Crowned Heads Broadway Epicure (Full Box of 21 Cigars)
- Length: 140mm
- Gauge: 56
- Flavour: Medium to Full
- Wrapper: Grade A Connecticut Broadleaf, USA
- Binder: Jalapa
- Filler: Estelí, Jalapa and Ometepe
- Nicaraguan
- Hand Rolled Cigars
- Humidor Required
Crowned Heads Broadway Epicure – Full Box of 21 Cigars Nashville has given the world an extraordinary amount of music, from the earliest country recordings to the great honky-tonk performers who made Broadway famous. It's also home to Crowned Heads, a cigar company that has never been shy about celebrating the city where it all began.
Founded in 2011 by Jon Huber and Mike Conder, Crowned Heads has built quite a reputation for producing characterful cigars with interesting stories behind them. The Broadway Epicure continues that tradition, taking its name from Nashville's celebrated strip of music venues, bars and neon signs.
And rather fittingly, this particular presentation contains 21 cigars. Enough for a respectable collection, although I suspect a few will disappear from the box rather sooner than originally intended.
Each Epicure measures 5½ inches with a substantial 56 ring gauge, dressed in a dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper grown in the United States. Beneath it lies a Nicaraguan binder from Jalapa, surrounding a blend of tobaccos from Estelí, Jalapa and Ometepe.
Those three growing regions contribute different characteristics to the blend. Estelí is known for its rich, earthy tobacco, Jalapa often brings sweetness and aroma, while Ometepe, an island formed by volcanoes in Lake Nicaragua, contributes its own distinctive character.
The result is a medium-to-full-bodied cigar with a flavour profile built around roasted coffee, dark chocolate, earth and cedar, accompanied by pepper and a pleasant underlying sweetness.
The cigars are handmade at the NACSA factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, a facility with considerable experience producing premium long-filler cigars.
The presentation deserves a mention too. Crowned Heads has given Broadway a rather handsome burgundy wooden box, with gold lettering and a navy-blue accent. Lift the lid and you'll find the cigars arranged neatly inside, each carrying an elaborate red and gold band with the Crowned Heads emblem, a separate Broadway band and a dark blue ribbon around the foot.
It's a striking combination, particularly against the dark brown Broadleaf wrappers.
I rather like the decision to package these in boxes of 21. It's a slightly unusual number, but it suits a cigar brand that has always enjoyed doing things its own way.
A splendid box of cigars from Music City in a handsome wooden box. The only difficulty I can foresee is convincing yourself to leave a few in there for another day.
