Initial Thoughts
There is always a lot of buzz going around anytime a new Limited Edition is released. The Mule Kick by Crowned Heads is no different. Ever since this cigar was announced by the guys via Twitter the buzz has been going non stop. People are asking when it’s going to hit stores, and what’s different about it, everyone wants to know about this release.
Well, yesterday November 20, 2012 was the release date. These sticks went flying off the shelves. I was lucky enough to be able to snag 5 of them from my good buddies over at Big Star Cigar.
I know quantity is limited with these so that’s why I’m doing a sweet giveaway, along with the two other releases from Crowned Heads down at the bottom!
So what’s the big deal about the Mule Kick? Well according to their website, this cigar is a slight variation off of their initial release of the Four Kicks. They’ve pumped up the cigar by adding some ligero (stronger tobacco) and the wrapper is a bit darker than the original Ecuadorian Habano used on the Four Kicks. Ok, I already stated that above, so where does the name come from? Well, apparently when EP Carrillo and Jon Huber were talking at the trade show this year. Ernie was talking about an exercise routine he had been doing. I found a pretty sweet video of some guys demonstrating this.
The story practically writes itself from there. How do you not name a cigar Mule Kick after that?
These cigars were very limited release, only 1000 boxes were distributed and there were only 10 cigars per box. So yeah, demand is high and quantity is low. I was ecstatic to be able to get my grubby hands on 5 of these guys! So now you know the backstory, I’m sure you’d like to hear more about the cigar right?
Looks
First off, the bands, dual bands, I love them! The original Four Kicks band is at the top and right below there is a black-labeled band that says “Limited Edition 2012”. Nothing too flashy, but lets you know this isn’t the normal FK cigar. Next up, the size, 5 7/8″ x 52, none of the FK cigars are in this size, the length is in between the Corona Gorda and the Sublime. Next, just look at the wrapper. It’s a nice dark Colorado brown wrapper. Darker than the normal FK cigar.
This wrapper looks excellent, with very few visible veins running down it. The foot of this Mule Kick looks packed with tobacco. You can clearly see the binder leaves on the foot which is awesome. A nicely laid triple cap at the top, this is an excellent-looking parejo cigar right here.
Function
When I first picked up the Mule Kick I didn’t notice how dense it was. Probably because there were 5 of them stuffed into my ziplock. When I took it out this morning to roll it between my fingers. I was amazed at how hefty this cigar felt. Not just in weight, but also in density. There wasn’t much give to it, which is fine, it just means it’s packed full of tobacco. If this cigar had been rolled by anyone of than the great EP Carrillo, I might have been fearful of a tough draw. I know Ernie’s got my back and wouldn’t pack a cigar this full and not allow it to draw.
So I nipped the head a couple of times with my capped back cutter to test the cold draw. It’s a little stiff for my liking pre-draw, but I’m not too worried. I have a feeling once I light it up, it’ll begin to open. I take a couple of puffs and it begins to open and pull some air through. I think I’m ready to give this mule a ride!
Smoking
If you’ve ever read another review on this site, you already know how important a great draw is to me. It can make or break a cigar. I have faith that this Mule Kick is going to be exceptional just like the Headley Grange is.
I make sure and properly toast the foot, I want this thing to burn as even as possible from start to finish. I’ve been smoking more in the daytime lately and to be honest it’s hard to see the flame of my lighter, first-world problems I know. I just want you all to get the total experience here with me.
Once I start seeing some nice white ash from the foot I begin to start puffing. Wow, a good amount of smoke comes rolling off this cigar. The first few puffs are initially tight, but once it gets rolling, it opens up… Sounds familiar, didn’t I say that would happen above?… Yeah, I thought so.
Holy smokes, the burn line on this thing is incredible. It has that signature Crowned Heads burn, and ash that all of their cigars produce. The nice tight lip curls, and the solid ash. I’m sure if you asked them they would give all the credit to EP Carrillo. The first third of this cigar was so delightful to smoke. I noticed myself holding this cigar like a precious newborn. I didn’t want to drop the ash before I got a picture. The first ash made it to almost 1 1/2″ before it fell off in the midst of me taking a picture… Note to self when I have a kid, do not take a picture while I’m holding it, or else I might drop it. I kid I kid.
Seriously, this Mule Kick is burning evenly all the way through and has a perfect burn line. The second ash held well over an inch, luckily I got a nice picture of that as proof! One thing I noticed that amazed me. Was the fact that when I was puffing on this cigar, if the burn ever got uneven, I would just sit it down and it corrected itself every time. That just blows my mind. Is there some sort of secret sauce in there to do that?
