Vitola: Tuberia (Rothschild)- 4.5” x 48 ring gauge
- MSRP $8.25
- Purchased at Burns Tobacconist
Background
Early this year, we received at Burns several boxes of Las Mareas from Crowned Heads, in the Olas and Rebeldes vitolas. We were part of the “soft launch/sneak preview” of the new line that received a full release at this year’s IPCPR show. I took a look at the preview release in January, and while I found it intriguing, it wasn’t compelling enough for me to smoke many more of them at the time. I actually didn’t smoke another until I saw halfwheel’s article about Crowned Heads’ booth in the 2016 IPCPR show where the author states that this cigar “was allegedly made to taste like a Cuban cigar, and I happen to agree.” Had the cigar really changed that much?
So I pulled another Olas from the box still on sale at Burns Downtown and smoked it in late July…yes, this cigar certainly matured excellently. It may have been a little young when it hit our shelves, but a little time in the humidor really made a world of difference. When the full release hit the shelves a couple weeks later, a friend (and neighbor) of mine came to the shop to buy a box of Tuberia, stating that somewhere on the interwebs Jon Huber had said that it was “the best size”…and that no one had reviewed it yet. So I decided to.
Las Mareas is a Nicaraguan puro made in the My Father factory in Nicaragua. I’ve smoked several sticks from this blend, and a couple samples of the shipping version of Tuberia before doing this review. I bought my cigars at Burns Tobacconist.
Prelight
Las Mareas means “the tides” and the packaging for the cigar reflects that. The sticker on the lid of the box shows a stylized ocean wave, while the box itself has fairly random wave patterns that invoke the feeling of the sand on the shore. The lettering on the band and box reminds me of things I’ve seen in Southern California beach communities, too…the art and lettering wouldn’t look at all out of place as the store logo for an art gallery or expensive clothing boutique on PCH in Laguna Beach.
The cigar itself had a dark caramel color to it with a bit of darker mottling in places, definitely not the almost-orange tint that I experienced in the pre-release version of the cigar. Could be the exact same wrapper, but it just goes to show that wrapper color can vary batch to batch. The aroma from the wrapper was a mix of natural tobacco, hay and wood, while the foot had notes of cedar and earth coming from it.
The preflight draw of the cigar was clear of obstruction and tasted of light earth, cedar and hay.
Flavor
Upon lighting up Las Mareas, I was greeted with a mix of woody and peppery notes, neither of which was strong enough to be overwhelming. Instead they balanced well with creamier grassy notes and a slight sweetness. I’m not sure I would say this tastes anything like “Cuban,” but I would say it’s more or less in the “Cuban mold” of being medium in body, with layers of flavor…spicy, but not punchy. The retrohale had red pepper flakes and a little more cedar and natural tobacco. What this cigar really achieved in the opening moments was what Huber said he was looking for when Crowned Heads was starting…an excellent balance.
As I headed into the second third, I got more grassy notes and a touch of citrus zing, which was not totally unexpected based on the prerelease version of the cigar, but was still very nice. The pepper spice had mellowed some, especially on the nose, but even through the changes, everything stayed in a very well-balanced place.
The last third of Las Mareas featured more earth and natural tobacco flavor. With cedar coming up behind and pepper just hanging around as a low-level burn. The citrus notes had disappeared, but there was still a little sweetness in the mix.
Construction
I had an excellent draw, very straight burn line and an ash solid enough that I had to forcefully knock it off at just under an inch.
Value
Las Mareas represents very good value, delivering a great smoking experience for a very fair price.
Conclusions
Las Mareas is a great new entry into the Crowned Heads catalog and my favorite regular line they have produced since Four Kicks, their very first release. It started off medium in body, progressing to a medium-to-full place by the end with plenty of complexity along the way. I found it assuredly Cuban in character, although proudly Nicaraguan in flavor. Definitely one to consider buying a whole bunch of when you get a chance.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
You nailed it.
I smoked the early release versions, (they were very good) and I am curious to see how different the regular production stick compares. The wrapper looks considerably darker to me.
John sent me a few Samples about a year ago and I tried to spread them out over the next couple of weeks. I smoked them all within 5 months and they just kept getting better. I had one that tunneled on me but otherwise they were amazing. I will be buying a box of these in the near future.