加冕王者
Tradition, Heritage, Quality — 致敬古巴傳統的現代 Boutique
評分方法 · 本評分為 W Cigar Bible 依據品牌歷史、國際能見度、產品穩定性、收藏討論度與華文市場辨識度綜合整理，非投資建議或銷售推薦。
Crowned Heads has no factory of its own -- a representative model of the 'Boutique cigar revolution'
Las Calaveras Edición Limitada has been released in limited quantities every year since 2014 -- Crowned Heads' 'annual cigar collectible'
Crowned Heads was founded in Tennessee Nashville in August 2011 by Jon Huber and Mike Conder
Multiple later Boutique new brands adopted the "outsourcing to top factories" model - including Warped, Foundation, Ezra Zion, and Illusione
Crowned Heads proved that 'blend > factory' -- a representative of a shift in thinking in the cigar industry
Production is mainly outsourced to My Father Cigars S.A. (the Don Pepin Garcia family factory)
Four Kicks was released in August 2011 as the brand's first release -- Crowned Heads' 'founding cigar'
Las Calaveras has been included multiple times in Cigar Aficionado's annual Top 25
La Imperiosa (2014) means 'emperor' in Spanish -- Crowned Heads' Maduro flagship
Each Crowned Heads series has an independent cultural tribute - from Mexico's Day of the Dead to British rock and the Cuban Wild West
Four Kicks immediately received 90+ points from Cigar Aficionado -- one of the fastest records for a new brand to receive a top-tier rating
The founders were both former CAO executives -- after General Cigar acquired CAO in 2010, they were dissatisfied with the direction of the large company and decided to create their own brand
Mil Días (2018) means "thousand days" in Spanish - a tribute to Crowned Heads' 1,000-day founding anniversary
Jon Huber is the former CAO vice president of marketing -- responsible for Crowned Heads' brand building and marketing
'Las Calaveras' means 'the skulls' in Spanish -- paying tribute to the culture of Mexico's Día de los Muertos
W Cigar Bar 紳士雪茄館 is the 台北 distributor for the full Crowned Heads spectrum - providing Four Kicks, Las Calaveras, La Imperiosa, Mil Días, and others
Headley Grange pays tribute to Led Zeppelin recording the album "IV" at the Headley Grange estate in the UK in 1971 - the brand's "British rock tribute"
Mike Conder is the former CAO VP of sales - responsible for Crowned Heads' sales network and distribution
Crowned Heads - A Representative of the Boutique Cigar Revolution
Founded in August 2011 in Nashville by Jon Huber and Mike Conder, Crowned Heads is one of the representative brands of the "21st-century Boutique Cigar Revolution".
If Joya de Nicaragua represents "the 1968 origin of Nicaraguan cigars", and Liga Privada represents "the 2007 Drew Estate flagship secret" - then Crowned Heads represents "the spirit of the Boutique revolution in the cigar industry after 2011".
Origins: The "Cigar Industry Exodus" After the CAO Acquisition
In 2010, the American tobacco giant General Cigar acquired CAO - at the time, CAO was one of the most popular boutique cigar brands. After the acquisition, many senior CAO employees left:
- Jon Huber (CAO Vice President of Marketing)
- Mike Conder (CAO Vice President of Sales)
- Multiple CAO sales, branding, and design staff
These former CAO employees were dissatisfied with the direction after the large-company acquisition - and decided to create a new brand of their own: Crowned Heads was born in August 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Crowned Heads' Revolutionary "No In-House Factory" Model
What is most distinctive is this: Crowned Heads does not have its own factory - it outsources production to multiple top-tier cigar factories:
- My Father Cigars S.A. (the Don Pepin Garcia family factory)
- NACSA (Joya de Nicaragua factory)
- Tabacalera Pichardo
Jon Huber and Mike Conder focus on "blend development + brand building + marketing" - leaving manufacturing to the finest factory masters.
This "no in-house factory" model was revolutionary at the time - because traditional cigar brands followed the family-dynasty model of "owned factory + owned tobacco fields". Crowned Heads proved that "as long as the blend is good enough and the partner factories are top-tier enough, a brand without its own factory can still produce top-tier cigars".
This model was later replicated by multiple new brands - including Warped, Foundation, Ezra Zion, and others.
