Crowned Heads to Release Limited Edition Headley Grange Lancero

The much hinted-about second Crowned Heads limited edition will be released next month. The Nashville-based company is releasing a limited edition Headley Grange Lancero called Drumstick, the sixth size for the company’s sophomore release.

According to a report from Cigar Aficionado, the Headley Grange Drumstick measures 7 1/2 x 38 and will feature a pigtail cap, with production limited to just 1,500 boxes of 10 cigars, for a total run of 15,000 cigars. It features the same blend as the other Headley Grange vitolas, with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler, though the blend has been slightly tweaked to accommodate the Drumstick’s smaller ring gauge.

According to the article, the entire batch is being produced by one roller at E.P. Carrillo’s Tabacalera La Alianza S.A. in the Dominican Republic. E.P. Carrillo handles production for all of Crowned Heads’ lines, which includes Four Kicks and J.D. Howard Reserve. The trend of single-roller limited editions has become increasingly popular with notable examples being La Palina’s Goldie Laguito No.2 and No.5.

As has become a well-known part of the lore of the Crowned Heads Headley Grange, the cigar is named for the studio where Led Zeppelin recorded the song “When the Levee Breaks.” It’s the opening drumbeat that served as the inspiration for the cigar, according to Jon Huber, co-founder of Crowned Heads. The Drumstick name also shares a connection with Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, Jr., who is a former drummer and has a noted passion for music. Perez-Carrillo Jr. also had a hand in naming last year’s limited edition from Crowned Heads, the Mule Kick.

The Headley Grange Estupendos has been reviewed and reduxed on halfwheel, earning scores of 91 and 92 respectively. It is available in five regular production vitolas:

• Estupendos – 5 1/2 x 52
• Eminentes – 5 1/4 x 44
• Corona Gorda – 5 5/8 x 46
• Hermoso No. 4 – 5 x 48
• Dobles – 6 1/8 x 50

The Crowned Heads Headley Grange also gained attention in October 2012 for being the center of a legal challenge by the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, a nonprofit, nonpartisan fraternal organization that advocates for rural America and agriculture. At the 2013 IPCPR Convention and Trade Show, Huber mentioned that the challenge had been resolved,  though declined to go into specific details, other than saying that the cigar can stay on the market as-is.

Huber did not respond to a request for information on price, specific release date, availability or additional information about the cigar. He had previously told Brooks Whittington the concept of a Headley Grange Lancero was not something he believed was possible.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.