Crowned Heads Las Calaveras returns for the 11th time. The EL 2025 marks the second time the company has utilized a San Andres has announce its eleventh installment to the once highly sought-after Las Calaveras series, Las Calaveras EL 2025.
According to Crowned Heads President, Jon Huber, “What’s unique about this year’s Las Calaveras release is that not only are we utilizing a San Andres cover leaf, but it’s a color grade that most people would not immediately associate with San Andres (Mexico) wrapper. We selected a mid-priming wrapper, which resulted in a lighter Colorado color to the cigar as opposed to the more commonly seen darker maduro shades of Mexican San Andres wrappers used. This particular wrapper really compliments the blend and allows for the coffee, espresso, and toffee notes to come to the surface that can typically get lost under the pepper and earth profile that the darker, higher priming wrappers yield.”
Cigar Review: Las Calaveras EL 2025
Size: 6 x 54 (Toro / LC 54)
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
Original Release Date: August 2025
Production: Limited (3 Sizes, 1,500 Boxes Each)
Box Size: 24
The Cigar: This year features a green and gold motif with white lettering which my be my least favorite color combination on the series despite liking the color green in general. The Colorado Shade San Andres isn’t overly attractive coming off as rather generic. I’ve always associated the line as being a full flavor, full bodied cigar but the appearance of the cigar does not really embrace that this year. The roll is slightly porous, the cut lines in on the wrapper aren’t crisp and the cigar is light in the hand.
The Taste: The cold draw has a cereal taste to it reminiscent of fruity pebbles that had some added sugar to it. It’s not a terrible taste, but it isn’t what I expected which is joined by a lingering saltiness. The aroma off the foot serves up nuances of graham and earth which are a 180 from the draw. Once the cigar is lit there are notes of rye and cashews to start things out.
Moving into the first third of the Crowned Heads notes of rye and pepper are dominant to start before giving way to a subtle floral note, cedar and earth The first third sees some lemon rind, paprika and white pepper on the retrohale which are all quite enjoyable.
The second third of the Las Calaveras continues with an abundance of earth and some growing nuttiness but nothing else develops until the end when some floral notes return. The retrohale continues to serve up pepper notes with some cedar and honey.
The last third continues down the road of the first two thirds with earth and nuts as the focal point and as we remove the band cedar becomes dominant. The aroma of the cigar sees a touch of vanilla as that makes it to the palate for puff or two, while the retrohale sees continued pepper and some leather added to the finish.
Conclusion: Las Calaveras has been around for 11 years but for me they have always been a hit or miss limited edition. It’s been a while for me since Crowned Heads has hit one out of the park and this one might be a bloop single at best if you’re a baseball fan. It might score a run, but it is with little fanfare. It’s not a memorable cigar by any stretch of the imagination but it serves its purpose.
Score: 86
Price: $15.25 (Before any local or state taxes)
Our friends at Small Batch Cigar have the Las Calaveras 2025 in stock at the time of this writing as well as some sizes of the 2024 and 2023 still available.
