The Conde of Kings Cigars

I missed Kings Cigars at their 2013 IPCPR launching but fortunately I found them at the 2014 show. Kings has a factory in Estelí, Nicaragua and Santiago, Dominican Republic where the goal is to provide a “taste of royalty” in the blends it creates. I met with Pete Tyndale, King’s master blender, at the IPCPR and he convinced me that they are serious about making quality cigars. I previously reviewed the Baron, a Connecticut Robusto and Pete Tyndale also gave me a Conde to review. According to my Wikipedia translator, Conde is the title of Earl or Count.

The Conde I smoked was a 5 X 52 Robusto with a San Andres wrapper. This is one of my favorite wrappers as it reliably delivers sweetness throughout the smoke. The binder is Habano Criollo and the filler remains a proprietary blend. This cigar was an attractive, dark color that was firm except for the last inch near the foot and the cap was not a smooth as I expected (see the picture). However, when I light the cigar I enjoyed the sweetness from the wrapper and a coca flavor that was very nice. The after taste was a delicious coca/coffee that never got harsh or hot. The draw was very good as was the creamy smoke volume. By the mid-point, the taste became more complex with spice and pepper and the ash was above average. This is not a boring cigar as it went from mild to medium bodied in a flavorful way. The Conde also comes in 7 X52 churchill, a 6 ½ X 54 torpedo and a 7 ½ X 50 double corona.

The Conde lasted 1 hour and 10 minutes and with an SRP of $7 to $8 represents a good value. This is my second Kings Cigar series and I enjoyed it. I rate the Conde a 4 out of 5.