Crowned Heads Las Calaveras El 2025

Crowned Heads Las Calaveras EL 2025

The eleventh chapter in Crowned Heads’ cherished annual tradition arrives with Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2025, honoring Día de los Muertos through a masterful collaboration with the García family at My Father Cigars S.A. in Estelí. This year’s release features a rare mid-priming Mexican San Andrés wrapper in an unusual Colorado shade, marking only the second time this wrapper varietal has graced the series, creating a more nuanced expression that emphasizes coffee, espresso, and toffee over the typical earth and spice profile.

Key Features

• Eleventh annual Las Calaveras limited edition release honoring Día de los Muertos
• Rare mid-priming Mexican San Andrés wrapper in lighter Colorado shade
• Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos selected by the García family
• Four vitolas including exclusive Petite Lancero in sampler only
• Green, white, and gold band design for 2025 edition
• Medium-bodied profile with coffee, espresso, and toffee emphasis
• Extremely limited annual production at My Father Cigars

The mid-priming San Andrés wrapper immediately distinguishes this release with its lighter Colorado hue, a striking departure from the typical dark maduro presentations. This particular leaf selection brings remarkable complexity, with the wrapper displaying a toothy, gritty texture and deep consistent brown coloration that hints at the nuanced flavors within. The construction exemplifies the García family’s expertise, featuring a perfectly applied round double-wrapped cap and invisible seams that showcase the meticulous standards at My Father Cigars.

From first light, the Las Calaveras 2025 delivers a sophisticated greeting of black pepper and rich cedar alongside the signature Pepin spice, which gracefully transitions into waves of dark chocolate supported by earthy musk and woodsy undertones. The profile evolves beautifully through the experience, with cinnamon making regular appearances while coffee and espresso notes build alongside subtle toffee sweetness. The second third sees the dark chocolate dominate completely, backed by loads of woodsy earth, refined spice, and mild raisin notes. The retrohale amplifies the spice while maintaining remarkable balance, never overwhelming the palate as the cigar progresses through its 90-minute journey.

The decision to utilize mid-priming San Andrés leaf rather than corona primings creates a more expressive and approachable profile that sets this release apart from previous editions. Where darker wrappers might emphasize earth and intensity, this Colorado shade wrapper allows the underlying Nicaraguan tobaccos to shine through with greater clarity. The result exemplifies Crowned Heads’ philosophy of creating annual variations that honor tradition while offering collectors unique expressions worth seeking out before limited quantities disappear.

Technical Specifications

Summary

• Box Count: 24
• Region: Nicaragua
• Strength: Medium
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés (Colorado)
• Filler: Nicaraguan

What makes the 2025 Las Calaveras unique?

This marks only the second time Las Calaveras features Mexican San Andrés wrapper, but uses rare mid-priming leaves creating a lighter Colorado shade that emphasizes coffee, espresso, and toffee over typical earth and spice profiles.

What is the significance of Las Calaveras?

Since 2014, Crowned Heads releases Las Calaveras annually to honor Día de los Muertos, celebrating lives of those who have passed. Each year features different blends, sizes, and packaging, making them sought-after collectibles.

Why is the Petite Lancero only available in samplers?

Crowned Heads created an exclusive 6 1/2″ x 40 Petite Lancero specifically for the limited 3,000-unit sampler production, offering collectors a vitola unavailable in regular boxes and showcasing the blend’s concentration in this elegant format.

How does this compare to previous Las Calaveras releases?

The 2025 edition is less sweet and more earthy than some previous years, with woodsy natural flavors replacing typical maduro sweetness. The mid-priming wrapper creates more nuance and approachability than darker iterations.

What can I expect from the smoking experience?

Expect an initial black pepper and cedar greeting that transitions to dark chocolate dominance supported by earthy musk, wood, cinnamon appearances, growing coffee and espresso notes, with subtle toffee sweetness throughout the 90-minute journey.

Is this suitable for newer cigar smokers?

The medium strength and balanced profile make this more approachable than typical Nicaraguan puros. The nuanced Colorado wrapper provides complexity without overwhelming intensity, perfect for intermediate smokers seeking refinement.

What makes the collaboration with My Father special?

The García family’s expertise at My Father Cigars, combined with Crowned Heads’ creative vision, produces exceptional limited editions. Their signature Pepin spice and construction excellence elevate each Las Calaveras release.

How should I pair the Las Calaveras 2025?

The coffee and chocolate notes pair excellently with espresso, bourbon, or aged rum. The toffee sweetness complements port wine or cream sherry, while the earthiness works well with peaty scotch.