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Caldwell Cigars

Blind Review: Caldwell Lost & Found Plume

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Caldwell Cigars Lost & Found series are what Robert Caldwell calls blends he’s “Found” and re-banded for one off releases. I’ve found that some are truly unique smokes, not just in their packaging but in their flavor profiles as well. Conversely, some Lost & Found cigars likely wouldn’t be missed by me if they stayed “lost”. In either case, what makes these releases special is that proceeds from each Lost & Found project goes to different charities to help those in need. With Plume—blind reviewed today—proceeds help raise money for inner-city education. 

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Caldwell Lost & Found Plume Robusto
  • Wrapper: Dominican Habano
  • Binder: Dominican ’98 Crillo
  • Filler: Unknown
  • Size: 5” x 52 (Robusto)

Appearance & Construction

The Caldwell Lost & Found Plume Robusto has a veiny rustic dark wrapper. The roll is firm and the tobacco to the touch indicates it has well organized filler leaves throughout. The foot smells of cedar with very little else coming through.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

With a Xikar scissor I take a delicate slice to the cigar and proceed to take a dry draw. The first few puffs of the cold draw give off cedar and wood notes in unremarkable fashion.  My Xikar EX single flame toasts the wrapper where the first full draw summons pencil lead, earth and some sweetness to start. Where the pencil lead ends some almond flavors take shape in addition to oak and some leather. The smoke production is full and the profile at medium. A retrohale sends some white pepper and dank hay through the nostrils. Some sweetness on the finish returns along with graphite notes lingering on the tongue.

The Caldwell Lost & Found Plume seems to burn at a fast rate despite actually smoking at a leisurely pace. At the second third, leather and oak dominate with an overwhelming volume of smoke. The burn line wavers a bit as I take another slow draw, with wood and a buttery finish. There is also a bit of espresso in between the oaky profile that, while short lived, is pleasing to the palate. An additional retrohale yields earth, cedar and pencil lead notes. The body continues to be medium in length with the flavors coming through similar to the beginning of the smoke.

As the cigar works its way to its final third, pretzel and a bready profile develop with a smoky characteristic. The breadlike qualities continue in addition to a creamier mouthfeel that seems to tone down the strength of the cigar. Secondary flavors emerge with some cocoa coming through that lead to a charry finish. Towards its end there is some bitterness in additional puffs while the wood flavors became muddled in between. As I take a last draw, cedar is present with a short lackluster finish. A not too terribly complex robusto.

Conclusion

I applaud the charitable nature of the Caldwell Lost & Found Plume Robusto. In terms of the flavor profile, as with many Lost & Found Releases that I’ve smoked, this blend becomes one of those examples that if a blend wasn’t great to begin with, age usually won’t do a whole lot to change it. The Plume robusto started off with pencil lead, wood and some pepper and then never deviated much from those flavors. With the exception of the charry finish on the last third, the cigar wasn’t displeasing, just uninspiring.

If you have a charitable nature, give this a try as you’ll be helping a good cause and the cigar will be easy to smoke. If you are looking for a better example of what Caldwell and the Lost & Found series can deliver, I suggest looking at other blends.

Final Rating: 88

Casa by Caldwell CdM Exclusive Review

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Up for review is another cigar from Caldwell Cigar Co. If you’ve read any of our other reviews of Caldwell product, you know that we’ve got a soft spot for this brand. After arriving on the cigar scene a few years ago, the company has proven time and again that it can produce full bodied cigars of the highest quality.

Casa by Caldwell is the company’s first “exclusive,” meaning a blend creating exclusively for a single retailer. In this case, the honor of Caldwell’s first exclusive goes to Casa de Montecristo, one of the largest chains of high end cigar lounges in the USA.

Blend Specifics

  • Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Claro
  • Binder: Sumatra
  • Filler: Dominican Republic
  • Size: 6 x 50 Toro

Appearance & Construction

The Casa by Caldwell is, like other Caldwell cigars, wonderfully presented. The outer Sand Andres wrapper is thick and leathery, with a dark, inviting complexion. Off of the foot there are strong scents of dust, cedar, black pepper, and savory meats. The cold draw on the other hand is subdued, with some granola and dark chocolate. The draw is perfect, about a 7/10 in terms of amount of restrictiveness. Let’s light up.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

Casa by Caldwell kicks off with rich, medium bodied smoke, and excellent smoke production to boot. To start, there’s a healthy dose of dark chocolate on the palate met in equal force with oak, giving the flavor profile a character that is satisfyingly high in bitterness and in sweetness. On the tip of the tongue there are some grilling spices, while charred wood and pepper make up the lions share of the retrohale. Construction is on point, with the ash only waving a touch as I near the end of the first third. 

Overall, I really love the combination of creamy chocolate, bitter wood, and savory spices.  It’s an excellent way to start the cigar. It’s got a heft and heartiness to it that’s hard not to love. 

