The Particulars

The Review

This review for the Crowned Heads Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2025 (LC54) - Toro (6 x 54) is based on the journal entry dated 2026-02-26

Appearance & Construction (0-3):  Good (3)

As with every example of the Las Calaveras line I’ve smoked, this is another beautiful cigar. This is a much lighter Mexican San Andrés than most, rated as a Colorado, meaning light brown. Crowned Heads said they went with a lower, mid-priming leaf rather than your normal higher and darker wrapper options, resulting in the lighter brown. That gives it a light milk chocolate brown with a nice sheen and light mottling. There’s not much tooth to it compared to other MSA wrappers, but it has a softer texture to it as well. It actually has the color and texture of an unbleached Kraft brown paper bag. All the visible veins are thin, the seams blend in, the cap is neat and even, and the cigar has a good density and firmness. The green and gold bands are beautiful and complement the natural color of the wrapper. Notable is that the foot band is now updated, using the same color scheme rather than being the same gold foot band used across the lineup. The color scheme does strike me as more St. Patrick’s Day than Day of the Dead, but it all works.

Draw (0-3) & Burn (0-4):  Good (3) / Good (3)

The draw is on point, not as tight as the other releases, and the burn starts without any challenges. The ash is a very light gray, nearly white, with a ton of oil crystals in it. Actual cracks in the ash are minimal and widely spaced, and it seems to be holding well in the first inch. The burn line is very wavy and a bit uneven to start, but it is self-correcting and settles nicely over an inch in. By the midpoint, the burn is even with only a slight bit of wave before the ash finally falls.

Flavor Profile (0-5):  Excellent (5)

An immediate blast of red pepper on light-up that quickly pulls back to a medium level. Earth, powdered malt, cinnamon, and cedar follow up. There’s a lovely thick creaminess that coats the palate. This is starting off like a rich and spicy Mexican hot chocolate with extra whipped cream. In the first inch, red pepper starts to pick back up. Some light coffee, rye bread, and a mild caramel, but more toffee-like sweetness, settle in at the end of the first third. This is a pleasant blend to start.

In the second third, things start to swirl and really pick up. Intensity overall is increased. It’s an earthy base with malted chocolate, cinnamon, pepper, cedar, caramel, rye bread, and a thick creamy finish. And it’s got kick on both spices; my mouth is tingling. This is an absolute fucking delight and I’m transported to Mexico with that traditional morning hot chocolate they make. This isn’t the most complex blend, but it’s delicious and harmonious.

No changes entering the final third, just a great and very enjoyable blend.

Overall Experience (0-5):  Excellent (5)

This one competes with the 2023 release for the best of the bunch of the last 5 releases. It isn’t quite as complex, but the blend just fires on all cylinders and delivers an enjoyable flavor profile from start to finish. Definitely recommend grabbing this one while it’s still available, especially if you’re a fan of Mexican San Andrés. This use of the lighter mid-priming leaf is less common and definitely works well in the blend.

Review Base Rating (0-5):

4.75

Would I Buy It Again?

Signs point to yes (recommended)

Review Final Score (0-10):

9.17

Overall Score and Individual Journal Entries

While the review is based off one instance of journaling this cigar; there’s a number of reasons you can have different experiences smoking the same cigar multiple times. A blend can evolve with age (for better or worse), palates evolves, preferences change, and sometimes you just get a bad example!  This section captures the ratings from each journal entry and the related journal photo.  Below you’ll find an aggregate score based on every time the cigar has been journaled. Unless it was a gift or on-off smoke, this section will be updated every time I journal this cigar!

The Flavor Wheel

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.