Wrapper: Undisclosed
Binder: Undisclosed
Filler: Undisclosed
Size: 5 x 50 Robusto
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $22.00
These cigars were released in June 2022.
There are four sizes that range in price from $22-$30 each.
Only 750 boxes of 25 four sizes were released.
I’ve allowed my stick to rest naked for two months. The cigar has had an extra year of aging since its release. Always a good thing.
BACKGROUND:
First released in 2016, the blend has remained a mystery. The blends have changed over the years but there has been no detailed information on these cigars. Obviously, Caldwell scored limited available tobacco that he liked for each release. I’m guessing that they all have some decent age on them.
The price, since the original release, has skyrocketed. They are now $10 more than 2016. Which might explain why a limited release is still on the market a year later.
Reviews have been sparse. Maybe because of the price, maybe not. I found reviews that loved this blend and others not so much.
I have not been able to rub one off before this review so I’m completely in the dark.
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
The cigar smells as nice as a spellbound ferret…graham cracker, strong baked apple, cinnamon, cloves, creamy vanilla ice cream, cedar, and spiciness.
I love my new PerfecPunch & Stand. It is a marvel of engineering just like all of Dr. Rod’s cigar accessories. So easy to use and never cracks the wrapper. Love it.
The draw is tad tight…another shameless plug for Rod…I grab the PerfecDraw and ream this bratwurst till it screams for a pardon. All it needed was one thrust and the cigar is good to go.
Aging of the tobacco is immediately apparent. Nice well rounded flavor profile that starts with creaminess, citrus, black pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg, saltwater taffy, smoked ferret, and sweet cedar.
Strength is a pleasant medium.
I put Amazon Music on the Jimi Hendrix channel and now they are playing “Hotel California.” My God, Ethel…time to switch. Van the Man seems a good choice.
The creaminess and the candied lemon make crazy love. The leaves, whatever they may be, are doing a spectacular job of creating a complex experience that allows the cigar to take deep breaths and expand organically. Rich depth is a great starting point.
But then, I would expect a $22 cigar to immediately behave like a winner from the blast of the starting gun.
The flavor gets into my head with each puff and whispers to my waning brain cells… yeah, this cigar is showing me a good time.
That’s the thing about limited edition releases…do you snag them right away for fear they will disappear or do you wait and take your chances. The opportunity to smoke and review this cigar with an extra year makes all the difference. Aging is important. Funny thing, a reader contacted me as he made a comment on a young man’s popular YouTube review channel…this young’un responded to my reader’s statement about allowing your cigars to rest with a “Resting a cigar does nothing.” I almost shat myself.
1” burned. 15 minutes.
Very mellow blend. Caldwell picked the right tobacco. Exactly what a $20+ cigar should taste like. I don’t mind paying extra if the blend is Baked Alaska or Cherries Jubilee.
Construction is as solid as a compacted bowel. The char line is digital.
The Anastasia is a great morning cigar. But if you smoke one after a heavy meal, you are going to miss out on all the flip flop nuances and subtleties that this cigar offers up.
The blend is all about finesse and panache. Low key. Very complex. Transitions began before I lit the cigar. The finish is spicy lemon crème pie.
With 1-3/4” burned, the cigar makes its move, and its sweet spot is now a billboard on Sunset Blvd next to the Angelyne billboard. The blend turns Casdagli-like.
This may be the best Caldwell blend I’ve smoked. You must take your time. You must open your receptivity to something so subtle that it grabs your palate by the ears and empties your brain of any disruptive thoughts. Like taking a Rufie.
Strength went from an easy-going medium flow to medium/full in the time it takes your wife to say no when you ask for sex.
A whole different level of smoking experience makes its debut cold cocking me. The gentle changes were a prelude to this new profile that excites me. At my age, excitement usually causes me to faint. You’ll see.
I’m nearing the halfway point and I am in love with the Anastasia. Wow. Right out of the park. Go Brewers.
The cigar is worth the $22 price tag. This blend is an adventure. Perfect construction that makes it a slow roll. Every tidbit it offers is savored.
I believe that this blend would be a great cigar for newbies who are curious about extending their reach. Seasoned smokers will love the complexity and the ceaseless emotive transformation.
Ah…great song…”Walking in Memphis.” Marc Cohn.
Halfway point. 40 minutes. Surprisingly good for a Robusto. Classic construction. Robert, baby, you did good. Mr. Caldwell picked out a wonderful mixture of tobacco. I don’t know if the cigar would have been this magnificent a year ago.
First sip of water…creaminess, lemonade, black pepper, malt, sweet raw cashews, coconut, white chocolate, cedar, Brioche, and buttered popcorn.
The intensity is causing me to smile while I type. This cigar is a drug that elevates my mood.
I love a blend that is truly a journey. These stylings are so rare. And there is half a cigar to go…you go, Rodney Bingenheimer.
I’m savoring.
ON TV came to L.A. around 1980. First cable tv station that required a box. Just one channel. And it played the same new movies repeatedly. I must have seen Star Wars 50 times. My band, The Attitude submitted our low budget music video version of Elvis’s “Hound Dog” and they showed it. They paraded it too much. Customers were calling in asking the station to stop it.
If you have a palate that enjoys hyper complexity with a subtle approach, this is a cigar you should snag. I allowed the cigar to breathe in its birthday suit for two months before I put torch to foot.
The sweet lemon creaminess is the headliner. Ancillary flavors prop up the platform and they all work as a team.
The strength has gone from mild/medium to medium to medium/full and is now in full tilt territory. 1-1/2” to go.
I’m surprised that these cigars have stayed available a year after release. All the better for smokers.
Out of nowhere, the cigar becomes a baked apple with black walnuts and heavy cream. The Sweet v. Savory balance is seamless.
The lemon influence completely disappears. The blend has morphed once again.
Sips of water flood my palate with an array of nuances that imbues my palate with a flurry of delicious essences.
Time to nub the cigar’s death throes with my PerfecDraw tool.
The cigar is not a flavor bomb. It is a subtle and smooth complex being. Eat fajitas before smoking this cigar and all you will taste is fajitas. If you can, smoke it on an empty stomach. Otherwise, you will miss a spectacular nuanced blend.
The stick finishes at 90 minutes. Not a lick of heat or harshness. Smooth as my tush.
Small Batch Cigar still has all four sizes: 6 x 54, 5 x 50, 5-5/8 x 46, and 7-1/2 x 38.
10% off with promo code ‘katman.’
This morning, I noticed that my #9 status on Feedspot’s “60 Best Cigar Blogs and Websites” upped me to #8. Thank you, dear readers, for your support. Means a lot to an old man. I’m an outlier and disrupter who defied the odds of never being part of the cigar industry…I just kept slugging away and ignored my detractors. Sticking to your guns and not conforming can pay off when you least expect it. And accomplishing this without a single social media platform amazes me.
RATING: 97
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