Initial Thoughts
Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve been in the saddle and reviewed a cigar. Truth is that I’ve received a couple new promotions at my current job and that taken me away from having time to write on the site. But I’m working at getting back and creating some great reviews. I haven’t stopped smoking or drinking by any means, just haven’t had the time to write down all of my experiences. Hopefully that’s going to change though!
I figured what better way to kick off my return than to smoke a Crowned Heads cigar! Jon & Mike over at CH continue to push out great new products and this Las Mareas is no different. I went over to the Crowned Heads Headquarters here in Nashville and Jon hooked me up with a 4 pack of the new blend. It was something unique for them, they had simple paper bands on these cigars. Jon explained to me that they just wanted to get them on the market below any changes come down from the FDA. Makes total sense to me!
The Las Mareas stands for “The Tides”. I’m sure there is a deeper meaning to that, but that’s all Jon is saying right now. I even tried to bribe him with wine to get more and he wouldn’t let the cat out of the bag. So maybe one of these days we’ll know more. This new blend is coming in for sizes:
- Las Mareas (4 1/2 x 48)
- Las Mareas (5 1/2 x 52)
- Las Mareas (6 x 54)
- Las Mareas (6 1/8 x 46)
For this review I smoked two different sizes, the 6 x 54 and the 5 1/2 x 52. That’s about it, so it’s time to jump on in and get into the review of this Las Mareas.
Looks
Not a whole lot to look at with this cigar just yet. The way these were packaged they looked like pre release samples. However, the CH team has released some images on Instagram on how the packaging will look. They’ve also created a really awesome video on how GoGo created the design for the packaged. I encourage you to check it out below:
As far as how the cigar looks, the wrapper is a nice light colorado brown. A nice silky sheen to it. There are a few veins that run up and down a few of the samples that I smoked. This Las Mareas looks great though, has a solid looking triple cap that is applied perfectly. No seams that I can notice on any of the samples. I’m ready to cut this thing and get to smoking it.
Function
The cold draw on this Las Mareas is fantastic. Nice and open I get a great preview on the flavors to come. Squeezing up and down the barrel I didn’t notice any flaws in the bunching of the tobacco in the filler portion. It had a nice little bounce back each time.
Smoking
This cigar took right to the flame. It wasn’t overly moist and the foot caught fire very quickly. In fact I’ve turned my humidifier down a bit in my humidor to dry box my cigars a bit more. As my taste buds change over time I’ve found that I like cigars to be a bit more dry when I smoke them. Througout the entire cigar this Las Mareas smoked perfectly. I honestly forgot to snap pics during the smoke because I was enjoying it so much. I had a couple instances where the ash broke off after an inch or so. Nothing that I can get upset about though. Let’s get into the flavor, that’s really what matters!
Flavor
The term ‘Cubanesque’ has been thrown around a lot with this Las Mareas. I can’t remember if that’s what Jon told me he was going for with this blend or not. I know Charlie from Half Wheel talks about this cigar being very ‘Cubanesque’. From my perspective I can certainly see hints of Cuban cigars coming through. From my limited experience Cubans typically have that nice sweet cocoa, and dry leather notes that combine with coffee. Not everyone is the same blend obviously, but those are some of the most characteristics that I’ve been able to find. So let’s see where this Las Mareas stacks up in terms of flavor.
I started off by nosing the foot and picked up a strong dose of sweet tobacco. Just a hint of pepper on the nose and notes of rich earth came through as well.
Once I got the cigar lit a new world of flavors came through. That spice was certainly there on the retrohale. Throughout the smoke I continued to pick up on that pepper note. Something that has always been a staple of cigars coming out of the Garcia factory. However, I did get hints of toasted nuts, and some cocoa throughout as well. There are some very strong flavors like the ones mentioned above and then there those subtle flavors that I couldn’t quite pinpoint. I guess I’ll just need to smoke more to figure out what those are. That rich earthiness that I picked up on the foot never came through on the smoke which was a bit surprising because it seemed so dominant up front.
Overall, a fantastic smoke lots going on with the flavor. Each one that I smoked I got into it more and more! I believe this is one of the top Crowned Heads blends that they’ve released, and trust me I’ve smoked them all.
Would I Buy It Again?
Without a doubt.
Is It an Every Day Smoke?
Absolutely, I could see this being a daily smoker.
Would I Buy a Box?
Without hesitation.
Conclusion
As you all know by now I’m a huge Crowned Heads fan and this Las Mareas is no different. In fact, the more I think about it, probably my #2 cigar from them. I’m not sure anything will replace my love for Headley Grange, but this is a fantastic smoke. I love that it’s a Nicaraguan Puro yet has similar characteristics of a Cuban. I would easily pick up a box of these and if you get a chance to find one then certainly pick it up, you won’t be disappointed.
