The Crowned Heads TAA Exclusive returns in 2024 albeit with a new look and less flashy name.
Crowned Heads TAA Exclusive has been a yearly release that is highly anticipated. First released as The Angel’s Anvil (TAA) and then as The Lost Angel the 10th Anniversary of the release is only the second time in the company history the cigar has used the company moniker, Crowned Heads. For those keeping score at home the other was the 2018 Crowned Heads Court Reserve XVIII.
According to press release, “We’ve stepped away from our previous TAA Exclusive launches that featured either “The Angel’s Anvil or The Lost Angel branding,” commented Crowned Heads co-founder, Jon Huber. “We spent a good amount of time in developing this unique blend with Ernesto, and I believe the end result is a potent but complex and balanced blend that our TAA supporters and their customers will thoroughly enjoy.”
The Tobacconist Association of America (TAA) is a group of 80 or so retailers that is open to members by invite only on both the retail and manufacturer side. Each year the group gets together and hosts a mini trade show. At this show exclusive deals are offered to this select group and manufacturers such as Crowned Heads make an exclusive cigar just for those retailers.
Cigar Review: Crowned Heads TAA Exclusive 2024
Size: 6.25 x 50 (Toro)
Wrapper: Ecuador HVA
Binder: Ecuador
Fillers: Nicaragua, USA (Pennsylvania)
Factory: Case Carrillo
Release Date: December 2024
Production: 500 Boxes
Box Count: 20
The Cigar: The Crowned Heads TAA Exclusive 2024 is one ugly cigar. The band has a bundle feel to with though the white Crowned Heads pops on the black background though it would have been better with some foil and embossing. The Ecuador HVA wrapper is has a lot of veins to it and the cigar feels very underfilled especially at the cap which is slightly askew. If you took the band off this would almost feel machine made like a Garcia Y Vega.
The Taste: The cold draw makes up for the horrendous appearance with an abundance of rich decadent molasses and chocolate with a touch of red pepper. Meanwhile the foot reveals a more muted version of the cold draw. Once the cigar is toasted and lit there is a roasted marshmallow note that is easily identifiable.
As we settle into first third notes of molasses remain from the cold draw with salted caramel and pistachios. As the first third comes a close a lot of the sweetness begins to disappear as the cigar develops earth along with black and red pepper. The pepper is is enhanced on the retrohale which also introduces notes of brown sugar and a touch of cinnamon.
The second third sees the cigar continue to serve up notes of earth but the brown sugar from the retrohale makes it way to the palate where it is often overshadowed by black pepper. There is some occasional nuttiness along the lines of pistachios and the retrohale loaded with red and black pepper that roasts the nasal cavity.
Moving into the final third the cigar remains earthy with the occasional cinnamon component. The red and black pepper remains dominant on the lengthy unbalanced finish where it is enhanced on the retrohale. As we remove the band the cigar develops nuances of wheat, but the cigar becomes increasingly bitter a lot of pepper on the retrohale.
Conclusion: I consider myself a slow smoker and I had to adjust my cadence even slower to fully enjoy the Crowned Heads TAA Exclusive 2024. I believe this to be because of the construction and how underfilled the three cigars I smoked for this review. Without slowing down the cigar was extremely unbalanced and coarse. This sounds like a user issue, but I assure you it is not. The time I spent smoking these were 138, 145 and 135 minutes. I would assume most people will power through a toro much quicker than that. Despite clocking in over 2 hours I struggled with the cigar becoming rough around the edges far to often to be enjoyable.
Score: 84
Price: $15.50
