Crowned Heads Headley Grange Review
Cigar: Crowned Heads Headley Grange
Size: Corona Gorda, 5.6”x46
MSRP: $8.45
Strength: Medium-Full
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Origin: Dominican Republic (Nicaraguan binder and fillers)
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Prelight: The cigar is wrapped in a mildly mottled, milk chocolate colored leaf and has a slight box press to it, giving it a bit of a Cuban look. However, the triple cap is a little sloppy. The cigar has a bit of a sweet, floral aroma to the wrapper, while the foot has a dusty, nutty scent. I do really like the simplicity of the band as well. Using my trusty punch, the draw is perfect. The cold draw is very “dry” in taste – leathery and nutty.
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1/3: The first few puffs of the cigar have quite a bite in the retrohale. Once my nose stops burning, I notice that the flavors are a nice spicy mix of baking spices and wood. There is an iota of leather hanging around in the background. As the first third progresses, the leather increases until it is on par with the woody notes. The ash hangs on to this wonderfully constructed cigar until almost the second third, at which point I notice a more complex profile emerging: herbs and grass enter the mix…but, it’s not just grass, maybe lemon grass?
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2/3: I notice that the smoke feels as I suspected in the cold draw – dry. The second third increases in body and flavor, and a complex amalgam of sweetness, leather, herbs, wood and spices battle for recognition. There is less of a burn in the retrohale, but the eclectic mix of flavors has me confused as to which herb/spice I am tasting. Maybe it’s all of them. As I reach the final third I go to remove the band, but find an excess of glue precludes me from doing it easily. I get a small tear in the wrapper and a mangled band that I cannot keep for my collection.
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3/3: The final third calms down a bit and is mostly spices, wood and a bit of hay. The wood ebbs as I near the nub, leaving the baking spices and hay to finish the job.
Overall: This is a really good cigar. Appearance is simple, rustic, and beautiful. Construction is near flawless. Flavors are complex yet approachable. Burn is enviable. I truly enjoyed everything about the cigar, except for the minor nuisance that I destroyed the band. Oh well, looks like I’ll just have to get another and be more careful next time.
