Long Live The King The Crowning

Back in 2014, Caldwell Cigar Co debuted with three lines: Long Live The King, The King is Dead and Eastern Standard. Since then, the company’s releases have expanded to include new lines and new sizes for the existing lines. Long Live The King was released in four sizes initially, with a fifth regular production size added in 2015.

Early in 2016, it was announced that California-based retailer Small Batch Cigar/Maxamar Ultimate Cigars would be receiving a store exclusive of a new size of Long Live The King called Harem. It was the smallest of the line, and though it was the sixth size – they were all parejo shapes.

At the end of last year however, it was again announced that Small Batch Cigar would be receiving a second exclusive for the Long Live The King line. This time it was a perfecto shape called The Crowning. Only coming in bundles, it brings the total releases for the Long Live The King line to seven.

• Long Live The King The Heater (5 3/4 x 46) — Regular Production — $11 (Boxes of 24, $264)
• Long Live The King Petit Double Wide Short Churchill (6 x 52) — Regular Production — $11 (Boxes of 24, $264)
• Long Live The King Marquis (6 x 60) — Regular Production — $12 (Boxes of 24, $288)
• Long Live The King My Style is Jalapeño (7 1/4 x 40) — Regular Production — $10 (Boxes of 24, $240)
• Long Live The King Lock Stock (5 x 52) — Regular Production — $11 (Boxes of 24, $264)
• Long Live The King Harem (4 x 44) — 150 Boxes of 27 (4,050 Total Cigars) — $6 (Boxes of 27, $154)
• Long Live The King The Crowning (5 1/8 x 32/58)— 99 Bundles of 24 (2,376 Total Cigars) — $8.79 (Bundles of 24, $211)

• Cigar Reviewed: Long Live The King The Crowning
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Caldwell Cigar Factory
• Wrapper: Dominican Corojo
• Binder: Dominican Corojo
• Filler: Dominican Corojo, Peruvian Viso Pelo de Oro, Nicaraguan Habano Ligero
• Length: 5 1/8 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 32/58
• Vitola: Perfecto
• MSRP: $8.79 (Bundles of 24, $211)
• Release Date: December 2016
• Number of Cigars Released: 99 Bundles of 24 Cigars (2,376 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

The wrapper of The Crowning is bumpy, but very soft and oily, almost like a damp leather. There is a bit of give here and there when squeezed, though not much. A big barnyard aroma of earth, leather, damp hay and wood comes off the wrapper, while a sweet spice, bread, almonds and cocoa give the cold draw a flavor much like bread pudding.

Starting into the first third the sweet spice from the cold draw dominates my palate. Following it closely is some oak, gingerbread, caramel and a touch of coffee. Though the burn line is mostly even, it’s also thick which creates this craggy, dark line between the unburnt wrapper and the ash. Dense, dark gray ash holds on easily to around the inch mark. A general nutty note has developed along with a touch of black pepper, creating a complex and balanced profile.

The second third of The Crowning sees the sweet spice get more rich and bold up front, along with a slight increase in the nuttiness. The gingerbread and oak notes in the middle appear to be the only ones that have stayed consistent, while the pepper, caramel and coffee all fade into the background. While the burn has stayed mostly even, around the middle of the cigar only about a quarter of the wrapper was still burning, requiring a touch up to get it back on track.

Moving into the final third, sweet spice is still the name of the game and the main flavor up front. The gingerbread fades a little, while the oak turns into more of a charred oak note. Caramel and a pinch of pepper are still sticking around in the background, while the coffee fades out. The burn line is less cooperative than it was earlier, with another large section of the wrapper not wanting to ignite and needing some help. A bit of harshness enters the profile, but the sweetness up front is enough to balance it out. Despite that harshness, the rest of the profile remains good enough that I continue smoking each sample until it’s too hot to hold anymore.

Final Notes

• The art Caldwell Cigar Co. uses for all their products is great, and Long Live The King is no exception.
• I do find it interesting that the face used for the logo on Caldwell’s site along with the Harem box looks more childlike, while the bands and rest of the boxes use art depicting a more young adult looking face.
• I wasn’t able to find the dimensions of the cigar anywhere, and only started looking after I had smoked all three samples. A representative from from Small Batch Cigar was kind enough to measure one for me, which is where I got the size specifics listed above.
• Speaking of the size, they also mentioned that the molds used for the Gibraltar Perfecto were the same molds used for The Crowning. If you’re wondering, yes – the boxes for the Gibraltar listed the Perfecto’s dimensions as Perfecto.
• The third sample I smoked of this cigar I was about a quarter of an inch into and noticed some fibers coming out of the clipped head. I pulled and what looked like spider web started to come out. I cut the cigar open, unraveled it and sure enough – what appeared to be spider web and a few bug parts. Unfortunately I didn’t think to take pictures, throwing it away and not counting it towards the score. I ended up smoking another cigar for the third sample that I did score, so overall this didn’t deduct anything from the score. I know cigars are a natural item, and I’m sure at some point I’ve smoked through something similar – however this is just the first time I actually noticed it.
• Cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time averaged an hour and 20 minutes.
• Small Batch Cigar is the only place to purchase the Long Live The King The Crowning.