When Robert Caldwell launched his core lineup, each blend set out to challenge what smokers expected from its category. Long Live the King is his take on a fuller-bodied cigar, but it's still unmistakably Caldwell: rich, complex, and supremely balanced rather than a spice bomb. Chris Herath and I sat down with the Lancero and the Belicoso to talk about its unhybridized Dominican Corojo wrapper, the Peruvian Pelo de Oro in the filler, and the story behind its pairing with The King is Dead.

The Lancero and the Belicoso

[Chris Herath]: Today, I'm really excited to be talking about Caldwell's Long Live the King. This is a slightly bolder version of what you typically get in the Caldwell portfolio, but this thing is full of flavor.

[Andy Wike]: Yeah, 100%. It's still a Caldwell cigar. It's not going to be a spice bomb, and it's not going to be a full-bodied Nicaraguan experience. It's still very well-balanced, but it is on the higher end of the strength, flavor, and body profile within the Caldwell core portfolio.

[CH]: I'm smoking the Long Live the King My Style is Jalapeño, which is the Lancero.

[AW]: I'm smoking the Lock Stock Belicoso, which is a bit of a larger ring gauge for me. I typically like 50s or under, and this is a 52, but I think the Belicoso is a really great expression of this cigar. You get a lot more of the unique filler leaf, but the wrapper still shines through. Caldwell as a brand does a really nice job with specialty sizes, particularly Figurados. Their Pyramids and Belicosos really require a lot of experience in the factory. Not everybody can roll those cigars; I think it's two or three pairs that can actually do them. It's still a pretty short smoke, despite the larger ring gauge, so we'll probably end up finishing at the same time.

[CH]: Speaking of cigars that not many people can roll, a lot of brands don't even make Lanceros, because they're so hard for the factory to roll. You have very little room to work with as far as the air channels go. But I lit this one up a few minutes ago and was immediately taken aback by the sweetness. It's a distinct taste that I just don't get in many cigars.

An Unhybridized Dominican Corojo Wrapper

[AW]: With that vitola, you're getting a really special experience from the wrapper itself. The wrapper on Long Live the King is an unhybridized Dominican Corojo. A lot of people think unhybridized Corojo only comes from Honduras, but the Dominican Republic also grows an unhybridized Corojo wrapper leaf. It's really unique. It has a nice natural sweetness and a nice spice, but it's really balanced.

We were talking about Eastern Standard in a previous video and how it's "Not Your Daddy's Connecticut." Each of the original Caldwell core cigars, Eastern Standard, The King is Dead, and Long Live the King, challenged industry standards and what people thought of those genres of cigars. This one is Robert's take on a more full-bodied cigar, but it's still supremely balanced. If you really enjoy spicy cigars, you won't find something exactly analogous here, but you'll get a bit of what you're familiar with while also experiencing some of the more classic, natural Dominican tobacco flavors.

[CH]: For a reference point, I've been on a bit of a Nicaraguan kick lately: a lot of My Father, a lot of Drew Estate Liga Privada. Those are very powerful, hit-you-in-the-palate flavors. If you're in that world and you'd like to start stepping back toward a more natural expression and a more nuanced approach to blending, this is a great intermediary. Instead of going straight to the Connecticut side, where you'll probably feel like you're missing something, this is still extremely flavorful without smashing you over the head with spice.

Pelo de Oro and the Belicoso

[AW]: I particularly like Long Live the King in this Belicoso, because I typically go for cigars that have more wrapper as a percentage of the surface area. But in this cigar, Caldwell uses a really unique Peruvian tobacco called Pelo de Oro. It's such a cool flavor, and it enhances the experience so much that I reach for a larger ring gauge in this smoke, particularly this Belicoso, because the flavor just continues to build as you smoke it.

[CH]: This is one that's super well-balanced, with no real harsh edges. These are right out of the humidor, too, so there's no age on them, but it's probably a blend that would continue to age well and meld together over time.

[AW]: In both of these sizes, honestly, I think the sweetness would just build and some of the pepper would probably dial back a little bit. But I'm still getting these chocolatey notes, a little bit of espresso.

[CH]: Rich.

An After-Dinner Cortado

[AW]: It's a very rich cigar. You mentioned in our Eastern Standard video that it's a cigar you reach for in the mornings. For me, Long Live the King is a great after-dinner cigar. It's got enough flavor to cleanse your palate and tie off the day.

[CH]: You know what this reminds me of in the coffee world? A cortado. If Eastern Standard is the cappuccino or latte, with a lot of milk, a cortado is a much richer experience.

[AW]: I think Eastern Standard would be a flat white, but I can see this being a cortado. It's still fairly creamy, but just like a cortado, which is equal parts milk and espresso, there's that deeper, richer espresso vibe, with enough creaminess to make it well-balanced and approachable to a lot of different smokers.

