Hope everyone is having a great week! Mine just got a whole lot better as I look at this trio of Long Live the King lanceros for today’s smoke session. This has been a favorite of mine from the very first time I tried the My Style is Jalapeño size, and subsequently picked up a box from Small Batch. If I had to guess, I’d say this box is only somewhere around 3 years old.
This three that we’re taking out on the roof today are the very last of the box, and it’s a somewhat nostalgic event. On the one hand, I know that they’re past their prime for my preferences and it’s time to reorder. On the other hand, it’s always hard to finish off a box. Maybe that’s what translates over to the last-cigar-in-a-box syndrome at retailers, where customers are reluctant to pull the very last one.
The first few puffs of my Long Live the King lancero are silky smooth yet lacking the richness from this time last year. Whereas tasting notes of cinnamon buttercream were once very present, now an aged leather profile takes over. I’m picking up various leather nuances, a creamy texture, and just faint whiffs of cinnamon.
It’s almost like I chewed Big Red earlier in the day. It’s no longer a primary sensation but lingers on my palate between puffs.
Somewhere around the halfway point, a touch of cocoa joins the profile. Think watered down hot chocolate. Along with the leathery impressions and faint cinnamon, it practically tastes dignified or stately.
View our Blind Review of Caldwell's Long Live the King Lock Stock
I’m often asked about how long a cigar can or should be aged, and the reality is that it’s just a giant unknown. While this particular box of Long Live the Kings struck my palate better in the 1-2 year mark, it’s entirely possible that a different crop and production would yield different results. And, our palates are moving targets as well; we can’t assume that I prefer the same things today that I did 12-24 months ago either.
With that being said, I’m excited to pick up another box! Cinnamon is one of my favorite tasting notes in cigars, and this stogie packs it in like it was made at a Cinnamon Toast Crunch factory.
Tell Us! If you’ve smoked this cigar before, what were your thoughts?
Suggestions
If you’ve never tried this cigar before, I’d highly recommend picking up a sampler and giving it a whirl. In fact, I’m linking our Sweet Tooth sampler below that combines a few cigars that are on the sweeter side of the wheelhouse.
If you already know that you’re a fan of this cigar, I’d still suggest trying the others if you haven’t already.
For pairings, I’ve had a lot of success with an unusual choice! Unsweetened tea. I know it sounds crazy, but the bitterness from tannins in the tea really make the sweeter aspects of this cigar pop when it hasn’t been in the humidor for quite so long.
Happy Smoking!
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