We had been in a bit of a dry, hot spell here that pretty much stalled grass growth. We ended up having a recent storm roll through, followed by a sunny, warm day, and the grass took off. So I have some mowing to catch up on. I grabbed a Crowned Heads Mil Dias Marranitos EL 2022 to accompany me. I have smoked one of the regular production Mil Dias releases, and while I wasn’t displeased by it, I wasn’t intrigued enough to go back to the line. I actually passed on the EL 2021 even with it being in my favorite vitola. Really, what grabbed my attention on the EL 2022 was the Ecuadorian Sumatra Maduro wrapper.
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera Pichardo
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra Maduro
Binder: Nicagaragua
Filler: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, & Peru
Vitola: 5 ¾ x 52 Toro
Price: $12.25 MSRP
Release Date: April 2022
Company Website: www.crownedheads.com
This Mail Dias is firmly packed and feels quite dense. The soft wrapper has some imperfections throughout and a small split just above the band. I like the presentation of the Mil Dias line, especially with the color combination of the Edicion Limitada band that Crown Heads uses. The cigar smells like creamy cedar and spice. The cold draw is like a corn forward, young bourbon. First light reveals medium-full bodied smoke with medium flavors of toasty pastry type bread, some wood, and a bit of spiced cream. The finish carries the spice and cream through to the next puff. About three quarters of an inch in the toasty pastry and wood has become more subtle as it’s been joined by a nutty, oily, slightly bitter coffee. The finish is still full of spiced cream. The retrohale has some of the spiced cream along with a bit of citrus and bread. It has a fair amount of depth to it. Ending the first third there’s some citrus breaking into the profile on the draw now. It’s smoking at a medium body and flavor and has a surprising elegance to it. Quickly into the second third the toast picks up and there’s a sweet cocoa powder note that comes in. Hitting the Edicion Limitada band, there is a ton of cream and baking spices returning, but on the draw. The retrohale has some creamy leather and a bit of pepper. Hitting the primary band, the profile has seen a transition towards wood, earth, and pepper, but there’s some cream and spice hanging on. The performance has been flawless throughout the cigar and it’s up to medium-full body and full flavor. Coming to an end at an hour and 30 minutes, there are no changes in flavor or performance to mention.
Overall Experience
Overall I thought this cigar was fantastic. It is one of the best Limited Edition cigars I have smoked in quite awhile, and probably one of the top new cigars I have smoked this year. The toasty pastry bread and spiced cream that was prominent for the first two thirds made it hard not to keep going back for another puff right away. The citrus on the retrohale added another layer to the spiced cream that I was very happy to see join the draw at the end of the first third. The sweet cocoa powder that came in for a short spell was a nice inclusion as well. As much as I was impressed by the first two thirds, and how surprisingly elegant the experience was, I was happy to see the transition into the final third. It became more robust and showcased classic Crowned Heads earthy, peppery, and woody flavors. The performance was also flawless throughout and required no maintenance, which is always nice. I easily would recommend this to anyone and will be looking to grab more of these.
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