Vitola: Robusto- 5” x 50 ring gauge
- ~$11
- Purchased at Burns Tobacconist
Background
Who would have thought when they started that Crowned Heads would become one of the fastest-growing new brands of the last decade? Actually I would have thought that, but I was a bit of a fan-boy and was confident that everyone soon would be. In the end, it did take a few years for everyone to catch on, but Crowned Heads really has become a staple in the industry…it’s a known quantity…and what is known is that you will get honest, great quality blends from these guys.
In the summer of 2018, Jon Huber announced the newest thing from Crowned Heads: the Crowned Heads Court Reserve 2018 (or CHC Reserve 2018). In the video introducing it, he mentions that this is the first of their “Reserve line” that will be “going into the future.” It is made at EP Carrillo’s factory, where they started the whole CH thing with the Four Kicks. This stick uses Nicaraguan fillers, an Ecuadorian binder, and a Mexican San Andres wrapper. Besides the Robusto I am reviewing today, it comes in Corona Gorda and Sublime vitolas…three of the sizes they introduced with the Four Kicks blend.
According to Will Cooper’s news story, there will be a total production of 150,000 cigars for this blend, which makes it a little less “limited” than I thought it would be. As a way of comparing, most of the Room101 limited blends (like Daruma or Namakubi) had a declared limit of 100,000 cigars and are still widely available at shops around the company 5 or more years later. So if they really are doing 150,000 of these (about 50,000 of each of 3 sizes…20 to a box, so 7,500 boxes…2,500 of each size, unless they add more sizes later) I suspect they will be pretty easy to find in a few months time when production has caught up to initial demand. That’s assuming all those numbers are correct.
Wes Thornton gave me a CHC Reserve 2018 back in late August/early September, but I didn’t have another until they showed up in the store in late October. Since then, I have bought and smoked a couple samples before this review one.
Prelight
In the video introduction of the new brand, Huber mentioned how the packaging is a bit of a departure for the company. The black shiny box is definitely a step away from their typical rough, sometimes unadorned wooden boxes. The bands are a little more elaborate, but nothing over-the-top. The main band has “CHC” in a stylized font in the large center portion. There’s a crown over it and the centerpiece is flanked by the gold medallions of 3 stars (from the Tennessee state flag) and the “CH” logo. The secondary band just has the Roman numerals “XVIII” (18) and everything is done in black and red ink, along with gold foil and embossing. It’s classy and attractive and at the very least, very different from anything Crowned Heads has done before.
The wrapper leaf was a dark chocolate brown color with a minimal amount of oils to the eye, but a little more oiliness to the touch. Giving the wrapper leaf a good sniff, I got dank earthiness and barnyard, along with hints of espresso bean and unsweetened cocoa powder. The foot had a lighter earthiness with more chocolate and cedar notes mixed in.
The cut cigar had a good cold draw that had flavors of semi-sweet chocolate, dried fruit, earth and coffee.
Flavor
The CHC Reserve 2018 started off with strong cedar notes, with earth, espresso bean and cocoa powder coming in behind. There was a good amount of pepper spice on the palate…not too much, not too little. The retrohale had an odd nutty note along with a strong pepper burn.
As I got into the second third, the pepper spice increased and I got a definite licorice/anise note. Body was medium-plus, which was a little odd for a Mexican-wrapped cigar, most being in the medium-full or full-bodied range.
The final third of the CHC Reserve 2018 did get into the medium-to-full-bodied range with more anise, more semi-sweet chocolate, tons of earth and coffee.
Construction
I had a great draw, even enough burn line and solid ash.
Value
This stick is a little higher than most other Crowned Heads offerings, but it’s also supposed to be a “flagship” line so it should carry a higher price point. I think the experience justifies it.
Conclusions
The Crowned Heads Court Reserve 2018 is a great cigar that starts off in a slightly off-kilter place for the stated makeup, then proceeds to build and change, producing a complex, rich smoke that makes the journey worth the six years or so that it took to get here. Great way to top the range of Crowned Heads’ cigars.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