Four Kicks - The Founding Flagship
In August 2011, Crowned Heads released its first cigar, Four Kicks - the brand's "founding cigar":
- Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina
- Binder: Nicaraguan
- Filler: Nicaraguan + Dominican mix
- Manufacturing: My Father Cigars S.A. (Don Pepin Garcia factory)
- Strength: Medium
Four Kicks immediately received 90+ points from Cigar Aficionado - one of the fastest records in history for a new brand to receive top-tier recognition.
Las Calaveras Edición Limitada - The Annual Limited Flagship
Since 2014, Las Calaveras Edición Limitada has been released every year - "Las Calaveras" means "the skulls" in Spanish, paying tribute to Mexican Día de los Muertos culture:
- Limited release each year: the wrapper, blend, and sizes differ every year
- One of the most popular limited editions: usually sold out within several weeks after release
- Named to Cigar Aficionado's annual Top 25 multiple times
2014 first year LE2014: Honduran Habano wrapper 2015 LE2015: Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper 2016 LE2016: Mexican San Andrés wrapper ... different every year
La Imperiosa - The Medium-to-Full Flagship
La Imperiosa was released in 2014 - "La Imperiosa" means "the imperial one" in Spanish:
- Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro (dark brown)
- Strength: Medium to full
- Manufacturing: My Father Cigars S.A.
It is "Crowned Heads' Maduro flagship" - and has received 90+ point ratings from Cigar Aficionado multiple times.
Mil Días - The Tenth Anniversary Commemoration
Mil Días was released in 2018 - "Mil Días" means "one thousand days" in Spanish (paying tribute to 1,000 days since the founding of Crowned Heads):
- Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
- Manufacturing: NACSA (Nicaragua)
- Feature: the representative Crowned Heads series produced at the NACSA factory
J. D. Howard Reserve - A Tribute to Cuban Tradition
J. D. Howard Reserve was released in 2013 - the name pays tribute to the alias of the Cuban notable Jesse James, "J. D. Howard":
- Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
- Strength: Medium to full
- Tribute spirit: the Cuban "Cuban Wild West" of the 1880s (the period of the Cuban War of Independence)
Crowned Heads' Philosophy of "Blend Diversity"
The biggest difference between Crowned Heads and other brands: it has no single flagship - instead, it is a "diverse spectrum":
- Four Kicks: founding medium-bodied line
- Las Calaveras: annual limited edition
- La Imperiosa: Maduro, medium to full
- Mil Días: San Andrés commemoration
- J. D. Howard Reserve: tribute to Cuban history
- Headley Grange: tribute to British rock music
- Court Reserve San Andrés: Mexican wrapper
Each series has its own inspiration, its own blend, and its own manufacturing factory - making it one of the "most complex brand portfolios in the cigar industry".
Why Taiwanese Enthusiasts Should Smoke Crowned Heads
3 reasons:
- Representative of the Boutique revolution: it is the spiritual leader of the "21st-century Boutique Revolution in the cigar industry" - to smoke it is to smoke history
- Diverse spectrum: from the medium-bodied Four Kicks to the full-strength La Imperiosa - "one brand through which to experience diverse styles"
- Revolutionary no in-house factory model: it proves that "blend > factory" - representing a revolution in cigar-industry thinking
Pairing suggestions:
- Four Kicks + aged bourbon (Pappy Van Winkle 15 years)
- Las Calaveras + Mexican Tequila (Don Julio 1942) + Mexican Día de los Muertos music
- La Imperiosa + aged single malt whisky (Lagavulin 16 years)
- Mil Días + Spanish Sherry (Pedro Ximénez)
You are welcome to visit W Cigar Bar in Da'an District, where Cigar Prince Wilson Tsai will personally accompany you in experiencing Crowned Heads' "Boutique Revolution".
Further Reading: The Complete Crowned Heads Series
Four Kicks Series - The Founding Flagship
- Robusto (5" × 50)
- Corona Gorda (5⅝" × 46)
- Toro (6" × 52)
- Capa Especial (special wrapper version)
Las Calaveras Limited Series (sizes differ each year)
- LE2014, LE2015, LE2016, LE2017, LE2018, LE2019, LE2020, LE2021, LE2022, LE2023, LE2024, LE2025
Released in limited quantities every year - it is the core series pursued by Crowned Heads collectors.
