Pre-light Experience

The toro is rolled incredibly well and is finished with a fantastic triple cap. It is a very well defined triple cap and sometimes that’s not the case. The cigar is firm in hand and wrapper applied well. The color itself is a cross between Natural and Colorado and it has this antique reddish brown coloring to it with lighter coloring towards the veins. The wrapper is giving off a faint aroma of spices and it is complimented by wood, leather and tobacco notes. The foot has a similar woody and tobacco aroma but it is paired with some raisin notes and a barnyard characteristic. There is a nice cold draw to the cigar and I am getting some additional hay notes there.

First Third

The first third begins by showing some grassy qualities with a nice woody flavor profile that has this oak barrel touch to it. I am picking up some cream qualities with that and it has a finish of rich earth that is nutty as well. Very little spice present, and it makes for an extremely smooth smoking experience. It is complex, balanced and flavor focused. I would classify the cigar as being around the medium to medium-full level in all areas and I am very impressed. Construction is solid as well and I am getting a fairly even burn line with a firm charcoal colored ash on the end.

Second Third

I am in the second third of the cigar now and finding a nice shift in the flavor profile. There is a rise in the spice and pepper notes in this third and they are pairing well with the oak and earth notes from before. There is a rise in tobacco qualities as well and there is that nutty quality on the finish, though not as sweet. The cream flavors have faded some also and the transitioning has been fantastic. I would classify the cigar as being medium-full in all areas now and it remains flavorful, balanced and complex. The burn line has gone downhill a little in this third, but not that much and it is still producing a charcoal ash that is holding on firmly to the end.

Final Third

When I get into the final third, I find there is a slight change in the flavor profile again with the cigar. It still has that spice which was present in the second third but it is pairing with some grassy notes which were present in the first. I am getting a woody and creamy quality as well, and it has a nice finish that shows some lemongrass, nuts and tobacco. It is a complex blend and throughout has been flavor focused. The final third is balance and complex and I love the finish. I would classify this third as being medium-full, similar to that of the second third and the construction now is dead on producing an even burn line with that nice charcoal colored ash.

Burn

For the most part, the cigar smoked great. I had no problems in the first and final third, but a minor issue in the second third. In the giant scheme of things though, it was not a problem and this was a well rolled cigar. It’s only if you really want to get picky that you can have complaints. Given where this cigar was made though, I am not surprised by the construction of the cigar.

Draw

From beginning to end, the cigar had a great draw and it was not too loose or tight. As mentioned earlier, this is a well rolled cigar and that shows in the draw. It smoked naturally slow, so you really got to enjoy the tobaccos in the blend and experience the flavors.

Overall

This is possibly one of the best Caldwell releases I have had, and the blend smokes well throughout the line. Whether you go for a smaller or larger ring gauge, the flavors generated are complex and possess a great bit of depth. There is transitioning from beginning to end and it is a flavor focused cigar. I would love to know the tobaccos in the blend, I am not even going to try guessing, but not knowing is part of the enjoyment. It is a blend that needs some time aging though and I believe it smokes better after being stored at a lower humidity level. It may not be a cigar that really speaks to that everyday American smoker, but it is a cigar that speaks to a cigar connoisseur. I know, that may offend some people but I don’t care. Some cigars are meant to be made for the serious smokers.

Seth Geise

SCORE

9.20

Cost/Point

$1.60

Scoring System

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