- Cigar Reviewed: Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2014 LC550
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Size: 5 Inches
- Ring Gauge: 50
- Vitola: Robusto
- Est. Price: $8.95 (Boxes of 24, $214.80)
- Date Released: May 21, 2014
The wrappers are quite dark, although they have some reds breaking through the deep muddy color. While the cover leaf itself is actually great to touch, almost every sample I smoked featured heavy visible veins, which definitely affect the ability to run your hand down the cigar smoothly. I get a wonderful aroma with barnyard, oak, Worcestershire sauce and a large amount of sweet twang. It’s a similar story on the cold draw of the LC550: twang, sunflower seeds, wet leather and saltiness on the lips. There is a sharp note in the back of the throat, more sour than pepper, but it definitely cuts through the otherwise smooth profile.
It actually takes two puffs on each of the samples I smoked before the cigar gets going, but once it does it’s enjoyable. Sweet creamy orange notes followed by some meatiness and oak. The finish of the Las Calaveras has the twang, a bit reduced from the cold draw, and some creaminess. Still lingering as well is the sharp note in the throat. The mouth has toastiness with some salty sunflower seed. It’s smooth and refined, but pedestrian compared to the retrohale: creamy potatoes, followed by the meatiness, which is now like a roasted sausage and big acidic leather notes. It all pales in comparison to a gigantic grapefruit and twang note. But what’s truly great is that the retrohale, while still medium-plus, is smooth enough that you can do it puff after puff without any noticeable degradation in the nose. The Las Calaveras burns well, reaching two inches of ash without much issue, but I find that tapping it near the inch mark produces better flavors. A crispy note—which I can best describe as chicken skin—emerges for a few puffs right around the two-inch mark of all there samples. Elsewhere, the toastiness is making its way into the retrohale, which definitely leads to me taking a break every few puffs. The meatiness is still there along with burnt butter, all dominated by the grapefruit note. As for the finish, it’s nowhere near as nuanced, although still quite balanced, sweet until a red pepper flake cuts through things. While the grapefruit note begins to disappear, the buffet of flavors does not. A creaminess mixes with the toasty notes to take command of the profile of the LC550. There’s Chartreuse and even hints of cola syrup, although both are secondary compared to the creamy and toasty mixture. The cigar is definitely taking a lot more work to stay lit after two inches. Given the first three inches were carefree, I have little to complain about. Temperature begins to noticeably drop in my mouth and after one attempt at a relight, I end the cigar at the one-inch mark, although one sample burned fine to the half inch mark.
- Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2014 LC550 (5 x 50) — 1,000 Boxes of 24 Cigars (24,000 Total Cigars)
- Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2014 LC652 (6 x 52) — 1,000 Boxes of 24 Cigars (24,000 Total Cigars)
- Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2014 LC754 (7 x 54) — 1,000 Boxes of 24 Cigars (24,000 Total Cigars)
- Cigar Reviewed: Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2014 LC550
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Size: 5 Inches
- Ring Gauge: 50
- Vitola: Robusto
- Est. Price: $8.95 (Boxes of 24, $214.80)
- Date Released: May 21, 2014
- Number of Cigars Released: 1,000 Boxes of 24 Cigars (24,000 Total Cigars)
- Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 2
It actually takes two puffs on each of the samples I smoked before the cigar gets going, but once it does it’s enjoyable. Sweet creamy orange notes followed by some meatiness and oak. The finish of the Las Calaveras has the twang, a bit reduced from the cold draw, and some creaminess. Still lingering as well is the sharp note in the throat. The mouth has toastiness with some salty sunflower seed. It’s smooth and refined, but pedestrian compared to the retrohale: creamy potatoes, followed by the meatiness, which is now like a roasted sausage and big acidic leather notes. It all pales in comparison to a gigantic grapefruit and twang note. But what’s truly great is that the retrohale, while still medium-plus, is smooth enough that you can do it puff after puff without any noticeable degradation in the nose.
The Las Calaveras burns well, reaching two inches of ash without much issue, but I find that tapping it near the inch mark produces better flavors. A crispy note—which I can best describe as chicken skin—emerges for a few puffs right around the two-inch mark of all there samples. Elsewhere, the toastiness is making its way into the retrohale, which definitely leads to me taking a break every few puffs. The meatiness is still there along with burnt butter, all dominated by the grapefruit note. As for the finish, it’s nowhere near as nuanced, although still quite balanced, sweet until a red pepper flake cuts through things.
While the grapefruit note begins to disappear, the buffet of flavors does not. A creaminess mixes with the toasty notes to take command of the profile of the LC550. There’s Chartreuse and even hints of cola syrup, although both are secondary compared to the creamy and toasty mixture. The cigar is definitely taking a lot more work to stay lit after two inches. Given the first three inches were carefree, I have little to complain about. Temperature begins to noticeably drop in my mouth and after one attempt at a relight, I end the cigar at the one-inch mark, although one sample burned fine to the half inch mark.
Final Notes
- Before anyone freaks out, Crowned Heads is not leaving Tabacalera La Alianza. Angel’s Anvil is being produced there.
- In case you missed it in the quote above, this will be an annual release with changes each year.
- It is somewhat odd to have a cigar inspired by a Mexican tradition with no actual Mexican tobacco in it.
- I have not smoked any of the other sizes.
- Crowned Heads has great packaging. Previously, Headley Grange—which undoubtedly was based on the La Escepción Selectos Finos—was my favorite. The Las Calaveras is a different level of execution. The Dia de Muertos theme is great and extremely well-presented.
- I would have loved to seen the calavera (skull) actually make it onto the band, but there’s not much to complain about the current band.
- There is not much punishing for pushing the cigar speed-wise, but as is normally the case, going a bit slower than a puff per minute shows off additional flavors.
- In addition to the upcoming Angel’s Anvil, Jon Huber has indicated the company will have a new release, presumably at IPCPR 2014 in July.
- It’s been a while since My Father Cigars S.A. added a new (public) non-retail client. To my recollection, the last new client would have been the Quesadas in the form of the Tres Reynas partnership.
- Not too many cigars can be this full and provide this many repetitive retrohales. Outside of voluntarily keeping the smoke out my nose to isolate the mouth flavor, I probably went the first 45 minutes exclusively retrohaling.
- Strength starts medium-plus and ends medium-full.
- There is literally nothing to complain about construction-wise through the first three inches. As the final third got going, I had to pay attention to the cigar, although no touch-ups were required across the samples I smoked.
- Final smoking time was one hour and 20 minutes.
- Cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
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