, really slow and I experienced absolutely no harshness build up into the final inch. The Long Live the King left me with a hell of a nicotine kick, so be ready for it.

Overview:

This is the first of many Caldwell cigars I hope to review in the near future, and it was a great one. I’m all about full flavor/full strength cigars that don’t overwhelm you in either direction and the Long Live the King did just that. The bold flavors with a slight complexity made for an interesting experience that kept me wanting more while the full strength kept me wide awake. It’s not a cigar for the faint of heart and would probably be a bit too powerful for the novice cigar smoker, but I really think that more seasoned cigar smokers would love to take this cigar for a spin. It’s a bit pricey, the it delivered enough for the price and I expect this cigar to have a place in my regular rotation.

Pairing:

Our partner Jeff and I have been trading beers left and right over the course of the last year or so, and this is one of the many he has sent my way. Big thanks Jeff, I’m all about trying beers I would never really get a chance to otherwise. The Ninkasi Vanilla Oatis is a 7.2% ABV Oatmeal Stout with vanilla bean added at different intervals throughout the brewing process. The beer starts out with heavy chocolate, coffee, and roasted malt with a very heavy mouthfeel finishing with a slight hop, mild vanilla, a ton of brown sugar and malty goodness. The pairing was easy as I knew the chocolate and vanilla would match up well with the cocoa and vanilla in the Long Live the King, while the beer was bold enough to keep up with the pace the cigar was setting. I think the Long Live the King would also pair great with a bold, black coffee, rich tawny port, or a bold porter.

The post Caldwell Cigars Long Live the King appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.