Crowned Heads cigars are known for producing a huge variety of small batch cigars, mostly at Tabacalera La Alianza SA in the Dominican Republic and My Father Cigars SA in Nicaragua. With so many boutique cigar lines, there's plenty of opportunity for new collaborations, which led to a partnership with Drew Estate and eventually to Crowned Heads Juarez, which is rolled at Tabacalera Pichardo in Nicaragua.
This follow-up to Crowned Heads Jericho Hill continues the legend of Johnny Cash's Cocaine Blues, the story of a man named Willy Lee who falls foul of the law and is ultimately caught in the town of Juarez, Mexico.
In this Crowned Heads Jericho Hill Juarez review, we will be focusing specifically on the vitolas of the Juarez edition, which was originally produced for Thompson Cigar Co as a value-conscious alternative to Jericho Hill.
Cigar Specs
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Factory: Tabacalera Pichardo
- Wrapper: Mexico
- Binder: Ecuador
- Filler: Dominican Republic / Nicaragua
- Smoke time: 1.5 hours (Crowned Heads Juarez OBS)
- Sizes available: Crowned Heads Juarez Shots XX (4 x 50)
- Crowned Heads Juarez Shots 2021 Limited Edition (4 x 50)
- Crowned Heads Juarez OBS (4.75 x 50)
- Crowned Heads Juarez Jack Brown (5 x 56)
- Crowned Heads Juarez Willy Lee (6 x 54)
How is the Juarez constructed?
At the heart of Crowned Heads, Juarez cigars are premium long-filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. This artisan blend is finished with an Ecuador Sumatra binder and Mexican San Andres wrapper, which delivers a distinctive earthiness to the cold draw and smoke.
There's a choice of five vitolas in four different sizes (both Crowned Heads Juarez Shots XX and the 2021 Limited Edition measure in at 4 x 50) and in boxes of 20 or 50, as well as singles, so there's plenty of buying choice to suit your budget or the space in your humidor.
What I thought about the cold draw
The Crowned Heads Juarez cold draw is perfect for sweet-toothed smokers, with milk chocolate and marshmallow aromas. Raisin sweetness on the foot is joined by more chocolate, and creamy cocoa is a theme that will remain throughout the smoking experience.
Flavors enjoyed from the Juarez
Like the cold draw, the flavors to be found in Crowned Heads Juarez during smoking are creamy, chocolatey, and sweet, but with plenty of strength and body. Here's how the journey unfolds...
First Third
The cigar starts similarly to the cold draw. The chocolate is dominant early on, with raisin fruit flavors and hints of nuts in amongst the sweetness. Lemon sugar retrohales bring a light citrus fruit into the head, bringing the sweet sensations to the top of the profile.
Second Third
More candy-themed flavors start to emerge toward the middle of the stick. The vanilla syrup character of marshmallow and sugary taste of fudge increase the overall complexity, while the more savory nutty taste is joined by the bitterness of coffee. As the retrohales transition from sweet to spicy, Juarez takes you on a journey that touches every corner of your palate.
Final Third
Fudgy caramel sweetness stays in the forefront as the stick nears its end, with rich raisin syrup rounding out the central flavor profile. Retrohales are still spicy with dark rye, contrasting with the initial taste of the cigar itself and offering an opportunity to find your own balance between the sweet and savory components.
How strong is the Juarez?
Like its predecessor Jericho Hill, Crowned Heads Juarez is at the stronger end of the flavor scale and offers a full-bodied smoking experience. The premium handmade cigar is slow to burn, and the retrohales offer something quite different from the initial smoke, for a complex flavor profile overall. Pair with a cappuccino and you've got a match made in heaven as Juarez echoes the bittersweet balance of the beverage, or just enjoy Juarez on its own as you pick out the many different tastes and top notes in this highly satisfying blend.
Final thoughts
In this Juarez cigar review, I can only say that this stick lives up to its brief to be budget-friendly, but it is by no means a 'budget cigar'. Instead, it delivers a complex flavor profile that evolves and develops from the cold draw right through to the nub.
With vitolas available as singles, boxes of 20, and, in some cases, boxes of 50, there's every opportunity to take full advantage of the excellent pricing on this boutique cigar.