Unfortunately, that experience doesn’t continue for long. About 20 minutes into the cigar, the flavors shift dramatically, with charred wood and black pepper dominant. Layered beneath are notes of espresso, stone minerality, and some of that dark chocolate. But overall I feel like I’m smoking a barbecue, which is great but also betrays a lack of balance with the overly dominant pepper influence. 

As the second ash drops near the start of the second third, the pepper and oak settle down to more manageable levels, allowing a silky espresso note to come to the forefront along with a slight savory note. There’s still plenty of hot red pepper on the tip of the tongue, with more espresso on the retrohale. The cigar is now just above medium bodied, medium strength. 

The Casa by Caldwell continues on in similar fashion, with no lapses in construction all the way up to the final third. The smoke begins heating up, while red pepper, more charred oak, and Mexican chocolate make up the profile. With an inch and a half left, the heat ramps up quickly, providing a good opportunity to set the cigar down. 

Conclusion 

Casa by Caldwell is a winner in my book. Although not always balanced, the flavor palette of charred oak, espresso, dark chocolate, pepper and spice is delicious. This is a damn good cigar, and Casa de Montecristo should be proud to have been given the honor of playing host to Caldwell’s first exclusive. 

Final Rating: 90

All Out King’s Give Me Your Lunch Money Review

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To me, Caldwell Cigar Co‘s brand is most easily defined by the great artwork on the bands, the eclectic naming conventions (as evidenced in this review), and with producing cigars that are rich, complex, and full bodied. Today’s review focuses on the All Out King’s “Give Me Your Lunch Money.” The cigar is produced at the Drew Estate factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, and features tobaccos from an array of countries, including Indonesia.

All Out King’s is the company’s first collaboration project, and, given Caldwell’s unorthodox brand, Drew Estate seems like a fitting partner in crime.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: All Out King’s “Give Me Your Lunch Money”
  • Wrapper: Connecticut Stalk Cut and Sun Cured Habano Wrapper
  • Binder: Indonesian Sumatra
  • Filler: Jalapa Viso, Esteli Viso, Dominican C-98 Seco, and Connecticut Broadleaf Ligero
  • Size: 5 3/4″ x 46

Appearance & Construction

The All Out King’s Give Me Your Lunch Money sports one of the most visually unique wrappers I’ve seen… ever. The variation of colors is stunning, with the leaf alternating between a light reddish brown and dark brown all around the cigar. The texture is interesting as well. There’s a light oily layer, but a visual toothiness that makes the wrapper feel leathery to the touch.

After using a straight cut to cut the cigar, the draw seems to be a touch tight, about an 8/10 in terms of amount of restrictiveness. The cold draw has some granola and oats, but the aroma off of the foot is much stronger, with dry cedar, cocoa beans, and some white pepper rounding it all out.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

Give Me Your Lunch Money (or GMYLM for practicality’s sake) kicks off with hearty medium bodied smoke. Smoke production is good, but not quite voluminous. From a flavor standpoint, the cigar lands more toward the bitter end of the flavor spectrum, though there is a bit of sweet cocoa and a salty buttered popcorn that pops in the aroma. The base notes are bitter cedar, finely-ground black pepper and pencil lead. One thing that really catches my eye though as I smoke through the first inch is that it is mainly the back/sides of my palate that are activated by the cigar, instead of the center and tip of the tongue which is more common. As the cigar burns on, a straight white ash develops with a great burn.

Just past the first inch mark, the bitter elements of the flavor profile really ramp up, leading me to take a quick break to grab a glass of water. Body at this point is at about medium, but I find the flavor strength to be way up at full. The smoke is chock full of oak and black pepper on the palate (perhaps a bit overdone) with with contrasting aromas of popcorn, floral, and dark stone fruits in the aroma. The retrohale is similarly aggressive, with heavy pepper and charred oak making up most of the flavor.

The second third of GMYLM is mostly the same, with the body staying at medium and flavor staying near full. The smoke has a chalky texture, with predominantly bitter notes of oak, pepper, minerality, and some slight sweetness. There is a white pepper note that’s introduced, mainly activating on the tip of the tongue. Overall though, it’s more of the same, and at this point I’m finding the bitterness of the profile to be taxing on my palate.

In the final third of the All Out King’s GMYLM, the flavors finally come into a bit more balance, with oak and pepper joined by dark chocolate, savory spices, and sweet floral. The retrohale features red pepper and generic wood. Construction remains just about perfect, with a straight burn circling the cigar and the ash holding easily for more than an inch. Not a bad way to end, but too little too late.

Conclusion

While All Out King’s “Give Me Your Lunch Money” has some good qualities to speak for it, finesse is not one of them. If you’re looking for an elegant smoke, this is not it. But if you’re a full bodied cigar smoker, it’s worth a shot. For me, though, as much as I’ve loved just about everything I’ve smoked from Caldwell, this cigar would have to land on the bottom end of that list. The bitter, oaky elements of the smoke were just too aggressive, rarely letting up to allow other flavors a chance to shine.

Final Rating: 83