I burned this thing almost all the way down to the nub, I finally called it quits after almost 1:45 of smoking. Yeah, I enjoyed it for that long! Have I whet your palate enough yet to where you want to hear about the flavor?
Flavor
How about a nice Mule Kick to the face? This cigar brings a truckload of flavor. I was so relieved to have a flavorful cigar, I feel like everything I’ve been smoking recently has just been blah. I was beginning to worry that I had a sinus issue going on because I wasn’t experiencing much flavor and then this thing came in and woke up my senses.
Pre-draw, I got a nice grassy aroma on the wrapper. Followed by some sweet molasses and dry cocoa on the foot. Mmm, cocoa, I can’t wait for my bourbon pecan pie tomorrow for Thanksgiving…Sorry fat kid moment.
The first third of this cigar brought out a good deal of spice to the back of my throat and some sweetness on my lips. The finish brought out some meatiness to it, like a spiced steak. What I love, is that it brought out all this flavor, but didn’t make my mouth over-salivate and cause me to have to chug water! Thanks, guys, I appreciate that.
The second third brought out some sweet nutty flavors. It was a nice transition from the sweetness of the first third and developed into something more complex in the second. This developed more into a roasted coffee flavor with a hint of cocoa at the end. Yeah, don’t believe me? Try it and see if you get the same thing, I’ll be waiting here to say I told you so.
The final third finished out with those subtle roasted coffee notes and the spice picked backed up and developed into a nice balanced flavor. Seriously, how do they do that? So much flavor balanced together, there are very few cigars that have offered this much complexity to me.
All of this flavor without being overly strong. I could classify this as a nice medium-bodied cigar. Even with the extra ligero leaf, I didn’t feel a strong tobacco buzz. Just a great smoking experience.
Would I Buy It Again?
You bet your sweet ass I would if I could find them.
Is It an Every Day Smoke?
If the supply was available, it would definitely be an option, although you might get spoiled doing it.
Would I Buy a Box?
If you can find one. Maybe try eBay? Yes definitely get the whole box and share it with your friends! 🙂
Conclusion
Another cigar release, another hit. What can you say about these guys? They know how to make some damn good cigars. I think I actually like the Mule Kick more than the original Four Kicks release. Maybe I’m a sucker for limited-release stuff, but this is a fantastic cigar.
Contest
You mentioned something about giveaway? Yes, Yes I did, it’s similar to what we did before with the Headley Grange contest
Ok so here’s the deal. You have a chance to win a 3 pack from Crowned Heads that I have already purchased from my buddies over at Big Star Cigar.
You get:
1 – Mule Kick
1 – Four Kicks
1 – Headley Grange
and maybe some other stuff that I can find around here.
Ok ok ok, so how do you enter? Well, it’s very simple, you can enter 5 different ways each with different point values.
- Subscribe to my email list (5 points)
- Leave a Comment Below (1 point)
- Share this post on Facebook (1 point)
- Retweet this post on Twitter (1 point)
- Share this post on Google+ (1 point)
Now each one of these ways counts as a separate entry for the contest. So if you have all 4 you can get your name into the contest 4 times! We have to be able to track your entry so if you’re using one of the social networks to enter you have to make sure and tag us so that we know you shared the post.
Subscribe to my email list here: (5 Entries)
Click On this Link and Fill out the Info
Facebook Instructions:(1 Entry)
1. Like Our Page Stogies On the Rocks
2. Share the link to this review on your own page and tag Stogies On the Rocks by using the @ symbol.
Win a 3 pack of Crowned Heads cigars from @Stogies On the Rocks Check it out! http://www.stogiesontherocks.com/cigar-review/mule-kick/
Twitter Instructions: (1 Entry)
1. Follow us on Twitter @stogiesotr_eric
2. Share this post on twitter and tag us.
Win a 3 pack of Crowned Heads cigars from @stogiesotr_eric go check it out! http://www.stogiesontherocks.com/cigar-review/mule-kick/
Google+ Instructions: (1 Entry)
1. Follow us on Google+ – Stogies on the Rocks
2. Share this post on Google+ and tag us using the + symbol
Win a 3 pack of Crowned Heads cigars from +Stogies On the Rocks! Check it out! http://www.stogiesontherocks.com/cigar-review/mule-kick/
Comment Instructions: (1 Entry)
1. Just leave a comment below on what you thought about the review. Make sure you use an email address that you want to be contacted at so we can get in touch with you if you win!
That’s It, Let the Games Begin!
Good luck to everyone and thanks for participating!
