It’s a funny name for Caldwell’s best-rated cigar – the king here isn’t dead after all – instead, a new cigar industry success story is just getting started! The Caldwell brand was only launched in 2014, and right off the bat, they nailed this blend, earning a 93 rating for the King Is Dead smoke, which was named the #19 cigar of 2015 on Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 list.
The blend includes some interesting and rare tobaccos, including HVA 20/20, a Cuban hybrid developed by Leo Reyes in the Dominican Republic. The wrapper is another product of the DR called “Negrito” tobacco, so this smoke is a Dominican puro. The smoke is medium bodied, with flavors of earth and coconut, as well as maple and barbeque sweetness.
As Caldwell has explained, the company is approaching cigar making a bit differently. In fact, they think of themselves not as a brand, but as a movement. While many businesses can say that, it all comes down to whether the company actually walks the walk and does things differently in adherence to a particular principle. For Caldwell, one of those principles is focusing on special blends that feature tobaccos you can’t get anywhere else, and using them in partnership with others in the industry that can help bring something new to smokers. In Robert Caldwell’s own words, “The purpose of Caldwell Cigars is to go wherever we must to find the most exotic flavors we can.”
In this case, it was the Dominican Republic and some intriguing strains of tobacco that bring something a little different to this cigar. Is Caldwell really splitting the throne with this one? Are they coming after the industry kings with serious firepower? That’s for you to decide.
Please browse our selection of Caldwell The King Is Dead cigars at your leisure.
