Cigar Review: Crowned Heads Court Reserve XVIII Robusto – Rated 96

Ah yes, Crowned Heads, a cigar company known for cigar names like Four Kicks, Headley Grange, Jericho Hill and more. Names that give tribute to musicians and bands. This makes sense, as Crowned Heads is based out Nashville, TN and why not give tribute to music. But this year, at the IPCPR, Crowned Heads Cigars introduced their latest blend, that was a not tribute to a band or a musician, but instead a tribute to the company’s fans instead. The cigar is named, Crown Heads Court Reserve XVIII. The term court in this case is reflective of the many fans that have supported the brand over the years and which Crowned Heads Cigars refers to as “our court“.

Of additional interest is the selection of the 3 vitolas that his cigar will be produced in. They are a throw back to 2011 when the company created its first line, Four Kicks, in so much that they are being produced in the same 3 vitolas of that inaugural introduction.

Corona Gorda (5 5/8 x 46) MSRP $9.50 Jon Huber’s favorite vitola
Robusto (5 x 50) MSRP $11.00
Sublime (6 x 54) MSRP $12.50

The company notes that each vitola has been blended specifically for its size and they are being hand rolled at Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr.’s Tabacalera La Alianza S.A. in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

The blend is described as:

Wrapper – Mexican San Andrés
Binder – Ecuadorian
Filler – Nicaraguan

Production is limited to only 150,000 cigars packaged in 20-count boxes for a total of 7,500 boxes nationwide. At the IPCPR, I was told these will begin shipping in the Fall of 2018, and if you search for this today you will see some sites like Famous Smoke are taking pre-orders.

For this review, I sampled the Crown Heads Court Reserve XVIII Robusto which I received at the show for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.

Pre- Light Examination

This is a fine-looking cigar and from the looks of it, I would say Jon Huber is pleased with his court of devoted fans. The Crowned Heads Court Reserve XVIII is cloaked with a medium to dark brown wrapper that has a tinge of red clay color and a good amount of marbling. There is a fine oily sheen when held in the light and it is finished with an expertly applied triple cap. The cigar does have a rugged feel to it with some veins and bumps as you run your fingers along the shaft.

There are two bands displayed on the cigar, both of which use a black, red, and gold motif. The primary band prominently displays the company’s logo in the center of a red shield with a golden crown above it. The secondary band is directly below the primary and simply states XVIII in embossed gold which represents the year, 2018, the cigar made its nationwide roll out.

Running the Crowned Heads Court Reserve XVIII across my nose, I detected a fermented leaf aroma along the barrel and a pungent earthy aroma off the foot. This sample has been resting for 2 months in my humidor and I would say it was ready to smoke.

I sliced the cap with my double blade Zikar cutter and proceeded to take a few cold puffs. The draw was a bit tight but managed to deliver notes of earth, salted butter, and a mild pepper.

Well, the only thing left was to get this beauty ignited and go on a royal journey with the Crowned Heads.

Cigar Review Notes

Crown Heads Court Reserve XVIII

Initial puffs greet the palate with a light pepper
The tight pre-light draw had no impact on the lit cigar as it produced a full volume of creamy smoke
Salt and pepper ash starts to evolve resting on a thin char line
Slight wave in early burn
About an inch into the burn sweetness and cinnamon spice entice the taste buds
Wrapper is getting oily
Cedar woodiness joins the mix
Fragrant floral aroma fills the air around me
Leathery notes enter as it moves into the second third
Burn line has straightened out nicely
Earthy notes rest in the background
Ash finally fell just before the primary band
A well-formed and centered cone is reveled – exactly what I look for in a well constructed cigar
Slight grassy notes appear which I possibly could say was herbal in flavor
Aroma shifts to a sweet nut
Spice builds on the palate into the final
Medium strength
Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 15 minutes

Overall, I rate the Crowned Heads Court Reserve XVIII a 96. This cigar is certainly one of the best cigars to come out of Crowned Heads and as a tribute to its fans, the Crowned Heads team certainly delivered. There was a full body of balanced flavor through the journey with a solid medium strength that should be enjoyable to any cigar lover. The construction was spot on with a long ash and perfect burn cone with an even char line. Keeping with established Stogie Press rating system I only deduct one point for the salt and pepper ash. I gave a bonus point for the long solid ash. At a MSRP of $11.00 for the robusto, I would say this is worth a fiver.

Point Deductions: