Caldwell Lost and Found Antique Line - Cigar Reviews by HB Cigars

Well well well. Here we are again with Caldwell. A brand that has unmemorable naming schemes and even more forgettable blends. But can their best of the worst be good? Let's find out!! The Lost and Found concept operates on treasure hunter logic: Robert Caldwell travels around discovering old forgotten stock in manufacturers' warehouses, slaps new bands on them, and sells them as premium finds. The Antique Line supposedly represents his personal aging project - "the caviar of what we do with Lost & Found" according to the man himself. This 2006 vintage has been sitting in some anonymous Dominican factory for nearly 20 years, aging like a fine wine or spoiling like milk depending on how this smoke goes. The manufacturer stays anonymous because either it's an impressive industry name who doesn't want association with Caldwell's rebrand game, or it's someone forgettable who benefits from the mystery. Proceeds support his GAF (Give a F@ck) Program for inner-city education, which means at least your disappointment funds literacy.

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🔥 THE VITALS 🔥

Cigar: Lost and Found Antique Line 2006

Master Blender: Unknown (manufactured by anonymous Dominican factory, discovered and rebranded by Robert Caldwell)

Size: Robusto 5 x 50

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Dominican Colorado (multiple wrapper varieties available in 2006 line)

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican Mejorado

Price: Mid-range for aged limited stock

Aging: Rolled in 2006, nearly 20 years of aging

🚀 WE ARE LIT!

Draw: Slightly loose - more airflow than ideal

Burn: Consistent

Smoke Output: Above average production

Ash: Nice white ash formation

Slightly loose draw provides more airflow than you'd want, though the above average smoke production makes up for it somewhat. The white ash looks pristine and holds respectably before surrendering. Construction is decent considering this is "discovered" old stock from an anonymous manufacturer rather than quality-controlled regular production. The Colorado wrapper shows honest medium brown coloring with visible veins - it looks like aged tobacco rather than Instagram-ready cosmetic perfection, which tracks for cigars that have been sitting forgotten in a warehouse since the iPhone was still a year away from existing.

🎢 FLAVOR JOURNEY

FIRST THIRD: HONEY HAY SWEETNESS

honey, hay, light leather

Honey dominates the opening with hay providing grassy earthiness. Light leather adds subtle tannin character without overwhelming the sweeter notes. This started with a strong bang - very sweet and honey forward - creating an opening that promises more than it ultimately delivers. The profile is approachable and pleasant, showing what nearly 20 years of aging can do for mellowing tobacco.

SECOND THIRD: DECLINING TRAJECTORY

hay, leather, light honey, graham cracker

Hay takes center stage as leather becomes more prominent. Light honey persists but diminishes noticeably from the opening. Graham cracker sweetness arrives but can't maintain the momentum established in the first third. The longer you smoke it, the worse it gets - flavors fade rather than develop, transitioning from promising to pedestrian.

FINAL THIRD: MINERAL EARTH FINISH

charred cedar, earth, minerals

Charred cedar dominates the closing act alongside earth notes that ground the profile. Minerals appear unexpectedly, adding a chalky character that's neither pleasant nor offensive. The finish is clean but unremarkable, ending without bitterness but also without leaving any lasting impression worth remembering - like that coworker whose name you can never quite recall despite seeing them daily for three years.

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🏆 THE VERDICT

B- TIER

Flavor: B

Construction: B-

Availability: C+

Price: B-

Final Rating:

The Caldwell Lost and Found Antique Line 2006 starts strong with honey-forward sweetness but declines steadily as the smoke progresses. The concept of aged "discovered" tobacco is intriguing, but execution doesn't justify the mystique. At mid-range pricing for limited old stock, it's neither a bargain nor a rip-off.

📊 BOTTOM LINE

Nearly 20 years of aging creates smoothness but can't salvage declining flavors that fade rather than develop. The honey-forward opening shows promise that the cigar fails to maintain, transitioning from sweet and engaging to earthy and forgettable. The slightly loose draw and above average smoke production create decent mechanics, but construction alone doesn't save mediocre tobacco. Limited availability (C+ rating) reflects genuine scarcity of old stock rather than artificial allocation - once these are gone, they're gone. The mystery manufacturer angle is either charming or frustrating depending on your preference for transparency. Proceeds supporting inner-city education through Caldwell's GAF Program adds feel-good factor that doesn't improve smoking quality but might ease buyer's remorse. For Caldwell's supposed "caviar" of the Lost & Found lineup, this delivers more like canned tuna - edible and functional but not remotely luxurious. The B- tier rating reflects accurate mediocrity: starts decent, finishes forgettable, proves that aging alone can't fix average tobacco.

TLDR: Nearly 20 years of aging on mystery Dominican stock that starts honey-sweet but fades into forgettable earth tones - Caldwell's "caviar" tastes more like grocery store sushi left out too long.

Cuba Aliados Torpedo by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo - Cigar Reviews by HB Cigars

Can't say I know anything about this cigar other than Ernesto Perez-Carrillo for some reason leaves his best blends for other brands. EPC labeled stuff are his worst. Fight me. This Cuba Aliados release proves the point - it's a limited edition collaboration made for Oliva Cigar Company after they acquired the historic Honduran brand from the late Rolando Reyes Sr.'s family in 2021. The backstory is actually touching: Reyes mentored a young Perez-Carrillo after meeting him in Miami's Calle Ocho, essentially teaching him everything about tobacco. Decades later, EPC returns the favor by crafting this tribute blend limited to just 10,000 boxes across all vitolas. Released at the 2022 PCA Trade Show, this uses a 5-year aged Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over Dominican and Nicaraguan guts, all rolled at Tabacalera La Alianza in the Dominican Republic where Perez-Carrillo does his best work - which is apparently everything except his own brand.

BUY DISCOUNT CIGARS HERE or ALIADOS HERE

🔥 THE VITALS 🔥

Cigar: Cuba Aliados Torpedo

Master Blender: Ernesto Perez-Carrillo - The man who makes better cigars for everyone else's brands than his own EPC line, according to people with functioning taste buds

Size: Torpedo 6 x 54

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra (aged 5 years)

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan

Price: Mid-range pricing (limited edition)

Aging: Minimum 3 years on tobacco, some leaves aged up to 5 years

🚀 WE ARE LIT!

Draw: Great - smooth and effortless

Burn: Good with minor corrections needed

Smoke Output: Below average - not billowing clouds but functional

Ash: Solid formation

Great draw and good construction throughout. The torpedo tip has moderate tapering that converges nicely, showing proper rolling technique from Tabacalera La Alianza. The Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper has a medium brown reddish tint with noticeable mottling and oil content - it looks rustic and honest rather than cosmetically perfect. Below average smoke production is the main construction criticism, though it doesn't impact flavor delivery. The band features gold and red foil highlights that are either elegantly ornate or visually overwhelming depending on your tolerance for decorative excess. Limited to 10,000 boxes for the entire line across five vitolas (Robusto, Toro, Torpedo, Re-Gordo, Churchill), this represents genuine scarcity rather than artificial allocation theater designed to create FOMO among collectors who need validation through unobtainable cigars.

🎢 FLAVOR JOURNEY

FIRST THIRD: BUTTER HONEY SWEETNESS

pepper, cream, espresso, oak

Butter cream dominates immediately with sweet leather providing smooth tannin character. Honey adds natural sweetness that elevates the profile beyond basic tobacco notes. The opening is refined and approachable, delivering complexity without requiring a flavor thesaurus to describe - it's good without needing to compare it to obscure fruits you've never actually tasted or woodsy notes that sound like a Yankee Candle catalog.

SECOND THIRD: NUTTY EARTH TRANSITION

dark chocolate, smooth pepper, oak

Diminishing cream gives way to leather that becomes the primary force. Roasted nuts emerge with earth notes grounding the profile in classic cigar territory. The sweetness fades but the profile maintains balance rather than just becoming flat and boring. This section shows restraint and development, proving that flavor progression doesn't require dramatic mood swings between thirds.

