Today, Alan Britt and I are excited to share two new releases from Caldwell Cigars, now available on-site in a variety of vitolas: the Long Live the King Mad MoFo Habano and The King is Dead Escape Plan.

[Tyler Caldwell]: We're here to let you know a little bit about these cigars here.

The King is Dead Escape Plan

[Alan Britt]: We're both self-admitted Caldwell fan boys, and we're super excited for these new PCA releases. I'm smoking The King is Dead Escape Plan. It's kind of a tweaked version of the original The King is Dead with the same binder and the same wrapper, which you don't see often on a line extension.

They've gone through different processes, fermentation, and they're also different primings. I think overall it makes for a bit more of a subtle and nuanced profile than the original, so if you enjoy the original and you wanna tone it down to be able to sit and enjoy a cigar by yourself, this is great for that.

[TC]: Absolutely. This is also technically a relaunch, which originally came out in, I believe, 2021. What do you think of it so far?

[AB]: Man, I really love it. You and I were talking before the video about the original release. We went back and revisited it a year and a half, two years after the original release. I remember you smoked one and came and grabbed me and said, Hey, when's the last time you smoked one of these? They aged beautifully. After a couple of years, the aging potential on these is just nuts. It's incredible.

Escape Plan is available in four sizes: Autopilot, Drybeggar, Shortcut, and The Grand Tour. Essentially, it's a Robusto, Toro, Corona Gorda, and my favorite, the Churchill. When the original was released in 2021, I smoked through all the sizes, as we do, and even though we're normally Corona Gorda guys, the Churchill, to me, is the most nuanced and flavorful.

It was originally intended to be a yearly limited release, but now it's coming back after four years. Unfortunately, the Ventura family suffered a fire, and that kind of halted production on these for a long time. But now they're back.

Another really cool mention is that this is the first box-pressed cigar that Caldwell's done in the Dominican Republic. I think it just adds a world of flavor to this cigar, and probably helps out with that nuanced character. It's a very dry profile, almost like a dry red wine. It's super puckering but also super earthy. There's some plummy sweetness and just a rich chocolate flavor throughout. Like we talked about earlier, I think the aging potential just makes it more rich as the years go on.

[TC]: To go along with the idea of the box press here, you can look at that construction there. It really helps with building the long ashes. Stacking dimes, as we like to say. As for the flavor profile, I don't know if it's like an imagery thing for me because of that gold caramel look to the wrapper and the bands that are on there, but I've always gotten a hint of creamy, sweet caramel with this cigar, even with the original release.

[AB]: Yeah, caramel, at its root, is burnt sugar. It does have a kind of toasty, sugary note to it that I've never really associated with caramel, but that's pretty caramely.

[TC]: Very cool. Yeah. It sounds to me like The Escape Plan is excellent.

Long Live the King Mad MoFo Habano

[TC]:I want to talk to you guys a little bit about this guy here. Once again, this is the Mad MoFo Habano version of the Long Live the King, and if you've ever had the original, which was a Maduro version, this will be up your alley. I will say this is definitely going to be on the stronger side, and I would even dare to say possibly the strongest cigar that Caldwell's ever released.

[AB]: Yeah, it's super stout and tasty. The first time we smoked these, not too long ago, we were in my office. And I lit one up and immediately...

[TC]: The look on your face was just like, alright, let me go grab one. It's time for me to smoke it.

[AB]: Yeah. I knew I had to brace myself.

[TC]: One of my personal favorite Caldwell cigars was always the original Mad MoFo, and when I found out that Robert was making a Habano version of it, I was very excited. I personally like things to be a little on the spicy or stronger side. You're definitely gonna get that with these, especially if you do any type of retrohaling. You're gonna feel a little tingle in your nose hairs there.

Let me talk to you about the blend a little bit. It has a Habano wrapper, a Sumatra binder, and fillers from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Pennsylvania in the US. All of those tobaccos together should clearly indicate where that pungentness is gonna come in with smoking these. You're also gonna get 10-count boxes. If you need more cigars than 10, you can always go for the 20-count box here.

Mad Mofo Habano is available in four sizes: Belicoso, Corona, Magnum, and Super Toro. My favorite vitola, so far, is the Corona.

[AB]: Mine as well. I think the most exciting thing about these two releases is, at least when I think of Caldwell, and probably many others as well, you think milder, softer cigars. Both of these kind of have some kick to 'em, with some body and strength.

If you haven't smoked Caldwell because you like fuller cigars, these are two added to the portfolio that you can really enjoy.

[TC]: Absolutely. Robert's taste has always been on the milder, creamier side, and a little bit on the woodsy side. If you handed me the cigar with no band and you didn't tell me what it was, I wouldn't think it would come from him but I'm really glad that he came out with these cigars here because these things are delicious.

[AB]: Both of these cigars are on-site now. These Escape Plans are limited, so grab them before I do. The Mad MoFo Habano is a regular production in the lineup. Get some, smoke 'em, and let us know what you think. Smoke more Caldwell.

[TC]: That's right.