Crowned Heads Jericho Hill Review - CoM Apr 2016 (Cigar of the Month)

[cgraunke]

Post your reviews here!

Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

5.125”x44 - 44S
6.50”x46 - LBV
4.75″x52 - OBS
6.00″x54 - Willy Lee
4.50"x42 - Shots
7.50"x38 - 12 Honest Men
5.00"x56 - Jack Brown


MSRP: $5.95 – $9.95

Manufactured at My Father Cigars, S.A., Esteli, Nicaragua.


From crownedheads.com:

John R. “Johnny” Cash is widely considered to be one of the most influential American musicians of the 20th century. His legacy continues to inspire many, including Crowned Heads. Jericho Hill was inspired by Cash’s rendition of “Cocaine Blues,” found on Cash’s 1968 live album, “At Folsom Prison.” The song is a tale of a man, Willy Lee, who goes down a dark path brought on by the influence of whiskey and cocaine. Willy is captured in Juarez, Mexico, and is brought to justice by the sheriff from Jericho Hill.

Cash was the fourth of seven children, and Jericho Hill marks the fourth regular production release from Crowned Heads. The dark wrapper leaf utilized on Jericho Hill is a nod to “The Man in Black,” as the wrapper leaf varietal (Mexican San Andres) is a nod to the “Juarez, Mexico” reference found in “Cocaine Blues.” The four vitola names were all inspired by lyrics and music found on “At Folsom Prison,” and when recited from smallest to largest (.44S, LBV, OBS, and Willy Lee), take on a lyrical element of their own.

Jericho Hill is a hedonistic blend of the best Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, resulting in a rich and robust taste profile that is focused, potent, and complex. The smoke is a full-throttle experience that assaults your palate at break-neck speed, races around your mouth for a hundred miles, and leaves your taste buds in a cloud of power, intensity, and excitement.​

Prior CoM reviews can be found HERE

 

[atllogix]

Crowned Heads Jericho Hill OBS

Jon Huber released Jericho Hill, Crowned Heads 4th core line, during the summer of 2014. This was a first for Crowned Heads in a number of ways. The most significant being this was the first time venturing away from Ernesto Perez Carrillo's La Alianza factory for a cigar production other than the limited release Las Calaveras. Instead, collaborating again with Don Pepin Garcia and the My Father team, on a regular production core line. This is the first blend to find San Andres leaf utilized. It was also a first for a Box-Pressed vitola. There were originally 4 vitolas released and following, Shots, a petite corona and a limited lancero dubbed 12 Honest Men.

As noted above I smoked the OBS a 4 3/4 x 52 box-pressed parejo.

Aroma and cold draw had a fruitiness to it and earth.

Upon lighting I was greeted with a good dose of earthiness. Pepper, dried fruit, and cocoa all are in the background. Into the 1st and the pepper has picked up quite a bit, almost like that Pepin blast of pepper had a delay timer on it. The pepper provides a nice tingly sensation in the sinuses. I'm also getting some cream, which did not last long at all (and never did I see it again).

By the 2nd it seems the profile is predominantly earth, with pepper in the background. Further back their our notes of wood, cocoa and coffee. The ash held on for well over an inch, and was mildly flaky and grey. What I find lacking is that small amount of sweetness the dry fruit provides in the beginning. Halfway through I needed a good touch up, and then a couple more along the way. In the 2nd I get some chalky and clay like flavors accompanying everything else. The cocoa starts to rescind. Towards the end of the 2nd cedar, a spice, and light sweetness emerge.

During the last 3rd the earth takes on different forms. At times it's a somewhat mild like earth, and then the next draw the earth is very vibrant and colorful and has an intriguing taste to it while still being earth. There are moments I can detect a sweetness, I wasn't able to place it exactly but it kind of had a floralness to it, and mild like tasting a honeysuckle, this added to the depth of the flavor profile. Pepper gains reentry in to the front of the profile then drops back and comes up and does this a few times until it stay in the front. This helps to give the earth a different quality until it finally goes out once more where I call it quits a little over a hour in to it.

