Vitola: Corona
Size: 5″ x 40 ring gauge
Price $7.00
Obtained From SmallBatchCigar.com as a review sample
Background
The Eastern Standard is one of the “Caldwell Collection” which is the higher grade line being distributed by Caldwell Cigar Co. This blend was released in three different sizes; a robusto, a corona gorda, and a Churchill. Ammar and Drew at Maxamar’s/Small Batch thought that this blend would do well in the Broken Sword (corona) size of The King is Dead blend and were able to convince Robert to make this size specifically for the shop. At this point this cigar is limited to a production of 100 boxes of 37 each for a total of 3,700 cigars. These cigars just arrived last week and I was able to pick up a couple on Saturday when I was there. Dave did a review on the Churchill here. These cigars are comprised of the same blend as the others with a habano, criollo and corojo filler, a habana binder with a Connecticut-Ecuadorian hybrid wrapper. This was the second one of these I smoked.
Prelight
The wrapper on this sample was a medium-light brown with a slight amount of golden highlights. The wrapper also had some tooth and oils to it, similar to what I’ve been seeing on a lot of the wrappers coming out of Ecuador recently. There were only scattered veins showing. When I gave it a squeeze it was fairly firm without any soft spots. Putting my nose to the wrapper I could detect light hay from the wrapper with light barnyard from the foot. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I got a good draw with hints of wood and cinnamon.
Flavor
The cigar start off with a good amount of red pepper spice especially on the retrohale with flavors of wood, green herbs, leather and cream on the tongue. After about 1/2″ the spice died down quite a bit. The cigar started off medium in strength. As I moved into the second third I noted flavors of wood, leather, green herbs, cinnamon, and cream with at fairly sweet finish. The strength built a bit into the medium-full range. The spice started to build back up again. The flavors in the final third didn’t change a whole lot other than the cinnamon and sweetness did build to where they were the dominant flavors. The spice built back up to where it was at the beginning. I did have something happen that I don’t remember happening all that often, my whole mouth was tingling. This wasn’t intense or unpleasant but something that I don’t normally experienced. The cigar finished off at medium-full strength.
Construction
When I started the draw was a little tighter than I liked, which was something I experienced on the first one. Using my Xikar MTX to poke a whole in the center of the filler solved this problem. The burn was a little uneven but didn’t need any correcting.
Value
A flavorful well made cigar at $7 is a great deal in my opinion
Conclusions
Overall I quite enjoyed this cigar. I think that it would be a great cigar to have with a cup of coffee in the morning. I don’t know whether this or the Corretto (robusto) is my favorite size. I guess I’ll have to compare them again. I would suggest that if you like the Eastern Standard you give this a try. If you’re interested head over to SmallBathCigar.com to pick them up as they are the only place you can get them. And remember our discount code ‘leafenthusiast’ still works.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
nice review! sounds like a really good stick for the $.
Great write-up, and kudos to all those who encourage these fine cigar makers to make smaller RG cigars.
Gotta admit Caldwell is hot! They are putting out some great smokes!
Love to try this one. Great write up Keith.
This entire line of cigars is one that I have not tried but I am very intrigued by them. Got to pick myself up some of the Caldwell line. Being new here I am going over to check out David’s review of the Churchill.
I have been smoking more and more Corona sizes. I really enjoy the smaller RG. Sounds like a winner of a cigar and a good price point as well.
$7? Thats got to be a winner
Have some on the way
Havent tried any of the Caldwell Cigars but have read/heard good things about them. Guess this makes it to the list of have to tries.
Would like to try. Heard both good and not so good. Worth a try ! Thanks for the review.
Have just started to read about this cigar, I will put this on my list. Thanks for the review.
And that’s $7 in California. A bargain!
Great review, I ended up with one of these today so I’ll be giving it a try at some point in the future.
Picked up one of these yesterday haven’t had a chance to smoke it yet but looking forward to it more after reading this. On a side note make and model 1911 is that in the picture really like the snake scale checkering.