" I'm going to find it and I'm going to destroy it. I don't know how yet. Possibly with dynamite."  

Yes, I am starting this review with a quote from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.  Why?  I'm glad you asked.  Have you ever watched a movie by Wes Anderson, Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, and just thought how quirky and fun they are?  Well, I categorize Caldwell Cigars as the Wes Anderson of the cigar industry.  Their cigars are incredible and the names and designs are quirky and fun.  So, that is where I am coming from here.  Spinning off from Wynwood, Caldwell has really taken the boutique side of the industry by storm with a nice air of magnificence and mystery.  So, enough flowery words.  Let's smoke the Eastern Standard....

Construction: A nice red-brown wrapper with a slightly rustic look covers this fairly small corona sized beauty.  The cap is a deep triple affair with a pigtail cap.  The band depicts Finlander, Hans Nielsen Lahkso.  I am told that each box of Eastern Standard contains a paper telling who he is.

Pre-light Aroma and Draw: With no cellophane, the Eastern Standard has a pretty mild aroma of leather and cocoa.  Since the sample I have here was in a bag with the rest of the Caldwell lineup that makes some sense.  Once they land at the Wharf, I will see if the boxed ones are more pungent.  The draw is just right.  Plenty of air but not wide open.  A cold pull gives off some of the most complex cold flavors I have come across.  Oak leaves, forest floor, vanilla, and wet cedar.

Light and Burn: A few self-correcting oddities aside, the Eastern Standard performs perfectly.  The ash is gray and slightly flaky and fairly clingy.

Tasting: Staring off there is a nice red and black pepper mix with cedar, cream, and orange peel underneath.  A syrupy sweetness shows up on the finish and a touch of cinnamon.  Simply delicious. Strength is in the medium range so far and performance is top notch.  The orange peel, cream, and cedar push each other around and attain a veritable ballet of complexity....I can't believe I just typed that.

As I get to the middle third, I notice a vanilla, cream, cinnamon, cedar, and orange interplay that makes the finish taste like an orange cinnamon roll - those ones you bake at home, you know?  Good lord, how do they do that?  I caught myself looking at this cigar and thinking that I could put a Cuban band on it, hand it to someone, and they would think it IS a Cuban.  The profile is very Cuban...reminds me of the Bolivar and Romeo y Julieta tubos. 

The final third is here *sniffle*.  A nutty character takes over at the core here but that cedar and creamy sweetness still mingle around too.  Strength increases to a nice medium-full as the cigar burns through.  Balance is the main word I can use to describe this masterpiece of a cigar...well, maybe delicious too.

Value: Here is where Caldwell shines.  At around $8 and change, how can you complain?

Final Thoughts: I have smoked all but two of the Caldwell line and they are all wicked tasty and fun.  I can also say that I smoked every one of them down to the nub with a big fat smile on my bearded face.  If you are looking for something new and awesome to add to your rotation, just pick any of their cigars - of course this Eastern Standard would be a terrific option for that.  Try a fistful and see what you think.  Personally, I highly recommend this cigar.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Hybrid
Binder: Dominican Habana
Filler: Criollo '98 Viso Dominicano 30% - 2008, Corojo Dominicano Ligero 30% - 2006, Habano Seco Nicaraguense 40% - 2007

Strength: Medium-full at its peak

Size: 5.5 x 44

Awesome looking little cigar

There is that deep triple cap and pigtail

Greetings Mister Lahkso