Cigar Review: La Imperiosa by Crowned Heads

Cigar: La Imperiosa by Crowned Heads
Size: Double Robusto – 6.3 x 50 (Toro)
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano, Oscuro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $9.39 per cigar at Two Guys Smoke Shop

Continuing on with my attempt at reviewing the remaining single sticks that have been hiding out in my humidor since November is the La Imperiosa. Here at Leaf Enthusiast, we are certainly not unfamiliar with the products Jon Huber and Crowned Heads produces. Despite smoking a number of his offerings over the years and enjoying all of them, I have yet to actually review one. I think it’s time to fix that oversight, don’t you?

I found no construction issues with the La Imperiosa. Pre-light aromas consisted of wood and “farm-like” qualities. Giving the La Imperiosa my first review attempts using a cold draw, I received very faint notes of fruit but nothing else. The draw after lighting was nicely balanced, coupled with strong peppery flavors hitting the roof of my mouth and the sides of my tongue and faint wood notes. This is easily the spiciest cigar I have had in recent memory, but not over the top like the El Diablo cigar that was made a decade or so ago if anyone remembers that. The spice mellowed after ten minutes of smoking but remained the predominant flavor for the first half of the cigar. Like the Neanderthal, I would consider the La Imperiosa on the lower end of full bodied in terms of strength. By the halfway point, stronger leathery notes were more prominent on the palette, replacing the initial bursts of pepper flavor. By the end, the La Imperiosa finished out a little bit stronger on the full bodied scale with finishes of the familiar leather and additional woody notes. Total smoking time was 1:17.

Besides a minor burn correction and a re-light, I had no real problems with the La Imperiosa.

By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10

To recap the La Imperiosa:

• Excellent representation of what a full bodied Nicaraguan cigar should be. I love the spicer notes with the La Imperiosa and should you like bold flavors in your cigars, you’ll love this.
• This isn’t so overly strong and spicy that it would scare away the new smokers or the ones who prefer milder cigars, but I might consider picking another cigar for those groups of people.
• Under $10 a stick? Yes please.
• I loved the Jericho Hill, I loved the single La Mareas I got to smoke recently (that review is likely coming in March, when I buy some) but this particular Crowned Heads offering speaks to me. Just like the Neanderthal from last week, there will be more in my humidor in the future.

Thank you very much for reading and I look forward to the next time I can share my thoughts with you.