Review | Crowned Heads Tennessee Waltz

There have been quite a few limited edition cigars from Crowned Heads this year which started with the Las Calaveras and concluded with Mason Dixon. Between it all was a very limited release of 250 boxes for the home state of the company.

According to Jon Huber, “Tennessee Waltz” is a song that is near and dear to my heart.

It was the song that was playing in the dance hall when my maternal Grandfather met my Grandmother. I vividly recall him whistling that tune throughout my childhood. It’s a song that was made popular in 1950 by Patti Page, and has been recorded by everyone from Sam Cooke to Otis Redding to Norah Jones.

The state of Tennessee is also near and dear to my heart. I met my wife here, my family is here, and of course, Crowned Heads is headquartered here in Nashville. Crowned Heads owes a great deal to the people of Tennessee for their support from the very beginning. And so it is with a sincere spirit of gratitude that we present “Tennessee Waltz.”

Tennessee Waltz is manufactured by My Father Cigars S.A. in Esteli, Nicaragua, and is the first Crowned Heads cigar to utilize a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. This unique medium-to-full bodied cigar is available exclusively in our great state of Tennessee. We hope you will enjoy this cigar that means so much to all of us here at Crowned Heads–and we thank you for your support which allows us to ‘Carve Our Own Path.”

Cigar: Tennessee Waltz
Size: 5.5 x 52
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Full

The Look: The first thing that stands out on the non cello, non banded cigar is the foot band. The ribbon is Tennessee Volunteer Orange. It subtly says, Tennessee and it does so in a way that is simple and to the point. The Connecticut Broadleaf that has someone significant veins visible in true Broadleaf fashion. In the hand the cigar is firm with no soft spots and a well packed foot with an above average weight.

The Notes: The cold draw of the cigar reminds me of my grandmother, and this is the second time that a Crowned Heads cigar has reminded me of a departed family member. The notes remind me of a halved grapefruit with a touch of sugar and a cherry in the center which is how my grandmother would serve the citric fruit. I find my mind wandering to an apartment on Francis Lewis Blvd in Hillside, NY a place I haven’t been in at least 20 years and yet it feels like yesterday. The nose off the foot has some pepper and earthy notes.

Upon initial light there is that signature pepper from this cigar which is produced at the My Father Factory, and as it fades it begins to take on a note that reminds me of a wheat thin with some sweetness in the background. As we work deeper into the first third of the Tennessee Waltz some of the citrus experienced on the cold draw appears for a little while before fading into a continue sweetness.

In the second third of the cigar the sweetness identifies itself as a warm cocoa note with coffee that develops with each and every draw eventually becoming the focal point as we transition beyond the half way point. As the second third comes to a close there is a salty note that develops and an almost mustard like finish.

The final third of the Tennessee Waltz from Crowned Heads has a primary note of mustard which is interesting, but there is also a pretzel like note as well. As we get to the final inch and a half of the smoke, the pepper picks up through the nose and the coffee notes return on the moderate finish of this very enjoyable smoke.

The Burn: The Tennessee Waltz lit easily and it burned true all the way through. The draw was perfect with a slight resistance and a solid medium gray ash that held for more than an inch at a time. The burn line is crisp and I never needed to touch up the cigar or re-light it which is always a plus.

The Finish: The Tennessee Waltz is a cigar that is perfectly constructed with a delicious profile. To bad its a hidden gem that is available in only one state, and from what I understand all 250 boxes have sold to retailers. You can find a list of the stores that carry this smoke on the website over at Crowned Heads. In the meantime, we at The Cigar Authority will continue to enjoy the smoke the one box we got as a gift.

Score: 91
Price: $9.00