Crowned Heads La Imperiosa Dukes (Full Box of 21 Cigars)
- Length: 140mm
- Gauge: 54
- Flavour: Medium to Full
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro
- Binder: Nicaraguan
- Filler: Nicaraguan
- Hand Rolled Cigars
- Humidor Required
Crowned Heads La Imperiosa Dukes – Full Box of 21 Cigars There's a rather satisfying story behind Crowned Heads La Imperiosa. It concerns a limited-edition cigar that proved so popular its makers eventually decided to bring it back permanently. A rare occasion when the customers got exactly what they asked for, and quite right too.
The story begins in 2014 with Las Calaveras, a limited release from Nashville-based Crowned Heads, produced in partnership with the García family at My Father Cigars in Nicaragua. The original blend was enthusiastically received, and when the cigars disappeared from the shelves, demand for their return remained.
In 2015, Crowned Heads answered that demand by introducing La Imperiosa, preserving the original blend under a new name and making it part of the company's regular production.
The name translates as The Empress, and judging by the handsome black and turquoise presentation, somebody at Crowned Heads clearly decided she deserved a suitably grand entrance.
The La Imperiosa Dukes measures 5½ inches with a 54 ring gauge, giving it a generous, substantial shape. Its dark Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper has a rich brown colour and a natural texture that suits the cigar's fuller character.
Beneath that wrapper sits a Nicaraguan binder and a blend of Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos. It's a medium-to-full-strength combination, offering dark chocolate, espresso and earthy tobacco flavours, with cedar, black pepper and a little natural sweetness adding further interest.
The Dukes is an appealing size for this particular blend. Its additional length and generous ring gauge provide plenty of tobacco, allowing the richer flavours to develop as the cigar progresses.
Each cigar is handmade at the My Father Cigars factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, where the García family has established an excellent reputation for its work with Nicaraguan tobacco.
Now, I must give the box its due, because this is one of the more striking presentations in the Crowned Heads collection.
The 21 Dukes cigars arrive in a substantial black wooden box, decorated with broad turquoise stripes and gold lettering. The front carries the Crowned Heads emblem alongside the La Imperiosa name, cigar quantity and dimensions.
Lift the lid and you'll find an elaborate gold La Imperiosa crest against the black interior. Inside, the cigars are arranged in neat rows, each dressed in an ornate turquoise and gold band with the familiar crowned emblem.
A bright turquoise ribbon lies across the cigars, while a decorative presentation strip in turquoise, black, cream and gold carries the Crowned Heads insignia and a few words about the company's approach to cigar making.
It's an attractive contrast of colours. The turquoise bands stand out against the dark wrappers, while the black wooden box gives the entire collection a rather distinguished appearance.
Crowned Heads was founded in Nashville in 2011 by Jon Huber and Mike Conder, and La Imperiosa is a good example of the company's willingness to revisit a successful blend when there is genuine demand for it.
For those already familiar with the La Imperiosa Dukes, this full box of 21 cigars is an appealing addition to the humidor, combining a well-established Nicaraguan blend with some particularly handsome packaging.
