The Caldwell La Barba Ricochet cigar is “bouncing off the walls” of a previous blend. It originally was going to be called the “Primitivo,” inspired by the dark Italian wines that use Primitivo grapes. Unfortunately, another cigar company has already scooped up the trademark, so the cigar had to be renamed.
Fortunately for Tony Bellato, inspiration comes up eternally, like bubbles in a lively glass of champagne.
This release from La Barba is the boldest cigar to date. The Caldwell La Barba Ricochet holds nothing back, featuring a potent and spicy Mexican San Andrés wrapper, an exotic Indonesian binder, and a kick-ass filler mix from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Pennsylvania.
Our sense is that La Barba is a collaboration where the primary blending efforts come from Bellato and distribution and other services come through Caldwell and affiliated companies (for those that are confused by the branding here). Bellato has a lot of family history in cigars, thanks to a father and grandfather who own cigar shops in Ohio. The launch of his own cigar brand only kicked off in 2010, however, so there’s still a good amount of value to be gained by partnerships with more established companies like Caldwell.
He reports that the Caldwell La Barba Ricochet cigar is inspired by Italian zinfandel. Wine fans will know that this type of vino has inspired a great many other things in the world, too, so it’s a fantastic place to start. Starting with great wine paid off in this case, as the blend received a solid 90-point rating from Cigar Aficionado. The flavors are robust and complex, featuring paprika spice, fruitiness, pine, butterscotch, and lots more. It’s a heck of a cigar and one that really earns its name. Catch this bullet right between your teeth, muchacho.
Please browse our selection of Caldwell La Barba Ricochet cigars at your leisure.
