For the first time in its five-year history, the Las Calaveras will use Mexican tobacco.

Next month, Crowned Heads will ship the Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2018 to retailers nationwide. Most of the core details around the cigar remain the same: three sizes plus a fourth in a sampler, 24-count boxes, made at My Father Cigars S.A. and the use of skulls.

The latter is inspired by La Calavera Catrina, a zinc etching by José Guadalupe Posada. This year’s releases uses a Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Nicaragua. Those skulls can be found in Mexico, particularly during late October, for the Días de los Muertos holiday, days of the dead. Crowned Heads says the release is to celebrate the lives lived by those who have passed away. While the release has been heavily inspired by Mexico and its culture, the cigars themselves have been a mixture of an Ecuadorian wrapper over Nicaraguan fillers.

“As 2018 marks the five-year anniversary of the Las Calaveras marca we felt it apropos to utilize a Mexican San Andrés (maduro) wrapper, which finishes a 100 percent Nicaraguan tobacco binder and filler blend,” said Jon Huber, Crowned Heads co-founder in a press release. “We also drew heavy packaging inspiration from the vibrant colors of the Día de los Muertos holiday.”

The four sizes are:

  • Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2018 LC46 (5 5/8 x 46) — $9.95 (Boxes of 24, $238.80)
  • Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2018 LC50 (5 x 50) — $10.95 (Boxes of 24, $262.80)
  • Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2018 LC54 (6 x 54) — $11.95 (Boxes of 24, $286.80)
  • Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2018 Sampler Exclusive (5 1/2 x 56)

The sampler is priced at $42.95 and includes one of each of the four vitolas. It is limited to 3,000 units while each size is limited to 1,700 boxes.

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Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.