Caldwell Cigar Co. was founded by Robert Caldwell in 2014 with a focus on small batch cigars built from well aged and often rare tobaccos.
Yellow Cake was introduced the same year as an event-only release. The original was a small corona made with leftover tobaccos from other Caldwell lines, including a Dominican Corojo wrapper used on Long Live the King and fillers from Eastern Standard and The King Is Dead. Production took place at Tabacalera William Ventura in the Dominican Republic, and the cigars were packaged in simple paper bundles for events.
Demand later led to limited retail releases. More recent versions have offered the line in corona and robusto sizes with both Habano and Maduro wrappers, still sold primarily in five-count paper packs.
Stogie At A Glance
Curated Music Playlist
Yellow Cake was never supposed to exist. It’s rolled from the leftover trimmings and “chop” of other Caldwell cigars; the pieces cut away so the main blends could be perfect. Against Robert Caldwell’s will, people loved it. This playlist is the same idea: the jazz alternate takes and outtakes that didn’t make the album but still carry the session’s soul. Leftovers, refined.
Review
First Third
Grassy cedar on the light, with some light coffee notes on the finish. A slightly sweet note comes through with the coffee, but it isn’t creamy coffee. It’s more of a sweetened black coffee note. And of course, just as I say not creamy, a creamy note starts to come out halfway through the first third. The smoke is thick and chewy, and some pepper joins the coffee note on the finish. Toward the end of the first third, the creamy notes continue to come through, with a slight sweetness on the finish along with slight notes of pepper.
Second Third
It is very slight, but there is a cake like note, almost like taking a bite of yellow cake and washing it down with some milk, hence the creaminess. There is still some coffee and pepper on the finish. A woodier cedar note starts to come through in the second third, similar to the initial grassy cedar note from the beginning. The coffee continues with creaminess, and the cedar and grassy note comes in and out. The burn is remarkably even.
Final Third
In the final third, the coffee note continues, and the cream is still there but not as present as in the first two thirds. There is a slight white pepper finish. The coffee note continues to come through with traces of a leather note, but it is very faint. Light leather, coffee, and pepper on the finish.
Score
79/100