Caldwell Collection - The King Is Dead Premier

Founded by Robert Caldwell in 2014, the Caldwell Cigar Company came bursting onto the boutique cigar scene with four cigars that premiered at the IPCPR in July 2015. Robert Caldwell’s love of cigars began when he was just 12 years old after visiting Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s factory in Little Havana, Miami, Florida. When starting the company, Robert decided that he was going to do things his way and began scouring the world for the best tobacco leaves which he would test over and over again until getting the exact flavors he was looking for — before testing it again. He is so committed to his product that he keeps production limited to ensure that he is delivering a superior cigar. Currently, Caldwell Cigar Company is based in the Dominican Republic and has built a new factory aptly named the Caldwell Cigar Factory.

If you are a fan of boutique cigars then you probably know of the Caldwell brand. They are known for impressive smokes that are not only edgy but also are unique combinations that garner high ratings and loyal followers alike. Recently given a well-deserved 93 rating from Cigar Aficionado, The King is Dead is another blend from The Caldwell Collection that is sure to impress, having taken 5 years to perfect the blend. Starting from the inside out, this smoke features a lush blend of Dominican fillers and a Corojo binder, and is finished with a handsome Corojo wrapper leaf all from the Dominican Republic. Medium in body, we found complex notes of earth, wood, chocolate, spice, coffee, and a nutty sweetness at the end. We loved enjoying this smoke with a Pierre Ferrand Cognac after dinner on a warm spring evening.

Though tobacco is indigenous to Hispaniola, the tobacco industry in the Dominican Republic existed in the shadow of Cuba’s dominance through the 1960s. When the exodus of Cuban cigar makers began in the wake of the revolution, many decided the Dominican Republic would be ideal for the resumption of their livelihoods. Unrest in Nicaragua in the 1980s fueled the Dominican cigar industry further. The country now makes more than half of the premium cigars imported into the U.S.

The Cibao Valley and the nearby city of Santiago are the center of cigar production in the Dominican Republic. Three main varieties are grown here: the mild and native Olor Dominicano; the intense Piloto Cubano, brought from the Vuelta Abajo of Cuba; and San Vicente, a milder and more acidic Piloto hybrid. Dominican puros were once unheard of as it was widely thought impossible to grow quality wrapper leaf on the island, but new growing techniques are now allowing some exceptional puros to be produced.