FINAL THIRD: GRAHAM CRACKER FINISH

charred oak, pepper, espresso, earth

Leather persists as graham cracker sweetness arrives unexpectedly. Earth continues throughout while charred nuts provide roasted complexity to the closing act. The finish is composed and clean, ending without bitterness or harshness - this cigar knows how to exit gracefully rather than limping to the finish line like a marathon runner who overtrained and refused to listen to their knees.

BUY DISCOUNT CIGARS HERE or ALIADOS HERE

🏆 THE VERDICT

B TIER

Flavor: B

Construction: A-

Availability: B-

Price: B

Final Rating:

The Cuba Aliados by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Torpedo delivers a solid, refined smoking experience that showcases what EPC can do when working with aged tobacco and someone else's brand name. The 5-year aged Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper provides smoothness and complexity, while the Dominican-Nicaraguan filler blend creates balanced character. Limited production (10,000 boxes) keeps availability moderate without being impossibly rare.

📊 BOTTOM LINE

This Cuba Aliados release represents Ernesto Perez-Carrillo paying tribute to his mentor Rolando Reyes Sr., who took a young EPC under his wing in Miami's Calle Ocho and taught him the tobacco trade. Released at the 2022 PCA Trade Show, availability has remained moderate since launch - not sitting on every shelf but not impossible to acquire either. The B- availability rating reflects this middle ground. Pricing is reasonable for a limited edition tribute blend with aged tobacco and EPC pedigree - you're not paying allocated secondary market premiums or mortgage-level pricing. The historical context adds value beyond just tobacco quality - knowing this represents EPC honoring his mentor makes it more than just another limited release cash grab. If the thesis holds that Perez-Carrillo saves his best work for other brands (La Gloria Cubana, Inch, this Cuba Aliados), then this torpedo provides evidence for that argument. The refinement and balance here exceeds much of what the actual EPC brand line delivers, which raises questions about brand strategy or perhaps just proves that nostalgia and obligation produce better results than corporate portfolio management. For medium-bodied smokers who appreciate refined flavors and historical significance, the Cuba Aliados by EPC delivers solid value and enjoyment. Just don't expect massive smoke clouds or aggressive strength - this is sophisticated rather than bombastic.

TLDR: Pretty good. Get it on sale.

Red Meat Lovers Beef Stick by Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust | Cigar Reviews by HB Cigars

Ah yes, who doesn't like putting meat in their mouth? From the shores of San Francisco to the plains of Oklahoma, Americans love meat in their mouth. Steve Saka understood this fundamental truth when he created the Red Meat Lovers line - allegedly while "under the influence" of Nicaragua's top-grade porterhouse steaks. Originally a 2019 Smoke Inn exclusive for the Red Meat Lovers Club charity dinners, this blend proved too good to keep locked behind Florida's gates. In 2023, Saka released it as regular production nationwide, adding new vitolas and spreading the meaty gospel to the masses. The concept is simple: create a cigar explicitly designed to pair with steak, which apparently no one had bothered to do properly despite cigars and beef being partners since someone discovered fire and had two good ideas in the same evening.

BUY DISCOUNT CIGARS HERE or MEAT LOVERS HERE

🔥 THE VITALS 🔥

Cigar: Red Meat Lovers Meat Stick

Master Blender: Steve Saka - Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust founder who took the radical stance that cigars should be designed to pair with specific foods like a normal person would pair wine

Size: Flat, closed foot 6 x 48

Country of Origin: Nicaragua (Estelí)

Wrapper: USA Connecticut Broadleaf No. 1 Dark (Maduro)

