Headley Grange by Crowned Heads

Hermoso No. 4

This stick combines two of my favorite things: Boutique Cigars and Led Zeppelin. Headley Grange, the namesake of this cigar, was a recording studio in England during the ’60s and ’70s where Led Zeppelin recorded some of their most famous tracks. Supposedly, this stick was inspired by the drums in the first six seconds of When The Levee Breaks, It tastes more like The Song Remains the Same to me, but whatever. I’ve had a couple Headley Granges, and the first one I smoked had ash that held on for about 4 inches. This is my first of the Hermoso No. 4 vitola, which is the Rothschild of the lineup.

Statistics

CotM: October 2013



October 2013





Shape: “Trunk-Pressed” Parejo







Chosen by: wedgewoodrings







Size: 4.5″ x 48







Country of Origin: Dominican Republic







Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra







Binder: Nicaraguan







Filler: Nicaraguan







Color: Colorado Maduro

Colorado Maduro





Strength: Medium-full







Price Paid: Trade

Trade





Smoke Date: 10/01/2013

10/01/2013





Age: 6 weeks

Accessories Used

Cheap Craftman’s Bench V-Cutter (Black Plastic), Silver & Chrome Vector Stratos single-flame torch lighter, Handmade English walnut ashtray made by wedgewoodrings.

Pairing

Jasmine Pearls Chinese green tea served in a Japanese Blue Dragonfly teapot with matching teacup. I chose this light, floral jasmine tea so as not to overpower the subtle complexities of the Headley Grange. The sweet finish of the tea blended perfectly with the next puff of the stick. This is a pairing I intend to repeat.

Appearance/Nose

This was a very nice looking stick. The wrapper was solid brown and smooth, with some rustic veins in it. It sported a triple cap, and a semi box-press that Crowned Heads calls a “trunk press,” which is actually quite attractive. The band was black and gold with white text. It’s very distinctive and iconic–it reminds me of a label for blue jeans or something. The nose was bready, with a bit of gingerbread spice.

Construction

The construction on this stick seemed quite solid. It felt fairly heaving in the hand, indicative of a nice, dense pack, The triple caps were straight. There were no soft or hard spots. The burn was ridiculously straight and even the whole time. One of the best burns I’ve ever had. The ash was ludicrously thick and firm. Absolutely magnificent.

Cold Draw

The cold draw was fairly tight off a v-cut. I don’t v-cut very often, but this stick just seemed like a good candidate. I tasted the same gingerbread spices as on the nose.

Smoking

First third

The first puff was spicy, peppery, and leathery. Once it got burning a little, there emerged a sort of peachy, apricot flavor, surrounded by notes of tea, cinnamon, and jalapeño. The retrohale was quite spicy and stung a bit.

The smoke production was very full and the burn at this point was razor-sharp.

The ash was absolutely stunning at the first inch: white and gray, and firm like a chunk of concrete. The flavor after the first inch was very oaky and leathery, with that same plum/apricot note.

The retrohale was still spicy, but more heavily towards black pepper. The smoke production was down to a medium, with the body at medium-full.

Having already had 4″ ash on a Headley Grange once, I decided not to risk ashing all over myself, and gave it a light tap over the ashtray at about the 2″ mark. An inch and a half of ash fell straight down and landed with a solid “ka-thunk.”

Second third

Coming into the second third, the flavor smoothed out down to a medium. The spice in the retrohale was dialed back, and the sweet, oaky, leathery flavors took over completely.

The burn continued to be amazingly straight.

As the burn line approached the band, the flavor mellowed out even further, with the spice disappearing completely. The flavor at this point was a very smooth oak with some dried apricot notes and a sherry-like dry finish.

Final third

The final third continued with oak and sherry, with some of the spice returning, as well as an earthy, toasty note. The draw, ever since the start, was smooth with just the right amount of resistance. The v-cut was an excellent choice.

The flavor in the end trended strongly towards a bourbon-like oak and sweetness with cinnamon. A wonderful, strong finish for an excellent cigar.

The ash held on for about 2 more inches before dropping off, again in a big solid chunk.

Notes

Draw: Smooth with some resistance off a v-cut

Smooth with some resistance off a v-cut





Body: Medium-full

Medium-full





Primary Flavors: Oak, dried apricot, gingerbread

Oak, dried apricot, gingerbread





Smoke Output: Full

Full





Smoke Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Overall

What can I say about this stick? Tasty complex flavors, strong transformation, perfect draw and burn, epic ash, flawless construction. This is everything you could hop for in a stick. I have absolutely zero complaints. This stick is strong enough for an evening smoke, mild enough for a mid-morning, and would probably pair well with just about anything. The presentation is superb, and I’m also a sucker for anything Led Zeppelin. I can’t get enough of this cigar, and I think the Hermoso No. 4 is my favorite vitola so far.

Rating