Las Calaveras is an anual limited edition cigar from Crowned Heads with a changed blend every year. This was the first Crowned Heads cigar not to be made at EP Carrillo’s factory and is made at My Father Cigars. It’s inspiration comes from Las Calaveras Catrina, a zinc etching by José Guadalupe Posada, and commemorates the memories of people who had died the year before.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
2017’s blend uses an Ecuadorian habano maduro wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua. This year’s cigar comes in four vitolas, LC46 (5 5/8 x 46) — $9.75 (Boxes of 24, $234), LC50 (5 x 50) — $10.75 (Boxes of 24, $258), LC52 (6 x 52) — $11.75 (Boxes of 24, $282), and a special sampler exclusive 5 1/2 x 54 —$9.70 — (3,000 Total Cigars).
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Corona Gorda
Length: 5 5/8″
Ring Gauge: 46
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
Blender: Jon Huber
Number of reviewers: 4 – Eric (smalls29) Diana(ArmyRN) Adam B.(Bushboy) Derek (StogieNinja)
Price: $9.75
Age: 6 Months
Release Date: June 2017
Contributed by: Purchased
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 89
“Nice reddish brown wrapper with solid feel. Well constructed cap that held up nicely with a deep v cut. Veins showing throughout wrapper but cigar still has a smooth feel and appearance. I like the look of this cigar.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
Aroma: 88
“There is a nice, sweet aroma of cherry coming from the stick. It is a smell of sweet pleasure, giving the feeling of anticipating desert coming.” –Eric (smalls29)
First Third
Flavor: 92
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
Blind Cigar Review: Crowned Heads | Las Calaveras 2017 LC46
“Out of the gate there was a nice red pepper flavor that woke up my senses immediately. No sweetness was noted but I did pick up on that elusive cinnamon that I had initially noticed on the aroma. It is hidden well in the background but every once in a while it mixes with the pepper to produce a hint of sweet but only for a second or two and then it quickly dissipates. The smoke is smooth but enough flavor to keep me well interested. Retro brings a nice red pepper but not enough to burn the nostrils. A mineral almost salty flavor is mixed in – I think I want some chips and salsa with this.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“Starts with cinnamon, almonds, and wood. It’s nice. At an inch in there’s some rich cocoa that’s unexpected, but rounds the profile out nicely. There’s some cedar sweetness as well. I don’t know what this is, but it’s pretty good so far!” –Derek (StogieNinja)
Second Third
Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“Strength is building and very earthy woody oak flavors are present. Touch of spice is creeping in and tingling
Blind Cigar Review: Crowned Heads | Las Calaveras 2017 LC46
the tip of my tongue. Very chewy smoke with a touch of nuttiness. Short finish and almost perfect burn so far. ” –Adam B. (Bushboy)
“Into the second third, there’s a burst of black pepper that coats the palate. It recedes almost as suddenly as it appeared, but remains as a side note, and is quite welcome. Primary flavors are wood with a slightly bitter edge, and a touch of herbal tea. There’s leather and a grassy note, and some kind of eastern spice. It’s getting more complex, but not necessarily better.” –Derek (StogieNinja)
“The last third is bringing the cinnamon a bit more forward and the pepper has subsided greatly. This
Blind Cigar Review: Crowned Heads | Las Calaveras 2017 LC46
is a smooth smoke and I have been enjoying it all the way through. There is more of the salty flavor coming through and it creates a nice balance with the smidgen of cinnamon spice.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“Flavors from the second third have carried over to the finish. Smokey, wood and oak/cedar flavors dominate. Spice detected earlier has disappeared. A creamy, nutty finish is definitely noticed. Cashew with a touch of peanut. The burn and smoke output has been spot on throughout this smoke.” –Adam B. (Bushboy)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 93
“Draw was close to perfect. No issues or hard spots to tarnish this bad boy. Excellent construction lead to a fantastic draw.”” –Adam B. (Bushboy)”
Burn: 93
“The burn was smooth, even, and a nice chimney formed from the beginning.” –Eric (smalls29)
Construction: 95
“Outside of the slightly lopsided role, this seems very well constructed. No major plugs or issues, draw and burn were both great, and in all other aspects was great.” –Derek (StogieNinja)
“There was definitely some personality in this one. A start that was negative to me turned out to be a positive smoke. The beginning was very bitter and sour. However, nice flavors of wood, coffee, and spices like sage and cinnamon came on. In the second third a nice peppery flavor and tingle appeared for a while. Even though some bitterness returned near the end I still found this to be a good cigar.” –Eric (smalls29)
“I really enjoyed this cigar and would definitely add it to my routine repertoire. I’m not a big pepper fan but the amount of pepper in this cigar was perfect. Not overpowering but well balanced with the other flavors to create a cigar that consistently kept my attention but was also relaxing and smooth. This is a great cigar for either an intermediate or experienced cigar smoker.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“This cigar was very enjoyable. The flavors of different woods with a slightly sweet finish all worked together nicely. Not too strong, but definitely not for the novice. Construction, draw and overall aroma were fantastic and I would smoke this one again in a heartbeat. ” –Adam B. (Bushboy)
“This was pleasant overall. The middle third was complex and would likely appeal to some, but it wasn’t really what I was looking for. There is part of me that is curious to see if additional rest would help clarify things or smooth them out. There was potential I think, and I would be interested in trying one again after six months or a year.” –Derek (StogieNinja)
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
Blind Cigar Review: Crowned Heads | Las Calaveras 2017 LC46
Overall Score – 91 – Very Good
Blind Cigar Review: Crowned Heads | Las Calaveras 2017 LC46
Summary
"I really enjoyed this cigar and would definitely add it to my routine repertoire. I’m not a big pepper fan but the amount of pepper in this cigar was perfect. Not overpowering but well balanced with the other flavors to create a cigar that consistently kept my attention but was also relaxing and smooth. This is a great cigar for either an intermediate or experienced cigar smoker." -Diana (ArmyRN)
