Back in August, the crew from Sir Stogies piled into a van and began an epic journey across Southeast Pennsylvania visiting cigar shops. There were lots of laughs, plenty of drinks, and an abundance of cigars. I may be embellishing it a tad but it was a wonderful time.

One of the shops we visited was JM Cigars in Exton. It is a shop that touts an impressive humidor with a solid selection. As I completed lap after lap around the humidor, agonizing over what to smoke, a friend recommended I try one of the offerings from Caldwell Cigars.

At the time I knew nothing about either line on the shelf but one of the bands grabbed my attention. It was Long Live The King. Being a fan of Fantasy, I immediately thought of The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.

I wound up picking one up (as well as a The King is Dead) and made my way to the cash register to give the man my money. As it turns out, that was one of the most memorable cigars I smoked that day. Since then Sir Stogies has brought in some of the Caldwell offerings and they have been very popular among the regulars.

One of the reasons that I keep coming back to Long Live The King is consistency and complexity. Thinking back, I can’t ever remember a time when I lit one up and thought ‘You know, this tasted better the last time I smoked one…’

The flavors are kind of like a rabbit amped up on caffeine – darting to and fro unexpectedly. I’m sure that sounds really weird but it works for this cigar. I never really know what to expect of the next puff. Will the primary flavor be spice, pepper, sweetened coffee, or cedar? Beyond that there is an earthy flavor that hangs in the background. Complimenting the flavor is a crisp finish that never seems to come across as being too sharp.

The only real gripe I have with this cigar is that sometimes it can be temperamental. I’m currently smoking a Long Live The King as I type and it has required several touch-ups. The burn line is thin and even and the ash looks wonderful but the cigar just won’t stay lit. I wish I could say this is a fluke but it isn’t terribly uncommon. I’m willing to put up with this minor annoyance but only because of how impressive the flavors are.

The only reason I don’t smoke these cigars on a regular basis is due to the price. As a boutique offering they command a price point of roughly $9.00 for the vitola I am smoking now (The Heater – 46×5.75). With a baby due any day now, money is a bit tight and a go-to cigar in this price range is totally out of the question. Otherwise, this medium bodied smoke would be a regular in my line up.