Caldwell Gibraltar Extra Review

Gibraltar Extra
Made by: Caldwell
Country: Dominican Republic, Ecuador
Vitola: 5 1/2 by 54

This is a newer cigar from Robert Caldwell. The JV line doesn’t get as much attention as the mainline cigars such as the “King is Dead, Long Live the King, and the Eastern Standard.” I have been impressed by alot of the mainline cigars from this company. The other recent cigar I reviewed for the JV line was the Sevillana Reserva, and that was a step down from the original Sevillana in my opinion. This cigar is an example of the JV line step up from the “Gibraltar”, lets see what it has to offer with a Caldwell Gibraltar Extra Review.

Prelight

The cap looks sloppy, but sturdy. Lots of tooth on the wrapper, there are several large veins. The seams are visible, but the veins are more pronounced. There is a understated band, this leaves some aesthetics to be desired. The foot gives off a very earth/barnyard aroma with a white pepper background. Very clean cut, loose tobacco present. I am impressed by the cap, I would have seen it having more difficulties. Extremely easy draw, it could use more resistance. Earthiness and white pepper on the preflight draw, but the draw may be an issue.

1/3

Very easy draw, and it is really throwing me off, the primary flavor is a deep earth with a cream and white pepper finish. Tons of smoke production, and really thick. Smoke this outside because it will fill a room quickly. The super easy draw is adding an interesting airy aspect to the cigar, not sure if this was planned or not. There is a cashew coming up alongside the light white pepper on the finish. Mild to medium body with low strength. Flaky ash with a poor burn line at the moment. Not holding up to the construction profiles of other Caldwell releases. Running on the veins unfortunately, may need a touch up soon. No major changes, the finish has turned bitter with the cashew note. The white pepper is down. Extremely flaky ash.

2/3

I am really missing resistance on the draw as the second third starts out. There have been no major changes to the profile. Deep earth remains on the front, and then a bitter cashew with light white pepper on the finish.  After a touch-up the burn is doing a lot better. Extremely consistent stick, on a normal basis earth is not a very pleasant flavor in my opinion. However, due to the body being at a mild to a medium the profile is working.

3/3

Extremely consistent, great smoke production. The cream is adding a wonderful aspect to the cigar. No changes so no transitions. Complexity not extremely high, but the mix of the body and the notes that are present are creating a decent profile. Still mild to medium, low strength. The burn line got a lot better after the touch up.

Smoke Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Conclusion: 82

A great yardgar, is really what this comes down to. Easy smoking, no real transitions. A great budget smoke, but not really something that will wow. It’s enjoyable if you’re not looking for something to grab your attention. This does well in its own category of budget smokes, the score is deceiving because of the lack of transitions and complexity.

Click on the picture to find this cigar at anthonyscigars.com