Crafted by JR: Crowned Heads – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

Back in September of this year, JR Cigar introduced the “Crafted By” series, with each future release making a noteworthy collaboration with esteemed manufacturers in the cigar world. The inaugural release, Crafted By JR: Crowned Heads, is a collaboration with none other than Crowned Heads and Jon Huber.

This series diverges from typical private labels by involving the JR Cigar team in every facet of the cigar’s creation, from the initial concept to the final product. The team’s hands-on approach encompasses everything from the blend’s development to the aesthetic elements like logo and packaging design.

For this first release, JR Cigar partnered with Crowned Heads, a name that resonates with aficionados for its quality and craftsmanship. The Crafted By JR: Crowned Heads is a product of Nicaragua, embodying a medium-bodied profile. Its construction features a blend of aged Nicaraguan fillers from the regions of Jalapa, Condega, and Ometepe. The blend is unified by a Connecticut broadleaf binder and finished with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.

The cigar is presented in wooden boxes of 10, each adorned with a custom wax seal, underscoring the limited nature of this edition. Only 500 boxes were created and it comes in just one size, a 5.5 x 52 in a Robusto Extra format. Each box is priced at $115, and individual sticks are available for $11.50. This limited edition can be found exclusively at www.jrcigars.com, offering a unique experience for those seeking a more interesting collaboration.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 52
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: USA Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Undisclosed
Blender: JR Team, Jon Huber
Number of reviewers: 5 – Kevin J. (maninblack77) Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi) Angel M. (Angel) Diana (ArmyRN) Noah S. (Noah)
Price: $11.50
Age: 3 Months
Release Date: September 2023
Contributed by: JR Cigars

Initial Impressions

Appearance: 94

“This cigar is a nice, medium brown color with minimal veins and tight seams. It has a nice semi-oily sheen with a large double pigtail cap.” –Angel M. (Angel)

Aroma: 95

“Aromas from the wrapper are interesting, to say the least, an odd combination of earth and floral notes that are slightly sweet. A soft sweetness comes from the foot as well which seems to be a mix of fresh cut hay and subtleties of cinnamon spice.” –Noah S. (Noah)

First Third

Flavor: 94
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Light-Medium

“In the first third of the cigar, it is starting off mild to medium. The smoke texture is very smooth and creamy with barely any heat behind it. As for flavors, those are mild as well, coming in with a nuttiness backed by a small amount of oak and vanilla, but as stated before it is very light on the tongue.” –Angel M. (Angel)

“The cigar opens with a roasted coffee note. It is sharp and direct on the palate. As it warms up there is a tannic taste building on the outsides of the palate. The retrohale has a strong floral note to it. It is so overt that I am thinking about hand soap. The mouthfeel is thick and sticky. The finish is medium in length.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Second Third

Flavor: 94
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Entering the second third, a crack develops in the wrapper and extends about an inch from the cherry towards the head of the cigar however it doesn’t seem to be causing any headaches as of yet. Upfront, the same flavors continue to exist harmoniously with none of them really standing above the others. The only substantial change that has occurred is on the finish where the citrus, peppery warmth, and minty coolness of the cardamom converge with and take over the rich tobacco flavors that once stood out. The finish is becoming a bit longer now as sweetness and spice begin to linger on the palate between each puff.” –Noah S. (Noah)

“The cigar begins to lose some of the butter and cream notes while it picks up more lemongrass. It remains very smooth yet there is a tartness to the finish. The combination of butter and lemongrass is quite interesting. Once the smoke settles on my pallet, there is a very mild cashew nut. The tartness mixes interestingly with the butteriness of the notes.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

Final Third

Flavor: 94
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The wrapper continued to give me fits but I am still thoroughly enjoying the mixture of flavors here. Loads of cocoa, leather, spices, and oak. The strength stayed medium throughout. Hated to see it end, even with the cracked wrapper issues.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“The burn line has caught up with the edge of the crack in the wrapper which thankfully never became problematic. All in all this smoke continues to be one-dimensional but the flavors have been more than favorable from the beginning so I certainly don’t mind. Once again any noticeable changes are reserved to the finish and the retrohale. The retro has intensified significantly, grabbing my attention in the most pleasant of ways by accentuating the spicy sweetness of the finish. Subtle hints of espresso and milk chocolate sporadically creep in from the background to join the finish which makes for a nice little surprise and a smoke that is certainly a little more dynamic and dimensional than it began.” –Noah S. (Noah)

Overall Impressions

Draw: 96

“From start to finish, I found the draw to be a little tighter than I prefer. I wouldn’t go as far to say that the smoking experience was diminished as a result, I just had to put a little effort into getting a good mouthful of smoke with each puff.” –Noah S. (Noah)

Burn: 89

“Wavy at first the burn corrected itself well and was straight and even for the rest of the smoking experience. The tobacco in the filler burnt even as well making for no burn issues.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Construction: 93

“The construction on the cigar was decent. It felt good in the hand with a decent pack. However, the wrapper did become unraveled about halfway through the second third, and all the way up to the band. It did not affect the smoking, but did affect the burn.” –Angel M. (Angel)

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

“This cigar offered up a lot of flavors and not only that, but the flavors really hit my palate in all the right spots. The wrapper issues aside, it performed very well. The abundant leather, oak, cocoa and baking spice flavors really worked well as a whole. I would definitely try this cigar again, perhaps in better weather conditions.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“I have to start this overview with this cigar was a great cigar. With that being said the flavor profile didn’t jive with my palate. There is a bunch of transitions during my time with smoking this cigar. This cigar reminds me of cigars from an island that is “off limits” to the American market. So if you are a fan of a floral forward blend with creamy undertones this might be for you. As for me I just didn’t vibe with it.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“Overall, this was an excellent cigar, nice medium body with flavors that complemented the strength. The nuttiness, cedar, and vanilla were perfectly balanced, and very enjoyable. I would definitely add this to my rotation, and look forward to its reveal.” –Angel M. (Angel)

“For me this cigar had the potential to be a great smoke. However, with the small construction issue, the way burn, and the heat of the body in the last third, I would say it loses a little something. I really had to slow down on the last third to give the cigar time to cool. The flavor profile was very interesting and held my attention with the variation of flavors that seemed oddly matched but worked. I would definitely smoke it again and it would be a great cigar with a nice cup of coffee and cinnamon bun.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

“For being fairly one-dimensional and simple, this cigar was a banger! From start to finish my palate was graced by a shortlist of flavors that I not only found to be immensely enjoyable but also perfectly balanced and dead consistent. What this cigar did lack was depth and transitions, neither of which play against it in my opinion. Rather than transitions, what I did experience were subtle changes to the finish that kept my palate plenty engaged and interested the entire time. Complexity spiked ever so briefly as this stick approached the nub which made for a splendid close to an already fantastic smoke! If you’re looking for over-the-top complexity or a ton of transitions you’ll need to look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a stick that features a few distinct flavors that play exceptionally well with one another, a silky smooth smoke and a trouble-free smoking experience then you owe it to yourself to pick up at least a handful of these.” –Noah S. (Noah)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 73

To view the complete scores and notes, click here

Crafted by JR: Crowned Heads – Blind Cigar Review