La Imperiosa Series - The Maduro Flagship
- Robusto (5" × 50)
- Magicos (5⅛" × 50)
- Corona Gorda (5⅝" × 46)
- Double Robusto (5½" × 54)
Mil Días Series - One Thousand Days Commemoration
- Marranitos (4¼" × 46)
- Robusto Extra (5½" × 54)
- Sublimes (6½" × 54)
J. D. Howard Reserve - Tribute to Cuban History
- HR50 (5" × 50)
- HR54 (5½" × 54)
Headley Grange - Tribute to British Rock
- Estupendos (5⅝" × 46)
- Hermoso No.4 (5" × 48)
- Eminentes (4⅞" × 44)
- The name pays tribute to Led Zeppelin recording the album "IV" at the Headley Grange estate in England in 1971
The Cigar Prince's "Advanced Crowned Heads Appreciation Path"
Stage 1: Introduction (Cigars 1-3)
Start with Four Kicks Robusto - experience the founding flavor of Crowned Heads.
Stage 2: Maduro Experience (Cigars 4-6)
Move into La Imperiosa Robusto - experience the brand's Maduro series.
Stage 3: Limited-Edition Collection (Cigars 7-10)
Collect different years of Las Calaveras - experience the changes in the annual limited blends.
Stage 4: Complete Spectrum (Cigars 10+)
Smoke Mil Días + J. D. Howard Reserve + Headley Grange - experience Crowned Heads' diverse brand portfolio.
You are welcome to visit W Cigar Bar in Da'an District and experience the complete spectrum of the "Boutique Revolution" together with the Cigar Prince.
Comparison Between Crowned Heads and Other Boutique Revolution Brands
Crowned Heads vs Liga Privada (both are boutique, but follow different paths)
| Item | Crowned Heads | Liga Privada |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 (Nashville) | 2007 (Drew Estate sub-brand) |
| Founders | Jon Huber + Mike Conder (formerly of CAO) | Steve Saka (then CEO of Drew Estate) |
| Factory | No in-house factory (outsourced to multiple top-tier factories) | Drew Estate La Gran Fabrica |
| Representatives | Las Calaveras annual limited edition, Four Kicks | No.9, T52, Único Serie |
| Brand portfolio | Diverse spectrum (10+ series) | Single flagship No.9 + variants |
| Marketing model | Tributes to Cuban tradition, Mexican culture, and British rock | Pure blend, minimal marketing |
Crowned Heads vs Dunbarton (Steve Saka's own brand)
Dunbarton (founded in 2014 after Steve Saka left Drew Estate):
- Shares with Crowned Heads the model of "former major-brand employees leaving to create their own brand"
- Both are representatives of the "Boutique Revolution"
- But Dunbarton is led by Steve Saka alone in blend direction, while Crowned Heads is a collaboration between Jon Huber + Mike Conder
Detailed Explanation of Each Year of Las Calaveras Edición Limitada
Las Calaveras is Crowned Heads' "annual cigar collection" - with a different blend, wrapper, and size lineup every year:
LE2014 - The First Year
Wrapper: Honduran Habano Manufacturing: My Father Cigars S.A. Rating: Cigar Aficionado 92 points
LE2015 - Connecticut Broadleaf
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro Feature: an elegant experience of a dark brown Maduro wrapper
LE2016 - Mexican San Andrés
Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Feature: deep cocoa and coffee flavors from the Mexican wrapper
LE2017 - Ecuador Habano
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano Feature: more medium-bodied strength
LE2018-LE2024
Different wrappers, different blends, and different vitolas every year - a limited collection where "once you finish one year's version, you have to wait until the next year".
LE2025 - Latest Release
Wrapper: released according to the brand's new strategy - the specific blend is announced anew that year.
The Historical Significance of the Boutique Cigar Revolution
The "Boutique Cigar Revolution" represented by Crowned Heads has had 3 historic impacts on the cigar industry:
1. Rewriting the Monopoly of the "Family Dynasty" Model
Traditional cigar brands such as Padrón, Arturo Fuente, Plasencia, and others are "family dynasties" - requiring generations to accumulate tobacco fields, factories, and blends.
Crowned Heads proved: a new brand does not need a family dynasty and does not need its own factory - as long as the blend is good enough and the partner factories are top-tier enough, it can produce top-tier cigars.
2. "Outsourcing to Top-Tier Factories" Became the Standard Path for New Brands
After Crowned Heads, multiple new Boutique brands adopted the "outsourcing to top-tier factories" model:
- Warped (outsourced to the Cuban cigar family El Titán de Bronze)
- Foundation (outsourced to Plasencia factory)
- Ezra Zion (outsourced to Dominican Tabacalera Garcia)
- Illusione (outsourced to NACSA, TABSA)
3. "Cultural Tribute" Became the Core of Brand Storytelling
Every Crowned Heads series has a unique cultural tribute:
- Las Calaveras: Mexican Día de los Muertos
- J. D. Howard Reserve: Cuban Wild West history
- Headley Grange: British Led Zeppelin rock
- Court Reserve: British royal coronation tradition
This "cultural narrative" model has been replicated by multiple new brands - making cigars not only "smoking", but also a "brand-culture experience".
