Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is fairly rustic looking with a marbled dark brown color and a couple of slightly raised veins. The seams are smooth but easily visible due to the variations in wrapper color while the head is finished off with a well applied triple cap. There are two bands that are both in a red, black and gold color combination. The primary carries the company initials and the secondary strip band has the number 18 in Roman numerals. The aroma from the wrapper is a damp wood while the foot brings wood and leather. The pre-light draw brings a light wood note along with some hay.

Pre-light Experience

The Crowned Heads Court Reserve XVIII Robusto has primary and secondary bands. The band design is gold embossed letters and primary features, set against a black background with red highlights. The wrapper on the cigar is chocolate brown, and noses of cedar, light leather and additionally a faint green cedar. In the foot is sweet hay.

Pre-light Experience

The Crowned Heads Court Reserve XVIII Robusto has an overall Colorado Maduro wrapper shade with a somewhat rustic feel to it. Construction looks good as veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and head finished off with a deep wrapper cap. Aromas from the wrapper give rich cedar and some baking spices. Aromas from the foot tell white pepper and the same rich cedar. Cold draw gives airy cedar, nuts and hay.

First Third

The cigar begins with dark wood and a mixture of black pepper and baking spice. At a half inch in, a slight creaminess has joined in which has taken the rougher edges off of the profile. At an inch in, the cream is right behind the dark wood while the black pepper/baking spice mixture is more pepper heavy and is smooth and in the background. The retrohale is an even mix of dark wood, cream and black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the wood doesn’t seem as dark as the cream remains right behind it and the black pepper has lost the baking spice pairing and remains in the background. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

The Court Reserve XVIII starts out with powdered cocoa, along with a mouthfeel of the same. On the retrohale, there is medium baking spices, along with cedar. As the first third settles in, the cedar carries through into the post draw, along with a medium minus leather. Sweetness starts to develop at the end of the retrohale, with the cedar reaching a medium length lingering finish on the post draw. As the cigar progresses, the baking spices intensity falls to a light plus, with cocoa at the front of the tasting profile.

First Third

The first third gives a good range of flavors. At the heart of it, the cigar has an earthy tone with cedar and drier earth/dirt. But there is also a nice underlying sweetness and creaminess with cherry cordials and creamy bread. When retrohaling, the cherry cordial is more noticeable, along with an introduction of white pepper spice. The finish is very earth forward with a long and lingering cedar and drier earth/dirt. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the wood gains some char with the cream still right behind and the black pepper in the background. At a half inch in, the char has increased slightly while the pepper has decreased slightly. The retrohale has the charred wood and cream at equal levels with the black pepper slightly behind. As the third comes to a close, the char has increased a bit more while the cream is still slightly behind and the pepper is in the background with a medium length finish. The strength in this third bumped up to slightly above medium.

Second Third

The second third begins with a creamy cocoa and light plus baking spices on the retrohale. The powdered cocoa settles into a medium minus strength level. Once the second third has settled in, the post draw lingering cedar has fallen to light strength. At the same time, the creaminess is carrying into the post draw.

Second Third

Moving into the second third, the same notes are still there but some takes priority over others. The profile is now more earth related (cedar, drier earth/dirt). But it’s important to note the cherry cordials and creamy bread does a good job of balancing out the earthy notes. Strength and body remains medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the cream has become even with the charred wood while the black pepper is very faint in the background. At a half inch in, the retrohale presents a creamy wood note. At an inch in, the profile is now just a creamy charred wood. As the cigar wraps up, the cream has faded back a bit, leaving the charred wood up front. The strength in this third dropped back to medium.

Final Third

The last third has a generic sweetness, along with cedar. The cocoa note has fallen to a background note for the remainder of the experience.

Final Third

The last third has the retrohale’s white pepper spice showing up on the mouth draws (although it is a subdued amount). Further, the profile picks up a slight bitterness and black coffee. Other than that, the other notes of cherry cordials, drier earth/dirt, creamy bread are all intact. Strength and body finishes medium.

Burn

The burn line was slightly wavy at times and perfect at others. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.

Burn

The Court Reserve XVIII burns very straight throughout, with ash holding on in one and a half inch increments.

Burn

Great burn performance. Not a single use of my lighter upon initial light, even burn, solid ashes.

Draw

The draw was perfect with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The cigar started with a mix of dark wood, cream and a combination of black pepper and baking spice. As it progressed, the wood, cream and black pepper were the core components. The construction was great and allowed me to just focus on the flavors. Strength was right around medium the whole way. Overall, I was pretty happy with the cigar and would be interested in smoking this in a slightly longer vitola to see if there are any differences in flavor progression. For those that are fans of Crowned Heads or Ernesto Perez Carrillo, you’ll find a familiar profile to others you’ve enjoyed. I’d have no problem smoking more of these.

Draw

The draw is one notch into the resistant spectrum.

Overall

The Crowned Heads Court Reserve XVIII Robusto is an enjoyable cigar with satisfying flavors of powdered cocoa, restrained baking spices, cedar and some creaminess.

Draw

The draw was perfect. Ideal air flow.

Overall

The Crowned Heads Court Reserve XVIII Robusto is a proper Mexican San Andres. This wrapper has a tendency to be too earth dominant for me. But Crowned Heads did a great job of tapering the earth with some tasty notes of cherry cordials and creamy bread. That and the evolving spice led to an experience that was enjoyable from first draw to the last.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.72

Cost/Point

$1.64

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.67

Cost/Point

$1.65

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

7.17

Cost/Point

$1.53

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Crowned Heads Court Reserve XVIII Robusto