[CH]: This isn't something a newer smoker is going to be overwhelmed by. It's approachable. But if you're a more seasoned smoker, it's going to give you a really unique, complex experience, and I think that goes into a lot of Robert's blending. He's always searching out tobaccos and varietals that aren't readily available in most blending houses and portfolios. That really adds to the uniqueness of Caldwell as a brand and Robert as a person.

[AW]: And also the Ventura family. The relationship Robert has with the Venturas is just so amazing and honestly beautiful. They're such a good family, and they really know what they're doing. I think they're underappreciated within the cigar industry. They make some of the best cigars on the market, and we're grateful to have them continuing to produce Caldwell.

The King is Dead, Long Live the King

[CH]: Something I've got to mention, which has gained a lot of steam in the Caldwell community, is pairing this with The King is Dead. Do you suggest smoking them together? I know Robert has talked about that experience in the past.

[AW]: When Robert first released the three Caldwell core cigars, the concept behind The King is Dead and Long Live the King came from the public response when a monarch passes: The king is dead, but they're also celebrating the new reigning king with "Long live the king." Originally, Robert did plan for these to be a combined experience. If you wanted to truly see what the tobaccos in these cigars are capable of, you could smoke The King is Dead and follow it up with Long Live the King.

I've done that before, and it's a unique experience. The King is Dead is very much defined by its Negrito wrapper. It's very earthy and nutty, with a rich, dark, earthy sweetness. Long Live the King is a bit fresher, more youthful, and, I think, more complex. I don't always smoke them back to back, because it takes a lot out of your palate; both cigars are so flavorful. But as a concept, that's what Robert was going for: the reigning king passing the torch to a young buck who's still grappling with his responsibility. That's why the artwork shows a young kid struggling to fill the previous king's shoes, with a crown that's crooked and too big, because he's still becoming the man he needs to be.

[CH]: Killer artwork.

[AW]: All Caldwell cigars tell a story, and that's one of the reasons I'm so drawn to them. I love stories and narratives, and you feel like a part of it when you're smoking. I can look at this and think about my own life and how I'm still becoming the person I want to be. Life is challenging and throws you curveballs, but it's really nice to have repose and reprieve — and a good cigar.

Packaging as Art

[CH]: When Caldwell came out with its branding, it really shook the industry. It was radically different from the heritage brands that were using a lot of the same imagery.

[AW]: Or even other boutiques that came up at the same time. A lot of those were more traditional, more Cuban-inspired. Robert wanted to take it in a completely different direction: not only making the best cigars he could, but treating the packaging as art. If you know Robert, he's in love with art. When he was at Wynwood, he did a lot of work with local artists and some really famous artists. He's always had a great appreciation for creativity, and he made sure the idea of packaging as an experiential work of art was part of the line.

[CH]: And that goes from the boxes to the labels, all the way through to the tobacco. It tells a very coherent story. For me, this is one I'm going to keep reaching for in the Caldwell portfolio, because it gives me that fuller-bodied experience while staying true to what makes Caldwell Caldwell: the nuance and complexity. Every time I take a puff, I love that burst of sweet flavor, especially in this Lancero format.

Blended for the Vitola

[AW]: It's really starting to build for me in the belly, too.

[CH]: The first inch or so was very sweet, but now I'm starting to get a lot of that underlying complexity, with a tiny bit of pepper on the retrohale.

[AW]: That's so interesting. It's actually the reverse for me. The first quarter of the cigar was very earthy and peppery, a little leathery, with some hints of baking chocolate. As I get closer to the halfway point, it's really ramping up in sweetness, like a little bit of sugar in your espresso.

[CH]: That's exactly how mine started, and that's what's so cool about premium cigars. There are multiple vitolas of the same blend, and I know Robert blends each one specifically for its size. That's why some of the sizes aren't your typical vitolas. He's blending the cigar for how it's going to be expressed best, not to fit into whatever box the industry calls a Robusto, a Lancero, or a Corona.

[AW]: 100%. If it doesn't work in a canonical size, he won't do it. When Robert is blending, he's not thinking about what the industry is used to or wants. He's thinking about what the cigar wants and what the tobaccos want. Each vitola in the Caldwell core lines is a unique experience. It's all part of the same family, and collectively, you get a really broad view of what Robert was going for. But each of us has our own palate, and Robert blends these to give you the very best expression of the blend, not to fill a market gap.

[CH]: My favorite way to experience a new blend, especially on Smokingpipes.com, is buying singles. You can try all the different formats of a blend and see which one speaks to your palate. It's like walking into a humidor and seeing four or five sizes of the same blend: Try them all, and one may speak to you more than the others, based on the ratios of wrapper to binder to filler.

Caldwell Long Live the King is available on Smokingpipes.com, with singles available so you can find the vitola that speaks to you. Have you tried Long Live the King, or paired it with The King is Dead? Let us know in the comments which size is your favorite, and be sure to explore the rest of the Caldwell portfolio.