Every from October 31 – November 2 in Mexico the country celebrates Dia de Muertos. The multi-day holiday focuses on gatherings of friends and family friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey. Somewhere between 1910-1913 Jose Guadalupe Posada created a zinc etching called, La Calavera Catrina that has become synonymous with the holiday. It is from this etching and holiday that Crowned Heads found inspiration for Las Calaveras.
The 2017 is available in 3 sizes that come in full size boxes, this are the LC 50 (5 x 50), LC 46 (5/58 x 46) and LC 52 (6 x 52), each of which only 1,700 boxes were made. The company also made a Limitada (5.5 x 54) that is only available in a sampler that saw a production of 3,000 boxes
Cigar Review: Las Calaveras 2017
Wrapper: Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 5 5/8″
Ring Gauge: 46
Size: Corona (LC 46)
The Look: La Calaveras features a slide top 24 count box that features 3 rows of 8 cigars. The 3 rows represent life’s cycle of a beginning, middle and end. In bliblical terms, the “8” signifies new beginnings, and in mathematical terms an “8” laid on its side symbolies “infinity” as in eternal life. The Habano wrapper has a reddish-brown hue to it, and is loaded with oils. In the hand the cigar is hefty with no voids of tobacco, a well packed foot and a subtle tooth under the fingers.
The Notes: The cold draw of the 2017 edition of Las Calaveras has a sweet mocha note and a note that is reminiscent of craisins. Underneath all hat sweetness is a touch of cedar and spice to round things out. The foot of the cigar has a warm aroma of wood and mocha.
After we toast the foot of the cigar, there is that usual pepper burst associated with tobacco that comes from the My Father Cigar Factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. As expected it subsides rather quickly as the stick reveals notes of licorice and coffee with a subtle sweetness lingering in the background. The retrohale sees lingering pepper remain with various spices and a touch of wood.
The second third of the Las Calaveras sees the complexity of the cigar begin to take shape. There are underlying notes of vanilla and caramel with growing mocha notes and a hint of wasabi. The finish reminds of me toast that isn’t quite burned but dark enough that you consider scraping it with your knife. The retrohale of the cigar remains heavy on pepper, but cedar is also present to help heighten some of the sweetness on the cigar.
As we move into the last third the Las Calaveras continues with the complexity of the second third, with notes of cedar, pistachios, coffee and wasabi. The long finish is heavy on coffee notes while there is some wisps of vanilla trying to hold on for dear life as the stronger, bitter aspects of the cigar take hold. The retrohale continues to offer up an abundance of pepper.
The Finish: While it is impossible to predict the future I am setting a bunch of these aside for the future because I think once they age the complexity of the cigar will really become clear. It’s ready to smoke now, don’t get me wrong but the cigar is strong especially in the second half. As the strength pulls back with age I can only imagine how these cigars will be after 6 months.
Score: 93
Price: 9.89 / $209.99
Las Calaveras 2017
Las Calaveras 2017 Foot
Las Calaveras 2017 Burn