Binder: Mexican San Andrés Negro Oscuro

Filler: Nicaraguan and USA Pennsylvania

Price: $15.45 per stick

Aging: Regular production, made at NACSA factory

Draw: Great - smooth and effortless

Burn: Even and consistent

Smoke Output: Huge clouds of thick, dense smoke that takes time to dissipate

Ash: Solid formation before release

Immaculate construction from the closed foot to the pigtail cap. The closed foot adds a nice touch to the light-up experience, letting you ease into the blend rather than getting hit with full intensity immediately. The wrapper is toothy and gritty with a reddish-brown hue that actually evokes the visual of a perfectly cooked steak - which is either brilliant branding or confirmation that Steve Saka was really committed to the meat theme. The box-press is clean and uniform, showing proper rolling technique from the NACSA factory. Available in four steak-themed sizes (Beef Stick, Filet Mignon, Ribeye, Porterhouse), the naming convention is either charming or insufferable depending on your tolerance for food metaphors in tobacco marketing. The blend specifically uses Pennsylvania filler tobacco alongside Nicaraguan leaf, which is an interesting choice that adds unique character rather than just being another all-Nicaraguan powerhouse.

🎢 FLAVOR JOURNEY

FIRST THIRD: PEPPER ESPRESSO AWAKENING

pepper, cream, espresso, oak

Pepper dominates immediately alongside rich cream that balances the spice assault. Espresso provides robust coffee character while oak adds woody depth to the foundation. The opening is bold and unapologetic, delivering exactly what you'd expect from a cigar designed to stand up to a 16-ounce ribeye - like showing up to a business meeting in a suit that actually fits instead of pretending athleisure is acceptable professional attire.

SECOND THIRD: CHOCOLATE OAK TRANSITION

dark chocolate, smooth pepper, oak

Dark chocolate takes center stage as the pepper smooths out considerably. Oak persists throughout while the smooth pepper provides gentle spice without aggression. The flavors intensify but remain balanced, showing restraint rather than just piling on strength for strength's sake. This section delivers refined power, proving that full-bodied doesn't have to mean face-punching intensity.

FINAL THIRD: CHARRED EARTH FINALE

charred oak, pepper, espresso, earth

Charred oak dominates the closing act with pepper returning alongside espresso that provides coffee punch. Earth notes ground the profile, creating that classic Nicaraguan character that signals you've reached the finish line. The cigar ends strong and composed without bitterness or heat, maintaining quality down to the nub - this knows when to leave the party rather than overstaying its welcome like that friend who never picks up on closing time cues.

BUY DISCOUNT CIGARS HERE or MEAT LOVERS HERE

🏆 THE VERDICT

B+ TIER

Flavor: B+

Construction: A

Availability: B+

Price: B-

Final Rating:

The Dunbarton Red Meat Lovers Ribeye delivers on its core mission: creating a cigar that can stand up to heavy meals and bold flavors. The Connecticut Broadleaf and Mexican San Andrés combination provides serious depth, while the Pennsylvania filler adds unique character that differentiates it from standard Nicaraguan bombs. At $15.45, the pricing sits in that awkward middle zone between affordable daily smoke and special occasion territory.

📊 BOTTOM LINE

Steve Saka's Red Meat Lovers line proves that designing cigars for specific food pairings isn't just marketing nonsense - when done thoughtfully, it actually works. Originally created for the Red Meat Lovers Club charity dinners in South Florida, this blend graduated from store exclusive to national production because it was genuinely too good to limit artificially. The concept of building a cigar specifically to pair with steak makes sense when you consider that most premium cigars either get overwhelmed by heavy meals or compete with them rather than complement. The B- price rating reflects this awkward positioning - you're paying boutique prices for regular production availability. The steak-themed naming convention (Beef Stick, Filet Mignon, Ribeye, Porterhouse) commits fully to the meat theme, which is either delightful or eye-rolling. Regular production availability since 2023 means these aren't allocation-chasing limited releases, just solid cigars designed with specific purpose. If you enjoy Connecticut Broadleaf power cigars and appreciate the Pennsylvania filler difference, the Red Meat Lovers delivers exactly what it promises - bold, savory smoking that can stand up to your carnivore lifestyle without apology.

TLDR: Tasty cigar, a bit expensive.