When it comes to Nicaraguan cigar royalty, the virtuous talents of third-generation cigarmaker AJ Fernandez have seen him create some of the most acclaimed lines in the light ‘em up industry.
This Caldwell cigars review sees us shift our focus to his Nicaraguan interpretation of Caldwell’s popular Long Live the King blend, which sees Fernandez work alongside another master blender in Robert Caldwell.
Created in 2014 as “a business built on friendship and fun”, Caldwell and his cohorts have enjoyed a meteoric rise, owing to their expertly aged tobaccos and complex bends that provide year-over-year consistency in flavor and experience.
The original Long Live the King was a full-bodied and complex smoke, with rich flavors of chocolate, burnt toffee, leather, and peppery spice, rounded off with a smidge of sweetness.
It’s a fantastic example of a Dominican Corojo cigar, so I was beyond intrigued to see how Fernandez would succeed as ‘heir to the throne in terms of rolling out something a little different to what had gone before.
Cigar Specs
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Strength: Full
- Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
- Binder: Nicaraguan
- Filler: Nicaraguan
- Smoke Time: 80 minutes
- Sizes Available:
What is the construction like?
Fernandez was similarly responsible for providing a twist on another limited edition cigar from Caldwell – The King is Dead. He took the original artwork and put his own imaginative stamp on it, which is also the case here.
On the band, there’s now a light peach background that serves as the ceremonial seat, with gold foil for the oversized crown that appears to obscure the ‘King’s’ sight (ironically the man depicted looks like a young Elvis in the midst of derision).
I don’t think these changes bring anything extra or exceptional to its appearance, but the Caldwell essence is still there, and ultimately, that’s what really matters.
The spicy Habano wrapper leaf is A warming, milk chocolate brown color with slight veins and a significant barnyard aroma. It cloaks a core of carefully aged Nicaraguan long-filler and binder tobaccos. There’s a rich earthy smell coming from the foot, so let’s see if this followed on into the pre-light draw.
Thoughts on the cold draw
The cold draw was memorable. After I’d clipped the cap, there were cedar and dark chocolate notes, with a subtle dash of red pepper.
What I thought to the cigar’s flavors
In terms of quality and producing an elaborate and enjoyable flavor profile, the second coming of the Long Live The King is right up there with the firstborn. There was a generous helping of spice, leather, cedar, some terrific earthy notes, and a dash of cracked pepper.
The complexity and transitioning throughout were fantastic – this is a cigar most definitely fit for a king.
First third
There was no waiting queue once I’d fired up. Uninhibited notes of sweet cedar, summer hay, and red pepper flakes came at my palate. There was a small earthy note floating around in the background, which carried greater weight later on in the third.
Second third
The peppery heat had been turned up a notch as the spice became more rich and bold upfront. A gentle chocolate sweetness appeared in the blend to help balance it out, while the earth and cedar had retreated, yet remained subtle enough to ask questions of my tastebuds.
Final third
Moving into the final hurrah, some of those cold draw flavors I’d experienced earlier began to transmit into the lit profile. There was hay (this time the damp variety), leather, and an earthy, woodsy note that had been consistent throughout the smoke, but it had been getting progressively stronger.
There were some sweet spices on both the finish and retrohale that showcased depth and complexity, giving me the urge to light up another.
How strong is the Long Live The King by AJ Fernandez?
The strength, body, and flavors stayed smack in the middle for virtually my whole experience. Depending on your If you live your stogie life looking for a simple, easy-going smoke, you will need to look elsewhere. This cigar is full-bodied with a rich full flavor – towards the end I even felt sharp nicotine hits.
Final thoughts
With only 250 boxes made for each of the four sizes, this is a cigar that seasoned smokers must sample before it becomes a part of history. If you enjoyed the original, then give its loaded, spicy, and complex sequel a try for something a little special to savor. Be quick – this won’t hang around for long!
