In 2014, Crowned Heads released the first edition of their limited edition Las Calaveras brand of cigars. They were so popular that brand owner Jon Huber decided to re-release that same blend under a different name for a regular production cigar. That brand is known as La Imperiosa.
What am I Smoking?
Cigar: La Imperiosa by Crowned Heads – Duke
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 5.5 inches
Ring Gauge: 54
Power: 7 / 10
Packaging & Design
These cigars arrive packaged in boxes of 24. Using a matte black background, the brand logo stands out nicely. “La Imperiosa” and “Nicaragua” surround a crest in the middle using colors of cream white, red, gold and blue. The bands are primarily blue with embossed gold details and white lettering, featuring a crown in the middle.
First Impressions
The La Imperiosa is a very dark looking cigar. It’s obviously an oscuro wrapper on here that shows off a slight sheen of oil. There are a couple larger veins in the wrapper, but the cigar has an overall even feel to it. Aromas from the foot include sweet leather and dark chocolate. After cutting with my Colibri Deep V cutter, prelight notes consist of raisin, dates and leather.
The Smoke
Right away after lighting up, this cigar opens up with a rich and full bodied taste. Notes of dark fruit and leather are the star players, following with a decently long finish. The draw is a bit tight, but I’m hoping that opens up as the cigar burns.
The second third offers many of the same tasting notes as the first, and the draw opened up a touch more. Smoke production isn’t huge, but gives off enough to be enjoyable. There is a nuance of pepper in the background which adds a nice kick to the profile.
The final third ups the power of the La Imperiosa. Everything seems more concentrated and balanced than the start was. The cigar evolved slowly and put out plenty of those rich notes Nicaraguan tobacco is known for.
Final Thoughts
When these came out, I was smoking them on a fairly regular basis. However, it’s been about a year since my last one, and they haven’t changed all that much. In my opinion, that’s a good thing. It tasted like how I remembered it from last year.
Rating: 90
Price: $9.89 / $209.99
La Imperiosa by Crowned Heads
La Imperiosa by Crowned Heads Box
