Crowned Heads Le Pâtissier – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

Crowned Heads showed off an exclusive cigar to attendees of the PCA 2021 Trade Show. Le Pâtissier translates to ‘pastry chef’ in French. Crowned Heads Le Pâtissier is an offshoot of the Crowned Heads Le Carême line that came out in 2016, which was inspired by French chef Marie-Antoine Careme. The two blends sport a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, that’s where the similarities end. This is the first Crowned Heads blend to come out of Tabacalera Pichardo that uses broadleaf.

Crowned Heads Le Pâtissier only comes in one size, a 6 1/2 x 44 lonsdale parejo. The blend starts with a Grade A Dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Nicaraguan (Jalapa) binder, and filler tobaccos from Costa Rica and Nicaragua (Pueblo Nuevo and Ometepe). It is packaged in cabinets boxes of 20 and each cigar has a retail of $10.50. Le Pâtissier is produced at Tabacalera Pichardo in Esteli, Nicaragua, that also rolls the Crowned Heads lines Juarez, and Mil Días.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Lonsdale
Length: 6 1/4″
Ring Gauge: 44
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Grade A Dark Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Costa Rica, Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera Pichardo
Blender:Jon Huber and Eradio Pichard
Number of reviewers: 5 – Kevin J. (maninblack77) Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi) Isaac M. (The Nothing) Jason H. (Jokey Smurf) John I. (John I.)
Price: $10.50
Age: 4 Months
Release Date: TBD
Contributed by: Crowned Heads

Initial Impressions

Appearance: 94

“Magical. This looks super tasty. Sub 50, maybe around 46 ring. Really dark, glossy, and sexy.” –John I. (John I.)

Aroma: 93

“Smelling the body of this cigar and I am taken to a campfire where I am making s’mores. When I turn to the foot I add light barnyard and an undefined green vegetal note sprinkled with coriander. After cutting the cap, I take a few cold draws. In doing so I get marshmallow fluff, hay, and a light sourness. It has me intrigued.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

First Third

Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Clipped the cap and roasted the foot. A lot of bold flavors make up the first third. They include but are not limited to, roasted coffee beans, dark chocolate, English walnuts, and a slight leather flavor. These were nice and bold upfront but faded slightly as we went along. A great combination of flavors to begin with. Burn is impressive.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“Really herbaceous pre-light flavor. Begins with sweet peppery notes, and a big blast of baking spices right off the bat. As this continues to burn it develops a nice spicy flavor profile with seriously sweet raisin/dried fruit flavors. Also hints periodically of anise flavors. The draw is fairly tight. Eventually, I resort to clipping more of the head in an effort to open this up.” –John I. (John I.)

Second Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“The third opens with bitter coffee notes but quickly morphs into a dense cocoa nibs and whipping cream note. Through the nose, I find notes of anise, cocoa, and five-spice powder. Smoke production has fallen off a bunch in this second third. The smoke that I do get is thick, rich, and smooth. In the dying moments of the third, there is a cinnamon tingle that lengthens the finish. This is a mouth-watering smoking experience.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“The second portion has remained woodsy but the hazelnut flavor has left and the smoke has become much more peppery on my palate and especially through my nose. The smoke has remained very oily and continues to leave my palate buttery smooth.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

Final Third

Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Flavor and strength pick up a bit as we head to the finish line. Lots of coffee notes as well as damp earth and dark chocolate. You get a lot more flavors present in these smaller ring gauges due to the wrapper filler ratio. Very enjoyable finish that left me longing for more.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“By far the best that this cigar has to offer. All of the flavors are working well together. Dense cocoa with marshmallow fluff sweetness coming and going as it pleases. As I reach the last inch of this cigar the pepper ramps up. Tingling the lips for what seems like forever. The smoke is thick and finish is long.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Overall Impressions

Draw: 90

“Other than the first few slightly tight puffs this was a fine example of how a cigar should draw. Just a hint of resistance and plenty of cool smoke…a real joy!” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

Burn: 94

“I couldn’t find much fault with the burn. Started up and rode it out until the end with little flaw.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

Construction: 90

“A well-put-together cigar. Outside of the smoke production problem in the first third. The ash was firm but had moments where it would flower on me.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Experience Overall: 93

“The lonsdale vitola is quickly becoming one of my favorite sizes. The flavors seem to really pop in this format. The flavors in this cigar were impressive and there were enough transitions to keep me interested. This is definitely a cigar I’d try again. Thanks for the opportunity.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“I feel like this cigar would benefit from some time in the humidor. At times I felt like it might be under fermented. As I smoked on I kept thinking that there might be a great cigar here…with some time. I will definitely revisit it once I know what it is.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“I had such hopes for this cigar. In the beginning, judging by the cover, this cigar looked to be in my wheelhouse. It was the right color. I had the right shape. But then, when lighting the cigar, nothing happened. It gave me a nearly straight line, single flavor, from start to finish. It offered little in transitions. It had nothing more to offer. It was boring. Such a shame and I truly hope this was a one-off phenomenon.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

“This was really a fine smoking experience from beginning to end. I appreciate the changes I experienced through the cigars progression and really loved the finish particularly. I only stopped smoking when it was too hot to hold. This one is highly recommended for a fiver or box purchase.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

“This was nice. The overall flavor profile was just about right for me. Some sweetness, and primary focus on flavors of dark roasted coffee, and deep rich wood. Some baking spices were early added to the festivities. There were some draw issues in the early stages, but once these were resolved this was a very enjoyable experience. I’d try another handful.” –John I. (John I.)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 90

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

Crowned Heads Le Pâtissier – Blind Cigar Review