Surprisingly no leather notes were to be found, which I usually get alongside a lot of earth. I also found that the pepper showed itself in many ways. black and white on the retrohale, red both in the sinuses and inside the mouth predominantly in the 2nd, and green pepper notes which reared itself in the last third.
This was a medium maybe medium plus strength cigar. While the body was medium as well, the flavors were more medium-full.
Up until the halfway point I thought it was lacking in depth in a way, causing a little boredom but as it burned along it seemed to get less and less boring and by the end I was glad to have smoked it. The cigar was dominated by earth and pepper but those flavors alone had a good deal of complexity and depth to them along with the secondary (cocoa, fruit, & coffee) and tertiary notes (spice and floral) made for a very nice experience. The draw was spot on, construction was for the most part good with exception to the few touchups/relights that were necessary.

When I think about how much I liked the cigar it feels weird to say, this is my least favorite core line from Crowned Heads. I think this speaks volumes for what Huber and Condor have done working with both Carrillo and Pepin. While I wouldn't go as far as recommending a box purchase to any cigar smoker, I would indeed make that recommendation to those who are particularly fond of San Andres and that earthy taste that it provides. For others I could suggest partnering with a brother for a box split.

Given Score: 87 (but don't let that fool you)

atllogix

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[cgraunke]

I didn't realize they had added a seventh to the lineup now in Jack Brown.
Also didn't realize that the Shots seem quite hard to find now...

 

[atllogix]

I didn't realize they had added a seventh to the lineup now in Jack Brown.
Also didn't realize that the Shots seem quite hard to find now...

I hadn't heard of Jack Brown or I have forgot, which could easily be the case.

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[IronW]

Smoked a Jericho Hill LBV (46x6.5)

Cold Draw - Pepper and a sweet earthiness

1st third started with a nice blast of pepper and a woody background flavor. Some sweet earthy flavors came in nicely as I smoked.
2nd third the sweet earthy came to the forefront a bit more while the pepper moved to the background but was still very noticeable.
The final third brought on hints of chocolate and the pepper became much more prevalent again.
Overall this is a solid smoke, peppery with subtle undertones throughout. I had to touch it up a couple time due to an uneven burn but that seemed to be caused from humidity changes and not construction.

 

[tadpole]

vitola: OBS (4 3/4 x 52) - i think thats what i had.

cold draw - peppery. but i also notice a sweetness to it - similar to syrup.

first third - there is a leathery and woody/earthy flavor. the retro is mostly a pepper. a hint of the syrupy sweetness is still there. the ash is holding well.

middle third - the woody/earthy flavor is predominant. there is still some pepper, but the sweetness is muted. the smoke is also becoming more creamy and much thicker, almost meaty. i also notice a...not really coffee, but more of a latte flavor. i didnt notice this in the previous JH sticks that i have smoked. the ash is holding like a champ

final third - it transitions to more coffee/latte, and less earthy. there is still some pepper (esp on the retro), and the smoke is still much thicker than the first third

misc - the appearance is not the greatest. this is a "moo point", as the draw and burn line are fantastic, especially when you consider the price point.

 

[tadpole]

im hoping to get a review of the 12 honest men vitola soon - maybe when it gets a bit warmer!

 

[atllogix]

im hoping to get a review of the 12 honest men vitola soon - maybe when it gets a bit warmer!

Today is the 9th if I get my 12 Honest Men by like the 13th I might, smoke one by the end of the month and review as well. But honestly I consider 2 weeks ROTT and might not be able to convince myself they're ready to be smoked.

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[cgraunke]

Here's a screaming deal on the 12 Honest Men if anyone is on the fence!
http://www.holts.com/specials/weekend-roast.html?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WR040816&utm_content=WR040816

 

[atllogix]

Here's a screaming deal on the 12 Honest Men if anyone is on the fence!
http://www.holts.com/specials/weekend-roast.html?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WR040816&utm_content=WR040816

That's what I did. No reason not to if you have any remote liking to the Jericho Hill or Lanceros

 

[atllogix]

@IronW @tadpole both great reviews!

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[cgraunke]

BUMP for reviews!