Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the Crowned Heads Four Kicks Capa Especial Robusto is medium brown and has a few slight raised veins that carry a bit of a lighter color to them. The seams are easily visible as they are a bit raised while the head is finished off with a decently applied set of caps. The cigar has two bands, with the primary being gold and blue and carrying the line name. The foot band is the new trend of having a gold band with the company name on it. The aroma from the wrapper is an earth forward barnyard while the foot brings a nice creamy sweetness along with a lighter wood note. The pre-light draw brings a mix of musty cedar and black tea along with a mild spiciness on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

Finished with a fairly poor triple cap, the Crowned Heads Four Kicks Capa Especial Robusto sports a wrapper that has a lovely aged Colorado coloring. The wrapper sports small veins throughout, but they are noticeable to touch. The cigar has a nice firmness and I am picking up aromas of tobacco, wood, cream, cherries and spices on the wrapper and foot.

Pre-light Experience

The Crowned Heads Four Kicks Capa Especial Robusto is double banded, and in a trend reversal from the industry, the brand Four Kicks is on the main band with Crowned Heads on the secondary band. The wrapper has a smooth appearance. Nosing the cigar, I was able to pick out barnyard, light moss and faint wood. From the foot, there was sweet wood and hay.

Pre-light Experience

The Crowned Heads Four Kicks Capa Especial Robusto has a cafe brown wrapper. Veins are well pressed, seams tight but visible, roll is even and the head is well wrapped. Aromas from the wrapper give nuts and pennies. Aromas from the foot give red pepper spice and roasted nuts. Cold draw gives hay, cedar and nuts.

First Third

The cigar begins with a mix of toasted cedar and baking spice. At three quarters of an inch in, the baking spice has transitioned to black pepper. The retrohale has a black pepper zing along with musty cedar. As the third comes to a close, the black pepper has lightened up a bit, although it has a long finish, while the toasted cedar remains the core component of the profile. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

The first third begins by delivering a lovely sweet spice flavor profile. There are some oak qualities as well and hints of cherry stone fruit. I am picking up some solid tobacco notes and white pepper on the finish. In terms of strength and body, I would classify the cigar as being medium-full.

First Third

My first few puffs bring flavors of baking spices, mild earth and leather. Leather and spices quickly move into the post draw. A few puffs later, creamy sweetness joins the retrohale. There are no other flavor adjustments for the remainder of the first third.

First Third

The first third has some favorable flavors such as cream, nuts and mild red pepper spice. However, the finish is a deal breaker, having an incredibly dry and tannin filled leathery finish. Retrohaling is nice, with more intense nuts and red pepper spice. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, some dry earth joins the profile. At a half inch in, the toasted cedar and dry earth are even while the black pepper is in the background. The retrohale is a mix of toasted cedar and toasted earth. At an inch in, the dry earth takes a slight lead over the toasted cedar. As the third comes to a close, the profile is a bit dry with the dry earth slightly ahead of the toasted cedar with black pepper in the background. The strength in this third bumped up to slightly above medium.

Second Third

The second third shows some transitioning and I am picking up some sweet spice notes that are paired with some leather, cream, tobacco and nut qualities. I am getting some cashew and walnut notes. Like before, the cigar is smoking around a medium-full level for body and strength.

Second Third

Creamy leather and dry wood carry the cigar into the second third. Mild chocolate comes through on the retrohale, as the dry wood moves into the post draw. Leather joins the post draw at light plus moments later. There are no other flavor changes through the second third.

Second Third

The second third doesn’t change at all. The finish is still very dry with a long lasting leather, weighing heavy on the tongue with thick tannins. Along with the dryness is still the same cream, nuts and red pepper spice. Strength and body remains medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the toasted note of the cedar transitions to a light char and the black pepper has become very mellow. The retrohale remains toasted earth and toasted cedar. The cigar wraps up with the dry earth up front and the lightly charred cedar right behind with a mellow black pepper in the background. The strength remained at slightly above medium.

Final Third

The final third delivers a continuation of flavors from the second third and I am getting some cashew, walnut and cream qualities. There are some sweet spice notes present as well, and they are paired with leather and oak notes. The finish has some white pepper, and it’s lovely to the end. Like before, the cigar is medium-full in strength and body.

Final Third

Creamy leather starts the last third with a finish of tannic cedar that lingers well into the post draw. As the last third settles in, the profile is largely cedar forward.

Final Third

Starting to sound like a broken record now but the final third still hasn’t changed. Long and lingering finish with drying leather and full tannins. Accompanying notes of cream, nuts and red pepper spice. Strength and body finishes medium.

Burn

The burn was slightly wavy at times, but never needed any attention. The ash held on in one inch increments.

Burn

Burn was nearly perfect from start to finish.

Burn

The burn was quite straight through the review, with the ash holding on firmly up to 1-1/2 inches at times.

Burn

Burn performance was spectacular. Even burn, solid ashes, cool burning temperature and good smoke production.

Draw

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

Overall

The cigar started well with a nice combination of toasted cedar and baking spice which transitioned to black pepper. As the dry earth joined in the second third, the enjoyment level dropped to average and maintained that level the rest of the way. Construction was great and really allowed me to focus on the flavor. I don’t really see myself returning to the Crowned Heads Four Kicks Capa Especial Robusto very often, but for fans of the Four Kicks line, I could see this being a variant that they would find appealing. Definitely a cigar to give a try and I might be interested in checking out another vitola to see how it smokes.

Draw

Perfect draw.

Overall

Besides calling the cigar Four Kicks Capa Especial, and Capa Especial being used countless times by Tatuaje, this is a really good cigar. This is a lovely stick with great body and strength and excellent construction. On top of that, the cigar delivers a lovely flavor profile. There is complexity and depth throughout, and the notes of cream, nuts, white pepper and sweet spices really pop. EPC does a great job with Ecuadorian Sumatra offerings, and they seem to only make them for other companies. I don’t know why they don’t release cigars like this for their own brand. The Crowned Heads Four Kicks Capa Especial Robusto great addition by Crowned Heads, and I like the tribute to their first line. I could smoke this and Headley Grange quite often. With all of that being said, I don’t think Tatuaje has control over the name “Capa Especial,” but to release a Sumatra offering with the same name is pretty dead on to what Tatuaje has done in the past.

Draw

The draw had some resistance to it, roughly 2 to 2-1/2 notches towards the resistant spectrum.

Overall

The Crowned Heads Four Kicks Capa Especial Robusto overall had a pleasant flavor profile, but it never came together in a way that made it stand out for me. There are a long list of other Crowned Heads releases that I would reach for in my humidor over this Four Kicks release. Construction was great with an amazing burn and a slightly resistant draw. Total smoking time was a blistering fast 1 hour and 17 minutes.

Draw

The draw was great as well. The best possible air flow and resistance.

Overall

It’s been 15 minutes since I finished the cigar. As I type my overall notes, I’m still getting the dry leather and full tannins. It’s disappointing how the finish can make the cigar an average experience. If it hadn’t been for the drying finish, the rest of the flavors are nice, with cream, nuts and mild red pepper spice. Perhaps it’ll go away with some rest? I’ll give the Crowned Heads Four Kicks Capa Especial Robusto another shot down the road.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.00

Cost/Point

$1.56

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

7.42

Cost/Point

$1.26

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.45

Cost/Point

$1.72

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.63

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Crowned Heads Four Kicks Capa Especial Robusto