Crowned Heads founder Jon Huber made this cigar to taste like the drum intro to Led Zeppelin’s “When The Levee Breaks.”
Was he on something?
Yeah. It’s called having your soul electrified by one of the best rock bands of all time.
He was kicking back and smoking a cigar while listening to the classic track when the idea came to him. Luckily, there was a perfect partner already out there in the cigar world – a man who’s both musical in his soul and tobacco in his roots – Ernesto Perez-Carrillo. The former professional jazz drummer is also the creator of the Encore Majestic, Cigar Aficionado’s 2018 Cigar of the Year.
Working together, Perez-Carrillo and Huber made the Crowned Heads Headley Grange cigar, named for the studio where Zeppelin recorded “Levee.”
While the trunk-pressed Robusto is manufactured in E.P.'s Dominican factory, it skips mellow Dominican tobaccos in favor of punchier Nicaraguan long-fillers. It also uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper to bring in a tasty leathery note. The result was the esteemed #24 cigar of 2012 – another hit for the Crowned Heads team that helped catapult them from “just launched” to “soaring through the sky.”
As with many releases from this company, the Crowned Heads Headley Grange cigar has an honest, almost rustic look to it. The wrapper is brown and smooth, and not too fancy looking. The box-press finishes out the elegant but down-to-earth style. The cigar has just the faintest give to it, promising a perfect draw.
If we didn't know the cigar's backstory, would we be reminded of the opening to “When The Levee Breaks”? Boom, clap, boom-boom, clap… boom, clap, boom-boom, clap… you know what? If you’re in the right frame of mind, you can get there.
The cigar itself starts out big, bold, and straightforward – like a great drum intro. Red pepper, leather, and cream. Fantastic earthy notes build anticipation for what's to. Then, about a third of the way in, the rest of the band joins in and the cigar goes off like a firecracker. Rich caramel, cocoa, and coffee start dominating, brightened by tangy citrus. It's a delicious cacophony. And a fitting tribute to one of rock 'n' roll's greats.
There’s also a limited edition Crowned Heads “Drumstick” cigar that revises the blend to create a more balanced, yet still rich and complex, smoking experience. It’s a 7 1/2 x 38 Lancero that’s really right on the theme for this line. There are 1,500 boxes out there, so get yours before the music stops and you’ll always have the spirit of legendary Zeppelin drummer John Bonham ready to go in your humidor.
Please browse our selection of Crowned Heads Headley Grange cigars at your leisure.