You are welcome to visit W Cigar Bar in Da'an District, where Cigar Prince Wilson Tsai will personally guide you into the complete world of Crowned Heads' "Boutique Revolution" - experiencing the diverse spectrum from Four Kicks to the limited editions of each Las Calaveras year.
W Cigar Bar is an authorized dealer of Pacific Cigar Company PCC (PCC is the official authorized import channel of Habanos S.A. Cuba in Taiwan) - and also provides a Taipei experience of the complete Crowned Heads spectrum.
CAO 被 General Cigar 收購
CAO 被美國菸草巨頭 General Cigar 收購——許多 CAO 高層員工不滿大公司方向決定離職。為日後 Crowned Heads 的誕生埋下伏筆。
Crowned Heads 創立
前 CAO 高層 Jon Huber 與 Mike Conder 在 Tennessee Nashville 創立 Crowned Heads——是「21 世紀 Boutique 雪茄革命」的代表品牌。
Four Kicks 起家旗艦發行
發行品牌首支 Four Kicks——配方 Brazilian Mata Fina 包葉、Nicaraguan binder、Nicaraguan + Dominican mix filler。立刻獲 Cigar Aficionado 90+ 分。
J. D. Howard Reserve 古巴歷史致敬
發行 J. D. Howard Reserve——名稱致敬古巴名人 Jesse James 的化名「J. D. Howard」。配方 Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro 包葉。
Headley Grange 英國搖滾致敬
發行 Headley Grange——致敬 Led Zeppelin 1971 在英國 Headley Grange 莊園錄製《IV》專輯。是品牌「文化敘事」哲學的代表。
Las Calaveras LE2014 首年限量
發行 Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 首年版本——「Las Calaveras」西文意為「骷髏們」，致敬墨西哥亡靈節文化。配方 Honduran Habano 包葉。
La Imperiosa Maduro 旗艦發行
發行 La Imperiosa——西文意為「帝王」，是 Crowned Heads 的 Maduro 旗艦系列。配方 Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro 包葉。
Las Calaveras 年度 Top 25
Las Calaveras LE2015 與 LE2016 多次獲 Cigar Aficionado 年度 Top 25——確立「年度限量收藏」地位。每年限量通常開賣後幾週內賣光。
Boutique 革命影響力擴散
Crowned Heads 模式影響業界——多個 Boutique 新品牌（Warped、Foundation、Ezra Zion、Illusione）採用「外包頂級工廠」模式。
Mil Días 千日紀念發行
發行 Mil Días——西文意為「千日」，致敬創立 1,000 天紀念。是 Crowned Heads 在 NACSA 工廠生產的代表系列，配方 Mexican San Andrés 包葉。
創立 10 週年
Crowned Heads 慶祝創立 10 週年——從 0 行銷預算的 Nashville 小品牌做成 21 世紀 Boutique 雪茄革命代表。10 年內推出 10+ 系列、累積 100+ 個 Cigar Aficionado 90+ 分評價。
完整品牌組合確立
Crowned Heads 確立「最複雜品牌組合之一」地位——Four Kicks、Las Calaveras、La Imperiosa、Mil Días、J. D. Howard Reserve、Headley Grange、Court Reserve 等多個系列並行運作。
Like this article?Share with friends
Share this W Cigar Bible piece with friends who want to learn cigar culture, storage, and tasting.
雪茄品牌深度報告
EL 年度限量 / RE 區域限量 / 新生產線發表 — Habanos S.A. 與全球非古巴大廠動態追蹤。
· 隨時可退訂、Email 不對外公開 · 由勝茄股份有限公司營運
資料來源：品牌官方資料、國際雪茄媒體（Halfwheel、Cigar Aficionado、Cigar Journal、Habanos.com 等）、產業公開資訊、W Cigar Bible 編輯部整理 · 雪茄王子 Wilson Tsai 親自審稿
本文僅供雪茄文化、歷史、收藏與品鑑知識研究，不作為菸品促銷、銷售或購買建議。吸菸有害健康，未滿二十歲不得吸菸。