The Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2022

By Tony Casas | August 15, 2022

Every year I make sure to grab the newest release of the Las Calevaras as we have all suffered so many losses the past years that it really helps me take time to look back and reflect. Today I do just that with a Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2022 in one hand and a Bottle Logic Brewing Concentrated Solution in the other.

The Good Stuff:

Each and every year since 2014 The Crowned Heads have released the “Las Calaveras” which is a cigar created to pay tribute to those who are close to us which we have lost and each year has been special to me as I lost so many great people in my life over the past few years. If you want to catch up, you can reach each of my reviews on each different release below:

• Las Calaveras 2014
• Las Calaveras 2015
• Las Calaveras 2016
• Las Calaveras 2017
• Las Calaveras 2018
• Las Calaveras 2019
• Las Calaveras 2020
• Las Calaveras 2021

Manufactured in the My Father S.A. factory in Nicaragua the 2022 version of the Las Calaveras features a Nicaraguan Corojo 99 wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers. The cigar comes in four sizes: LC46 (5 3/4 x 46), LC 52 (5 x 52), LC54 (6 1/2 x 54), and the Petit Lancero (7 x 40). Each comes packaged in boxes of 24 with the exception of the Petit Lancero which only comes in a sampler pack featuring all four formats. The 2022 Las Calaveras runs between $11.95 and $12.95. I purchased mine over from our friends at Neptune Cigars.

• Size: 5 3/4 x 46
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo 99
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $11.95
• Pairing: Bottle Logic Concentrated Solution (Imperial Stout 15% ABV)

Prelight:

The 2022 Crowned Heads Las Calaveras starts out with a rich, dark brown wrapper which is pretty splotchy in colors showcasing spots of orange and medium brown. The wrapper’s texture is very toothy and very oily. It’s feels pretty thin as it’s laid seamlessly over itself. There are a few medium-sized veins running through the cigar’s long slender body leading up to it’s round, triple-wrapped cap. The cigar carries the same band design as it it always had only this time the Las Calaveras crest is embossed over a light blue band. There is also a secondary gold foot band with “The Crowned Heads” logo across the front.

The wrapper on the 2022 Las Calaveras gives off a very nutty mixture of aromas while the foot of the cigar is more earthy with lots of tobacco and spice. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces notes of pecan, honey, musk, and natural tobacco.

First Third:

The Crowned Heads 2022 Las Calaveras starts out with a very nice, subtle blast of black pepper. Once the pepper faded the cigar is allowed to release heavy cedar and pecan flavors over honey, musk, with some really light clove and citrus hiding in there. The draw is slightly tight on this one, but manageable. I smoked a handful of these and they all smoked great so no marks taken there. The burn line is dead even and super sharp leaving behind a very tightly compacted trail of white ash which held on for almost an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of The Crowned Heads 2022 Las Calaveras and the honey, cedar, and pecan are just pouring on the flavors backed by lighter notes of orange, spice, musk and caramel. The clove has completely dropped out at this point. The draw has also opened up and the cigar is now smoking like a dream. The retrohale brings out more of the spice and even a little bit of lingering pepper. I close out the second third with no signs of nicotine at all.

Finish:

A really nice caramel flavor has really started to take hold of the flavor profile in the 2022 Crowned Heads Las Calaveras into the final third. The honey, cedar, and pecan are still the main focused while notes of spice and musk reside in the background. It took me almost two hours to smoke this cigar down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, nor any extended heat. The final inch of the cigar really ramped up in body while the cigar only left me with a very nice, little nicotine kick.

Overview:

I felt like this was a departure from the flavor profile I’ve grown to expect from the Las Calaveras line over the years. While I really enjoy these releases, I also welcomed this change in pace and really enjoyed this particular release. Instead of being more spice-forward and full-bodied the 2022 La Calaveras carried a very different, yet complex profile packing flavors that I absolutely loved. This is a “regular rotation while they are available” cigar for sure and I aim to pick up quite a few more before they disappear from shelves.

Pairing:

Concentrated Solution from Bottle Logic Brewing in California is an aged imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels, maple syrup barrels, and vanilla barrels before being finished on walnuts and more maple syrup. The outcome is a 15% ABV beer that leads with a ton of smooth sweetness, vanilla, loads of maple, honey, caramel, and walnut with a very heavy and sticky mouthfeel before finishing with even more vanilla and maple syrup, honey and walnuts with a chocolatey aftertaste. The beer is extremely smooth and easy to drink for what it is. The sweetness is balanced just right and isn’t the focus of the flavor profile. I paired this with my 2022 Crowned Heads Las Calaveras cause of the strong pecan, honey, caramel and sweetness I found within the cigar’s flavor profile and it resulted in a very happy marriage.