The Le Careme line from Crowned Heads is one of my favorite cigars on the market right now. When I saw the announcement for the 2023 special edition I knew this was a must buy for me. The 2023 version is a Robusto measuring at 4×54. The size of this cigar has set it up to be a powerhouse of a smoke right out the gate.
The makeup of this cigar is the same as it previous versions, a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, with Nicaraguan fillers. Only thing different this year is the size, and we all know the size of a cigar can change the flavor profile a lot.
Lets get to the review:
This is a very well made cigar, the wrapper is a beautiful dark brown with no flaws on it. The cold draw hits with creamy chocolate and spice right out the door.
1/3 of the cigar was a nice change up for me from the 2022 version. My palette was met with way more pepper on the draw and the retro. Mixed in with the pepper is lots of chocolate and small hints of coffee and cashews.
2/3 was a slight shift in flavors as coffee becomes the dominant flavor, but hints of chocolate and cream still linger. Pepper is still being picked up on the retro but not so much on the draw now.
Final 3rd was the same as the 2/3, chocolate, coffee and spice, only difference now is the spice has kicked back up for me. No burn issued during the whole smoke. Cigar smoke time was about 45 minutes and paired with coffee during this review. The type of cut used was v-cut and the smoke out put was great, no draw issues. I would say this cigar was a medium to full smoke, more full when the pepper was ramped up.
If you are a fan of what Crown Heads is doing this will be a must buy for you. If you have not tried any of the Le Careme line I urge you to give them a try.
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 4×54
