Menu
What's new

Crowned Heads La Imperiosa Review - CoM Mar 2016 (Cigar of the Month)

cgraunke

cgraunke

BoM March '14
Rating - 100%
229   0   0
Joined
Aug 14, 2013
Messages
7,681
Location
Spring strong sweet tall green grass grow...
Post your reviews here!



Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

5 3/4” x 46 Corona Gorda
4 1/2” x 52 Magicos
6 3/8” x 50 Double Robusto
5 1/2” x 54 Dukes

MSRP: $8.25 – $9.75

Manufactured at My Father Cigars, S.A., Esteli, Nicaragua.


From crownedheads.com:

La Imperiosa is the second Crowned Heads regular production brand (following-up ‘Jericho Hill’) released from the My Father Cigars, S.A. factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, for worldwide distribution.

Originally a Cuban brand from the early 1900’s, La Imperiosa translates to ‘the imperative,’ or, “..that which is absolutely necessary or required.” The La Imperiosa artwork and band were inspired by the original Cuban vista and band of years gone by.

The blend of 100% Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, finished with a dark and imposing Ecuador Habano Oscuro wrapper, is identical to the Las Calaveras EL 2014 blend. Released in May 2014, the Las Calaveras EL 2014 brand went on to become one of the year’s most sought-after new releases, and was praised by cigar enthusiasts around the world. Despite selling-out in a matter of weeks, the demand for Las Calaveras EL 2014 remained high and constant. As a result, it became ‘imperative‘ and ‘absolutely necessary‘ to respond to that demand.​

Prior CoM reviews can be found HERE
 
Jim D

Jim D

Rating - 100%
11   0   0
Joined
Jun 11, 2015
Messages
1,660
2016-03-10 13.56.01.jpg
Ok, here's my first review which happens
to be my first LA Imperiosa.
The wrapper is a nice dark shiny one with small veins. Cutting the least I could from the cap, the draw is perfect. You don't have to work for it and it's not too easy. No little pieces fell out or into my mouth on the prelight draw.
First 1/3: The first flavor I picked up was cream, this is smooth from the start. The next flavor is some spice I can't identify and it's subtle. Retro hale gives some pepper and a little burn in my nose. Right at the end of the first third I got a distinct cinamon flavor.
Second 1/3: Still peppery on the retro hale and when I lick my lips, they are salty. The smoke is nice and thick, still creamy. It leaves a heavy cream aftertaste with some pepper on the back of my tongue. The nicotine seems to be working too. The ash is white as can be around the outside but turns a tan color after being dropped in the ash tray. (The war department is reminding me of the rest of my honey-do list, but I just got some more cinamon on that last drag!)
I'm getting a bit of chocolate here at the half way mark, wish I smoked this in the car to see what kind of fragrance it would leave behind. Maybe next time...
Last 1/3: Tastes like bakers chocolate on the draw and heavy cream aftertaste, quite the combo. Still some pepper too. Retro hale still burns a little and now there's something reminiscent of fruit too. The burn line is crisp. At this point I'm wondering why I've never tried these before. I'm glad BOTL.ORG has a Cigar of the Month thread to expand my horizons! The cigar is now down to where I can feel some heat in my fingers, not uncomfortable but it's there. The fruit that was on the retro hale is now in the draw too, adding some sweetness to the smoke somehow. I don't want to give it a minute to pause, I just want to keep puffing like a locomotive!
2016-03-10 14.04.58.jpg

I'm not sure how long it took, but it knocked my smoking buddy out:
2016-03-10 14.41.43.jpg

This stogie was on my humidor for three days and I like it already. I'll let the others sit for a week and do a comparison. Til then, I look forward to reading some other reviews here!

Jim
 
Omerta

Omerta

Rating - 100%
30   0   0
Joined
Jun 13, 2015
Messages
861
Alright smoked the La Imperiosa Magicos. WARNING: I am a super noob smoking a super stick. I will probably not get the same profile you do :)

Pre-Light:
Sexy dark brown wrapper, nice oil covering the entire cigar. Not many veins, the seams are visible but construction is solid. The cigar smells strong of hay and dirt, very barnyard smell. The cold draw brings more of the hay, with some chocolate and fruitiness.

First Third:
Lots of pepper to start of the first few puffs. The cigar has a bitterness on the end that I have noted on most of the La Imperiosas I have had. The pepper starts to fade back a little and some chocolate notes start to shine. Its a good mix, like a spicy chocolate. There are some kitchen spices I can't place that seem to settle on the tongue and linger, the bitterness is there as well but is fading. A move into some earthy wood takes the chocolates place with some pepper that tingles the tongue and back of the throat. Towards the end the wood flavors takeover and the bitterness fades into a more citrus note, like grapefruit? I hate grapefruit but this reminds me of it. Through out the first third the retro is pretty easy, bring out some of the pepper and spice notes, along with that grapefruit. The notes of chocolate through the retro are wonderful.

Second Third:
The woodiness continues into the second, but the fruitiness falls to a sweet bread with some kitchen spice lingering on the tongue again. The retro brings the spices out a bit more. At this point the wood takes on an earthy dirt quality. Around this time I finally ash for the first and only time. The ash holds great, very solid and not flaky. I will mention the burn line was not spectacular. I have had similar issues with other La Imperiosas as well, they seem to have a rough start in the first inch or so. This did correct itself, but later on towards the end of the cigar I did need to do some corrections. The second third is a lot more of the wood and earth with intermittent spices and pepper. Getting closer to the end a nice leather starts to push in over the wood notes. The retro really brings out the leather with some floral, and the second third ends with the leather taking out the wood flavors.

Last Third:
The leather continues in with the floral notes dropping out for some pepper and mineral earthiness. At this point I let the cigar get a little to hot and some of that bitterness creeps back in. I let the cigar rest a little longer to cool off. A little break and no bitterness. The cooled off smoke brings back the leather again and this time some steak meat flavors. This is by far my favorite part of the stick. I love a good leathery meaty stick (that sounded better in my head). The meat gets a salty twang to it and takes over the leather. The cigar finishes with a good balance of leather and meaty flavors. The cigar starts to get hot into the nub again and the bitterness returns, call it finished at that.

Conclusion:
Definitely in my top 10 probably top 5 (I am really bad at ranking cigars, I love every experience I have with a cigar, even the dog rockets can be fun). The first third was very nice with the peppery chocolate. The final third though was my favorite with the savory meat and leather combination. Even though the cigar was a little wonky with the burn line the smoke was not affected, lots of smoke output. I have not smoked the LC14 and so I can't compare them on that, but I do have one in the humi and might light it up this evening. I took some pics but am having trouble uploading them will edit them in later.
 
Omerta

Omerta

Rating - 100%
30   0   0
Joined
Jun 13, 2015
Messages
861
Yeah I tend to find them where my dogs squat. Just figured hey might as well smoke it. Best decision ever made.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top