Agile Cigar Reviews replace what we termed “Assessment Updates”. The concept is the same, but the name is different. Agile Cigar Reviews use a lightweight, shorter format. These will never take the place of our comprehensive reviews. They are only used on blends we have previously assessed. This might be a blend we are re-scoring or providing a score for a first time. It might be a blend we are looking at in a different size. Today we look at the Long Live the King Harem by Caldwell Cigar Company.T his is a cigar we previously did an assessment in the Petit Double Wide Short Churchill size back in October, 2014.

Wrapper: Corojo Dominicano
Binder: Corojo Dominicano – 2009
Filler: Corojo Dominicano, Pelo De Oro Peruano, Habano Nicaraguense
Factory: Dominican Republic (Tabacalera William Ventura)
Harem: 4 x 42

Long Live the King Harem is a limited production shop-exclusive cigar to California-based Small Batch Cigars. The Harem is a 4 x 42 line extension to Caldwell Cigar Company’s Long Live the King line. Introduced earlier this year, the Harem is the sixth vitola, but first shop exclusive offering in the Long Live the King blend. The Long Live the King blend has been a favorite on Cigar Coop as it finished as the #14 Cigar for 2014. Today, we take a look at the new Harem size.

Production of the Harem is limited to 150 boxes of 27 for a total of 4,050 cigars. The Harem is the second shop exclusive for Small Batch Cigar from Caldwell Cigars. Last year, the Caldwell Eastern Standard Marblehead, a 5 x 40 vitola was also made available to Small Batch Cigar. Caldwell Cigar Company has one other shop exclusive, the Blind Man’s Bluff Corona Gorda for Burns Tobacconist.

Long Live the King is a blend that is highlighted by the use of Dominican Corojo.  This tobacco is incorporated into the wrapper, binder, and filler but uses different vintages for each component.  There are also fillers from from Nicaragua and Peru.

Throughout the smoking experience, the Harem delivers notes of natural tobacco, cedar, exotic spice, bread, and cinnamon.  The cinnamon note really shines by the midpoint of this cigar. Toward the latter stages, I found the cinnamon diminished and an increase in the spice. At the same time, but the other notes were still very much present. The flavors start off medium-bodied, but by the second half, they progress to medium to full. Strength-wise, the Harem starts out medium to full, but progresses to full strength in the second half. Overall this is a cigar where I found the strength had a slight advantage over the body.

Each of the six sizes of Long Live the King deliver a unique experience, and the Long Live the Harem was no exception. Overall, I found this to be an excellent size in the Long Live the King Blend. It’s a short and flavorful cigar from start to finish. Given this is a stronger, fuller cigar, I’d steer this to a more seasoned cigar enthusiast. As for myself, it’s worthy of a box split.

Summary

Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium to Full (1st Half), Full (2nd Half)
Body:  Medium (1st Half), Medium to Full (2nd Half)
Finish: Excellent
Assessment: 3.5-Box Split
Score: 91

References

Original Assessment: Long Live the King Petit Double Wide Short Churchill by Caldwell Cigar Company
News: n/a
Price: $42.00 (7 pack), $154.00 (Box of 27)
Source: Purchased
Stogie Geeks Podcast: n/a
Stogie Feed: n/a
Brand Reference: Caldwell Cigar Co