Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Costa Rican Puriscal
Filler: Dominican Caramelo and Peruvian Pinar
Size: 7.5 x 39 Lancero
Strength: Medium
Price: $19.00

Today we take a look at the Casdagli Cigars Daughters of the Wind Cremello.
I bought a threesome from Small Batch Cigar.
Yes, I know it this is not an inexpensive cigar. The Bespoke/Casdagli line is a luxury for many smokers. But it is the only brand I will spend this kind of dough for. Jeremy Casdagli’s blends never, ever disappoint and become exciting events in cigar smoking. The Casdagli family has been making high premium cigars for a long time. The cigars released to the U.S are fairly priced. And to be perfectly honest, I don’t think Jeremy is getting rich on the American price points.

BACKGROUND:
From Casdagli Cigars web site:
“This cigar is blended especially for Casdagli Cigars at an exclusive IGM Cigars boutique factory in San Jose, Costa Rica.

“It’s filler includes the Dominican Caramelo and Peruvian Pinar both core leaves of its sisters and features beautiful notes of cream, coffee and salty caramel, also cedar and white pepper. Produced in Costa Rica, the cigars make use of an atypical range of tobaccos, including the aforementioned fillers embraced by a Costa Rican Puriscal binder and a Habano wrapper from Ecuador.

From Jeremy Casdagli:
“The Lancero encompasses luxury, elegance and tradition. These three attributes became the byword of Casdagli Cigars”
And… “Before the Robusto Revolution of the late 1980s, Premium Cigars were dominated by Lanceros and Lonsdales. The Lancero was the chosen vitola of both my father and myself.

APPEARANCE:
First, this was a difficult cigar to photograph. I’m not very good with a camera and this yard stick was tough. No applause please; just plenty of sympathy and your credit card number.

In room light, the wrapper is almost burnt sienna. In the glare of light, it is an oily beast with hints of copper penny and bronze. Seams are invisible. Very tiny veinage permeates the stick but do nothing to take away its beautiful appearance.

The cigar is perfectly filled…not a single hard or soft spot. Jeremy did tell me to dry box the hell out of it prior to my review. As fortune would have it, it’s been raining heavily for 3 days. I had to do some magic to achieve drying it out a bit…mission accomplished.
And there is an itty-bitty tiny pigtail atop the perfectly applied triple cap.

SMELL THE GLOVE:
I manage to remove the cap without removing any tobacco. I call it the yarmulke cut or informal bris.

Aromas are very subtle. I shove my nose into the open cap and foot, and I get a blast of white pepper. Along the shaft, I can notice nuances of cream, cedar, caramel, milk chocolate, a tad bit of creamy coffee, and just a whiff of citrus.

The cold draw presents flavors of graham crackers, buttered popcorn, milk chocolate, creaminess, heavy on rye seeds, citrus, and honey.

FIRST THIRD:
Right out of the chute my neck snaps back and I get whiplash from the immediate complexity and flavor profile….creaminess, graham cracker, citrus, rye bread, premium honey, extreme creaminess, melted butter, cedar, and popcorn.

This is why Jeremy is who he is. He has never failed to impress me. The flavors are uber intense. Transitions are not sitting on the sideline…they begin movement like an out of control carousel. Smoke pours from the foot like a Gordo.

I find draw problems with Lanceros most of the time. This is a tough roll to get right. Not today. Exemplary resistance the way I like it. I put my PerfecDraw draw adjustment tool away.

The white pepper is just hanging in the corners giving the blend the right amount of punch. In fact, none of the flavors overshadow the others. A wonderful harmony.

This will be my 17th Bespoke/Casdagli review…going back a few years…long before Casdagli became a sponsor. And dear readers, you know I don’t cow tow to sponsors. I lose them because I don’t like a particular blend, then so be it. And I’ve lost a lot due to my need for honesty. Most manufacturers/blenders have insufferable egos. Give 10 of their cigars great reviews and all they remember is the one you didn’t like. Jeremy is the most down to earth guy, considering his status and reputation, in the cigar industry.

I can imagine smoking this cigar in one of his luxurious cigar lounges in Estonia while getting a manicure, picking out an Armani suit and getting a haircut. This is exactly how decadent his blends are. They just lift your spirit and take you on that magical carpet ride.

It is a slow roll. The cigar takes its time…no rush. And I’m just relaxed and happy. 50 years from now, they will have Taste-O-Vison and you’ll be able to experience the cigar with the reviewer. Of course, by then, I will be 120 years old, but I am a direct descendent of Moses (Kohain)…so who knows?

The complexity’s level rises with each puff. Nuances and subtle flavors are swirling around my palate like the Tea Cups at Disneyland.

A perfectly balanced cigar.
Strength is medium. But the white pepper makes it seem a bit stronger.

