Caldwell Anastasia Caspia

The Caldwell Anastasia series is follow-up to Caldwell's the Last Czar and was first released in 2016. Like a few other Caldwell Cigars, this is a collaboration with Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, who makes some absolutely fabulous cigars as well. The cigars are manufactured in the Dominican Republic but the origin of the wrapper and the tobaccos used is manufacture's secret. 

They were somewhat common as recently as a few months ago but it seems the stock at online retailers is running thin. My research shows that the wrapper leaf is not common so the release of these cigars is limited. Regardless of the vitola, they cost around $12.00 USD per stick. Speaking of vitolas, the Anastasia series of smokes can be found in four different shapes and sizes: Kartel (Robusto), Opera (Toro), Mercure (Churchill), and Caspia (Corona). The sample used for this review being the latter Caspia vitola.

Wrapper:?

Binder:? 

Filler: ?

Length: 5 3/4"

Ring Gauge: 43

Size: Corona

The Smoke: The Caldwell Anastasia has a lovely deep brown hue provided by the wrapper. Further inspection of the wrapper shows some thick veins. When squeezed, the cigar feels firm and does not have much sponginess. Overall, this cigar feels well constructed.

I cut this cigar using my Palio straight cutter which took some effort to plow through the cigar and remove the cap. The cold draw as good and featured some nice cedar and leather notes. After toasting and lighting, the cigar started with a more mild profile than I had expected. The flavors after lighting was some light pepper and leather. As the cherry progressed, the cigar increased its strength into a medium profile cigar. As that transition occurred, additional flavor notes of caramel and cedar joined the fray. 

The cigar provided a light and creamy mouthfeel from the smoke from beginning to end.  The Caldwell Anastasia Caspia held together very well during the life of the smoke.  One thing that was disappointing to this cigar was  the burn rate. The burn rate was even for about the first half of the cigar but after that it became very poor and required multiple corrective burns in a feeble attempt to rectify. Sorry, $12 USD cigars should just about be perfect since cigars that are half the price can pull it off.

Frankly, I can not knock the cigar too much. If the burn rate is the worst thing about it, it is a decent cigar. In fact, the Caldwell Anastasia is a decent cigar. It provided a good smoking experience for the hour and five minutes it took to puff away the night. The flavors were good and the cigar feels good holding it. I think the price point is slightly high for what it delivers but given the limited nature of the cigar I certainly understand the reason for the pricing. My advice would be to certainly pick up one or two if you stumble upon any of the vitolas and puff away. It is a good cigar but I would not blow all my wife's pumpkin spice latte money picking up a box.

The Score: Buy a 5 pack 

Caldwell Blind Man's Bluff Toro

I had purchased a 5 pack of these about 6 months ago at the height of lock down. Seemed to me then, the only thing to do were to cruise for deals on a somewhat well-known cigar auction site. These ones in particular were picked up for about $5 USD per smoke, which is a great deal because they typically retail for about $8 USD per stick.

Caldwell has become a widely known boutique cigar company that made a quick dash to fame a few years ago. The cigars are known for quality and unique traits like The T cigar I reviewed about a month ago; and to that end, Blind Man's Bluff is no different.  The wrapper is an Ecuadorian Habano leaf. The binder comes from Honduras and is a Crillo while the filler tabacco is from Honduras and the Dominican.  This Toro shaped cigar has the typical Toro length but comes in with a slightly wider than normal 52 ring-gauge; Robusto and Magnum sizes are also offered as part of this line of cigars from Caldwell.

Wrapper: Ecuador

Binder: Honduras

Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras

Length: 6"

Ring Gauge: 62
Size: Toro

The Smoke: I used my V-cutter to poke a hole in this one. The cigar feels firm and has the feeling of strong construction. Un-lit, this cigar has woody and grassy aromas. Aromas and flavors of wood, bread, cinnamon, nutmeg, and caramel come after the cigar is toasted and lit. Slight nut joins the array of flavors about mid stick.  The smoke is light a creamy with ample amounts of it to cover the palate. The body of the cigar is medium to full bodied.

The cigar held its shape and had a mostly even burn rate during the hour-long smoke. One thing that got to me on this one was the nicotine pop. This is the first cigar I smoked that had this much of a nicotine kick to it, but it felt good and carried me well into the evening.

Overall, I found the Caldwell Blind Man's Bluff to be an enjoyable smoke. Something I would recommend at least trying and determining if it is something that you enjoy as much as I did.

Score: Buy a Pack of 10

Caldwell The T - Short Churchill

Caldwell The T is a collaboration cigar between Caldwell and cigar rock star AJ Fernandez. The cigar is manufactured in AJF's Nicaraguan factory and is distributed by Caldwell. The hand rolled cigar is filled with tobacco from Nicaragua and wrapped in an oily Mexican San Andres leaf and comes in five different vitolas. The one I am smoking for this review is the short churchill which is slightly longer than a robusto but shorter than a toro. The ring size is thinner than both of those more common sizes. I purchased a box of 10 from an online retailer and let them settle in my humidor for about two months before smoking any of them.

Wrapper: Mexico
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 5 1/2"
Ring Gauge: 48
Size: Small Churchill

The Smoke: I smoked this along with some french pressed coffee poolside during my 2020 vacation. The wrapper is oily and dark leafed. This maduro cigar smells great pre-light with floral scents. After lighting the cigar, the aroma continues to provide an attractive fragrance. The taste has some cocoa and leather. It is a perfect complement to the coffee. The cigar burns evenly with nice and slow burn rate. The five and half inch cigar was an enjoyable 65-minute smoke. The cigar maintained its construction during the entire smoke and had a great even draw throughout. It really was a great way to start another day on vacation.

Score: Buy a Box of 20