PCA 2023: Crowned Heads

Crowned Heads was the first booth I visited at PCA 2023, though due to some technical difficulties with the microphone, this post is taking much longer to publish. Coincidentally, it was also the last booth I visited, as the company’s location near the front of the hall meant it was one of the last ones to receive its crates to pack up and I walked through the booth as I exited the Venetian Expo Center for the last time.

I suspect you didn’t come here for the logistics talk. This year, Crowned Heads’ has a pretty simple approach: a line extension for three of its existing lines and one new line. That new line, La Vereda, is clearly the main focus of the show. While the other brands shared the display structures, La Vereda got its own with custom branding.

Crowned Heads shares its booth with Ozgener Family Cigars, which Crowned Heads distributes in the U.S. As I said in my recap of Ozgener, the booth is set up like an art gallery with displays built into walls that are arranged throughout the booth. There’s also a semi-private meeting space in the back of the booth.

La Vereda

Crowned Heads thought this release was important enough that it got a quote from Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr., who is making the cigar. As someone that’s seen just about every Crowned Heads press release of the last five years, I can tell you the company doesn’t normally do that. I think that speaks to how Crowned Heads itself views this new line. While it definitely appears to borrow inspiration from Vegueros, a lesser-known Cuban brand, I like the look.

• Wrapper: Nicaragua (Jalapa Shade)
• Binder: Nicaragua (Jalapa)
• Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua

• La Vereda No. 50 (5 3/8 x 50) — $18.40 (Box of 20, $368)
• La Vereda No. 52 (6 1/2 x 52) — $19.60 (Box of 20, $392)
• La Vereda No. 54 (5 5/8 x 54) — $20.60 (Box of 20, $412)
• La Vereda No. 56 (6 1/4 x 56) — $21.80 (Box of 20, $436)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: August 2023

Four Kicks Mule Kick Limited Edition 2023

Four Kicks Mule Kick is a near-annual release that sees Crowned Heads change up the wrapper for its regular Four Kicks blend. This year, the company has also changed up the internal blend, adding Dominican tobacco to both the filler and binder.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Sumatra)
• Binder: Dominican Republic
• Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua

• Four Kicks Mule Kick Limited Edition 2023 (5 7/8 x 52) — $12.95 (Box of 10, $129.50)

Production: 3,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (30,000 Total Cigars)

Release Date: August 2023

Juárez Ferdinand

There’s a new 4 x 58 size for the Juárez blend that will only be sold in the Juárez Bulls on Parade Fresh Pack sampler. The new size features a red ribbon as a foot band, made to mimic the red cape of a bullfighter, part of the bulls theme.

The Juárez Bulls on Parade Fresh Pack includes five cigars, the Ferdinand and the four regular production sizes:

• Juárez Willy Lee (6 x 54)
• Juárez Chihuahua (5 1/2 x 48)
• Juárez Jack Brown (5 x 56)
• Juárez OBS (4 3/4 x 52)
• Juárez Ferdinand (4 x 58)

• Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
• Binder: Ecuador (Sumatra)
• Filler: Costa Rica & Nicaragua

• Juárez Ferdinand (4 x 58) — Sampler of 5, $29.95

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: August 2023

Mil Días Topes

Speaking of borrowing from Habanos S.A., this new vitola is the same size as the Trinidad Topes.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Costa Rica, Nicaragua & Peru

• Mil Días Topes (4 7/8 x 56) — $12.25 (Box of 20, $245)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: August 2023

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.