Caldwell The Last Tsar

Cigar Reviewed: Caldwell The Last Tsar

Smoked at: West Chester, Ohio

Caldwell The Last Tsar is another boutique blend “discovered” or “found” by Robert Caldwell in his Indiana Jones travels through Central America in search of the golden blend – or so the story goes. I think this one is a unique small batch blend brewed up by Caldwell – perhaps inspired by a blend he “found.”

The wrapper is a hybrid of Connecticut, Arapiraca, Maduro – sounds similar to the Eastern Standard wrapper. So just taking it out of the cellophane this cigar begins to intrigue.

I’ll start with the positives. The wrapper looks darn near perfect with a small vein (to give it character). It never cracked or unraveled through the entire smoke. Good construction, a great draw, held the ash very well for a cool, sometimes cold draw. Much like the Eastern Standard it puts out volumes of smoke. I like that, although I’m at a loss to explain how it affects the flavor of a cigar. It does enhance the smoking experience for me. We all have our idiosyncrasies. I suppose some serious aficiandos might consider this a peccadillo. Mea culpe.

The Last Tsar starts out with blasts of cedar and pepper. Hidden glimpses of cocoa sneak up and maybe I’m detecting an occasional note of expresso/dark roast coffee. If these notes are there, they get obliterated by the pepper and the strength of the tobacco almost immediately. This is a full bodied cigar, but it’s also full strength. There is some seriously strong nicotine in these leaves. The pepper is often overwhelming. You can imagine what it does to the retrohale.

Even by the second third it’s just rinse and repeat on the flavors. Same old. Same old. Cedar and pepper.

By the last third there was a change. I rarely taste leather in a cigar but during the last third it was there with charred wood. Interesting but nothing special to change the overall development of the cigar.

Waiting for it to transition the whole time, open up with more complexity and flavors beyond the wood and pepper. It never did. This is a one trick pony and a very average stick at best.

If you like strong. peppery cigars, this might suit your taste. It’s not mine. I demand a lot more from a smoke.

All the positive attributes can’t overcome the lack of flavors, especially at the price point Rudyard Kipling wrote “A woman is only a woman but a good cigar is a smoke.” This cigar does excel at giving out an extremely generous amount of smoke. But smoke alone doesn’t make up for a lack of flavor in a cigar. Just as a woman’s makeup doesn’t change her character – to complete the metaphor.

Sorry, Mr. Caldwell. This is likely the last Last Tsar I will smoke. Too strong. Too mediocre in flavor. Too much of nothing – to quote Peter Paul & Mary.