The creamy caramel is just ridiculous. The butteriness is off the chart. Each flavor tidbit takes its turn with each puff…constant change. Generally speaking, I’m not a Lancero man. But that’s only because few blenders can do it right. This cigar, my dears, is the conversion I’ve been waiting for.

I fully understand why Jeremy prefers Lanceros. Its flavor profile is so passionate and vehement that it can win anyone over.

SECOND THIRD:
Clearly, my dry boxing worked nicely.
The first third took over 30 minutes of smoke time.

I’m impressed with the salient and consistent medium strength. It does not waver.
I’ve covered the major flavors within this blend. They, too, do not waver. Their juxtaposition may change, but they are unswerving in their duty to become bolder on command, while still maintaining an underlying level of subtleties and nuance to bolster the blend’s balance.

This is a perfect cigar for my palate. If any cigar can teach you to be a connoisseur of cigars, stick with Jeremy. He is the master.

I rarely give Casdagli cigars less than a perfect rating. I’m not saying they are the best cigars in the world. Although, I do believe it may be true. I can count on one hand the brands/blends that are a smoker’s teacher. I learn something from each of Jeremy’s blends.

I’ve given out perfect ratings to other blends. Some confuse this with me stating that the blend is better than any other. Not true. I give the blend its due. I have a fairly trained palate after smoking cigars regularly for 50 years. There is no shortcut to a sophisticated palate. You only need to be serious about the craft of cigar blending…and have the curiosity to want to experience more. Yes, I know palates are as different as fingerprints. It’s just that some cigars hit my G spot. That’s all I’m saying when I smoke a cigar I believe cannot be improved on…in a good way. They have reached nirvana…without Kurt Cobain at the helm.

This is creaminess you want to bottle…or put in a popper. It coats the inside of my mouth.
I have absolutely no idea how this is done. If I were a cigar industry expert, I might have a chance at explaining this beyond saying the tobacco mixture is top notch and the aging is perfect.

The rye bread is shining now. I get a slather of honey on that piece of toast now. Used to love that as a kid. It was a treat when my mother would make it for me after school.

The caramel and licorice make an ideal pairing. Add to that a touch of citrus, espresso, milk chocolate, a hint of malt, graham cracker and white pepper and we have a spectacular experience.

Of the three I bought from Small Batch Cigar, this is my first stab at it. I’ve had the cigars for around 6 weeks. Jeremy recommends 3-4 months for the optimum enjoyment. You can purchase these from SBC and get 10% off with promo code Katman. I know there are plenty of promo codes that can be used with SBC, but my promo code tells SBC and Jeremy that my readers are in the game.

A sip of water and new flavors erupt…baking spices, cumin, unsalted pretzel, and butterscotch that replaces the caramel. The butterscotch is potent.

As I near the last third, the character of the blend mushrooms. It reaches down deep to deliver the goods. If it becomes any more complex, my pancreas will detonate.

LAST THIRD:
I am sitting here slobbering like a dog. My tongue darts across the inside of my mouth uncontrollably.
And oh joy…I have two left to smoke. I look forward to that.

Lots of good blends are constantly morphing. Not true here. The consistency finds different avenues of expressing itself; but it is the same blend from the first puff. It goes through a series of augmentations that creates a delicate maturity and sophistication.

The cigar’s construction has been impressive. No burn issues. The cigar never gets soft as some Lanceros do as you get near the end. Just a joy to smoke.

I get the same emails from manufacturers and online stores you get. When I take a look at the prices of the new boutiques getting close to $20, I just gotta laugh. The PR remains the same making the cigar seem like the second coming. Truth is you can find great cigars in the $10 range all the time. Or you can step into your Lear jet and go for the gold with a Casdagli and get more than your money’s worth.

As a senior, I must be careful with my cigar budget. Casdaglis are always a treat. It’s OK. I deserve it. Like so many boutiques that go to the clearance aisle a year after its release, you will never see a Bespoke go there. They never falter. And they are never over sold in the PR department.

The last third is beyond marvelous. There is a fluidity in the blend that never allows your palate or interest to falter. In fact, I am so enchanted by the Cremello, I can’t think of a single funny thing to say. I’m overcome with a serene sense of being. I can be a smart aleck in my next review.

The last third reaches medium/full. It is going out with a right hook. And then an uppercut.

Occasionally, on social media, I see some guy’s photo of how he just bought several boxes of Casdagli blends. I cannot control my jealousy.

There is no need for a recap of the flavor profile…by now, you’ve gotten the idea.

This Lancero allows me to understand Jeremy even more than I thought I did…and why he prefers this size.

If you really want to treat yourself, get some. Just don’t smoke one ROTT. Be patient.
Kohn…Out.

RATING: 100

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: bespoke, Casdagli Cigars Daughters of the Wind Cremello | Cigar Reviews by the Katman, cigar review, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars