Vitola: Robusto- 5” x 50 ring gauge
- $10.80
- Purchased at Maxamar Ultimate Cigar
Background
Recently I looked at a new version of Caldwell’s The King is Dead, this time blended by A.J. Fernandez in Nicaragua. Today I am looking at a companion blend of sorts, A.J. Fernandez’s version of Long Live the King.
This blend shared much in common with the TKID AJ Fernandez…all Nicaraguan tobaccos, 4 vitolas, 25 to a box, 250 boxes of each size, total of 25,000 sticks.
I am smoking the same size (Robusto) as the TKID and this review is based on my first smoking of the blend and I bought the cigar at Maxamar when I was in California earlier this year. And one last thing…if you can’t find these at your local store, you may be able to get them at Small Batch online. At the time I wrote this, they were already out of two sizes, though.
Prelight
Again like The King is Dead A. J. Fernandez, the Long Live The King A. J. Fernandez uses the original art with a twist…different color combinations and an additional pattern behind the art. In this case, the colors were light peach background with black art and type, along with gold foil for the crown and some of the other art. I still think the art looks like a young Elvis with the sneer and too-large crown covering his eyes.
The wrapper leaf was a milk chocolate brown color with a little veininess and a slightly barnyardy earthiness to it. The foot was a richer earthy aroma with additional notes of hay and cedar.
After clipping the head, the cold draw was very good, tasting of cedar and dark chocolate with a dash off red pepper.
Flavor
the LLTK AJF fired up fairly quickly and tasted immediately of cedar, hay, and red pepper flake, with a little earth running underneath. The retrohale was solidly peppery. Since the original LLTK blend is a blend highlighting Dominican Corojo, I wondered how much Nicaraguan Corojo this blend had. As I got through the first third, I found the heat moderating a bit and more cedar and earth coming through, while a mild chocolate sweetness came up in the blend.
The second third had more cedar and a steady peppery heat, punctuated by a growing chocolate sweetness and an undercurrent of earth and hay.
Toward the end the LLTK AJF had more earth and a note of espresso bean, while the sweetness died down with the pepper and cedar notes.
Construction
I had a great draw, very even burn line and solid ash throughout.
Value
Very good cigar and a price tag that was in line with other “Caldwell Collection” cigars, so solid value proposition.
Conclusions
The original Long Live The King may never really be replaced as it’s one of those fantastic examples of Dominican Corojo, but the LLTK AJF stands proudly alongside it with notes of wood and pepper and chocolate and earth. It delivers great complexity in a medium-plus body and was enjoyable from beginning to end.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
