Crowned Heads Jericho Hill Willy Lee

Crowed Heads is a brand that doesn’t do it like everyone else, nor do they plan to. They believe in continuous improvement and in a marriage of tradition with innovation. According to them: “Crowned Heads is influenced by a time when quality, pride, and integrity mattered. We strive to bring our vision to reality and invite you to live in our world. We are not here to do it like everyone else. When the rules don’t make sense to us, we carve our own path.” With their strict attention to detail, the path they carved is a path you will want to follow.

The Crowned Heads Jericho Hill Willy Lee follows the path of one the greatest songwriters and singers of all time, Johnny Cash. Crowned Heads says: “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.” The cigar itself represents the song by boasting a dark San Andres wrapper from Mexico, where Lee was arrested, and zesty Nicaraguan binder and long-fillers to give the smoke some real attitude, just like the man himself. Once lit, the medium to full bodied stogie will lend bold notes of leather and spice, with blasts of pepper. Our tasting panel loved this smoke, as did Cigar Aficionado who gave it a 90 rating. Not only does this smoke pair well with Johnny Cash music, but it also pairs wonderfully with a red wine.

The Nicaraguan cigar industry originated when Cuban cigar makers escaped the revolution and re-established their livelihood in Nicaragua with Cuban-seed tobacco. Blessed with dark, rich soil, their new home was ideal for tobacco cultivation and Nicaragua quickly became known for cigars that rivaled Cuban quality. Unfortunately, revolution and war came to Nicaragua in the 1980s and devastated the industry, but it’s rebounded dramatically and is once again producing tobacco considered by many to be the finest in the world.

The Esteli Valley is in many ways the heart of Nicaraguan production and is known for its very powerful and spicy tobacco. The Jalapa Valley produces arguably the finest tobacco in the country: somewhat sweeter and less intense than Esteli, but extremely complex. The tobacco of the Condega Valley is often described as a blend of the other two regions.