Crowned Heads Turns to Casa Carrillo, NACSA for Coroneta

Most of the time, when a company releases a new line, the line is offered in just one blend on debut. A small percentage of new lines are introduced with two wrapper options. This month, Crowned Heads is doing something quite different: one new brand offered in two different blends, each made by a different factory.

The new brand is called Coroneta. According to multiple reports, the Coroneta Habano will be made by Nicaragua American Cigars S.A. (NACSA) using an Ecuadorian habano wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Condega, Estelí and Jalapa, Nicaragua.

Casa Carrillo, the new name for Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr.’s Dominican factory, will produce the Coroneta Maduro. That blend will use a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over an Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Pennsylvania.

Regardless of blend, Coroneta is offered in the same three sizes:

• Coroneta Habano/Maduro Earl (5 x 52) — $12.95 (Box of 20, $259)
• Coroneta Habano/Maduro Duke (5 1/2 x 54) — $13.95 (Box of 20, $279)
• Coroneta Habano/Maduro Baron (6 x 56) — $14.95 (Box of 20, $299)

“The concept of simultaneously introducing one brand in two expressions from two different houses is something entirely first-time for us.” said Jon Huber, co-founder of Crowned Heads, in a press release. “The Habano version from NACSA was actually final and production ready back in the Spring of 2022, but we decided to hold it back. Ultimately, we felt so strongly about the Coroneta brand that we tapped the ‘Godfather of Boutique Cigars,’ aka Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, to partner with us on developing the maduro version. I think the Coroneta brand achieves what we excel at, which is, seamlessly blending tradition and history with premium modernity.”

Crowned Heads is expected to show off the cigars to retailers at next week’s 2024 PCA Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas. Coroneta is slated to ship in April.

Update (March 15, 2024) — Added info from the press release.