Pre-light Experience

Seth: The Crowned Heads Tennessee Waltz CG is rough in appearance. It appears to be a corona gorda but is crooked and bends at the halfway point. The cigar features an ugly maduro wrapper that is dark leather in coloring, and it sports few, but large veins throughout. It is coarse in texture and has an aroma of barnyard, tobacco and spices.
John: The Crowned Heads Tennessee Waltz CG has a dark sungrown-shaded wrapper with firmly pressed veins visible throughout. The foot has exposed sections where the wrapper doesn’t quite meet the end, creating an uneven appearance. I weighed the cigar at 12.6 grams and measured the humidity at 61.1%. Aromas from the wrapper were limited to wood. From the foot, I was getting wood again, with a possible light hay note underneath.
Jiunn: The Crowned Heads Tennessee Waltz CG has a hearty Colorado red wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even, and the head is well wrapped and capped. Aromas give pungent barnyard and wet gym socks.

Crowned Heads Tennessee Waltz CG

First Third

Seth: The first third begins with barnyard and tobacco notes. Some spices are present as well, and they are pepper and baking spices. Touches of espresso and dark cacao are present on the finish. Medium in strength and body.
John: The first third gets going with rich tobacco leading off, followed by wood and light-plus strength baking spices. Toasted earth moves into the retrohale as the first third settles in. The malty tobacco sweetness begins fading slightly into the background as the cigar reaches roughly the one-inch mark. As the cigar continues toward the halfway point of the first third, the post draw takes on a more wood-forward profile.
Jiunn: The first third’s flavor profile shows lighter and rustic notes. Flavors in general are a bit meek with minerals, cream and oak. Retrohaling gives spicy cedar and greater minerals. The finish is short with cream and oak. Strength and body is medium.

Crowned Heads Tennessee Waltz CG

Second Third

Seth: The second third is in line with the first. Barnyard and tobacco notes. Spices, espresso beans and dark cacao are still present on the end. Like before, medium in strength and body.
John: The second third begins with creamy, tannic wood and tobacco, with dry tannic wood making up the finish. Rich tobacco sweetness returns in a manner similar to the first third, bringing with it light-plus strength baking spices. As the second third settles in, some saltiness moves into the finish. By the halfway point, a combination of leather, wood and saltiness settles on the palate through each puff. Earth becomes present through the finish in the bottom half of the second third and begins picking up in strength almost immediately. Baking spices are also lingering between each puff.
Jiunn: The second third’s flavor profile improves. The primary difference is more creaminess, which especially pairs well with the minerals. All else is the same as the first third within the retrohale and finish. Strength and body is still medium.

Crowned Heads Tennessee Waltz CG

Final Third

Seth: The final third is slightly downhill from the second. Barnyard and wood notes with espresso beans and spices. Damp earth notes, with little cacao qualities. Medium in strength and body.
John: The last third opens with creamy sweet tobacco, wood and earth. As the final third continues, earth, leather and spices combine to define the post draw, while wood lingers on the palate between each puff.
Jiunn: The final third’s flavor profile adds a char element to the overall mineral and cream dominating combination. This causes less enjoyment and honestly I want to put the cigar down. Strength and body finishes the same medium.

Crowned Heads Tennessee Waltz CG

Burn

Seth: The burn was average from beginning to end. Not consistent.
John: The burn was mostly straight through the review process, with the ash holding on firmly and showing a bright white color.
Jiunn: Burn performance was flawless, providing an even burn, tight ashes, ample smoke production and cool burning temperatures.

Crowned Heads Tennessee Waltz CG

Draw

Seth: The draw was good on the cigar from start to finish.
John: I measured the draw at 60 inches of water with the Cigar Medics draw machine. Subjectively, I found the draw to be approximately 1½ to 2 notches toward the resistant spectrum, making it somewhat resistant.
Jiunn: The draw was too tight where it sort of felt like sucking through a straw.

Overall

Seth: This Crowned Heads Tennessee Waltz CG was a lacking cigar. It was not attractive in appearances, average for the first two thirds, and went downhill in the final third. The flavor profile lacked complexity, depth and transitioning from the beginning. I felt the body and strength were too soft as well for the blend. It is not a cigar I would come back to, not a cigar I would recommend, and without a band I don’t believe it is a cigar anyone would pick up to smoke.
John: The cigar presents itself as a straightforward, tobacco-driven experience that shows flashes of depth without fully committing to a clear direction. The first third is easily the best portion, with rich tobacco sweetness and baking spices working well together before wood begins to take over more of the profile. The second third introduces additional complexity with saltiness and leather joining the mix, though these elements arrive alongside increasing tannins and earth, which gradually pull the profile into drier territory. While the return of sweet tobacco helps keep things balanced for a time, the cigar never quite regains the cohesion seen early on. By the final third, earth, leather and spices dominate the post draw, with wood lingering persistently on the palate. The flavors remain clean but largely static, lacking the evolution needed to elevate the experience beyond average. Construction was a strong point overall, with an excellent burn and a solid, if slightly resistant, draw. Flavor-wise, the profile and progression strongly suggest a Nicaraguan character of earthy, wood-driven and spice-accented. In the end, this Crowned Heads Tennessee Waltz CG is a cigar that delivers consistency and solid construction but falls short of leaving a lasting impression, landing comfortably in Average territory. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 2 minutes.
Jiunn: I find this type of flavor profile fairly common (rustic in nature with minerals, cream, oak). While there isn’t anything odd or offensive, it’s not something that is engaging. As such, this Crowned Heads Tennessee Waltz CG is a pass for me.

Seth Geise

SCORE

4.43

Cost/Point

$2.47

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.95

Cost/Point

$1.84

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$1.94

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Crowned Heads Tennessee Waltz CG