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Crowned Heads Four Kicks Maduro Review

Crowned Heads Four Kicks Maduro Review

The guys at Crowned Heads love plucking their cigar strings to musical references. The Four Kicks Maduro continues in the same vein, with its lyrical defiance and rebellious theme provoked by the song Four Kicks, which appears on the second album from Nashville-based rockers, Kings of Leon.

A little background on Crowned Heads

With Crowned Head's headquarters also located in “Music City”, the company’s back story is inspired by an insurgence against the corporate world. Founded by former CAO executives, John Huber, Mike Conder, Michael Trebing, and Nancy Heathman, they pride themselves on a small company ethos that is stoked by authenticity, inventiveness, and quality.

Four Kicks Maduro is the third blend released under the Four Kicks line. The original Four Kicks cigar came to the market in 2011 and has become a massive success, while also distinguishing Crowned Heads from more conventional cigar companies.

The Four Kicks brand is all about following your own path, making your own rules, and sticking firmly to your guns. The hope of Crowned Heads was for this medium to full-bodied stogie to take on that ‘anti-establishment’ character. But does it come out swinging?

Cigar Specs

  • Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
  • Strength: Medium-Full
  • Wrapper: Connecticut Habano Maduro
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Smoke Time: 65-75 minutes
  • Sizes Available:

How is the cigar constructed?

Crowned Heads kick it old school. They really hone in on the simplicity of cigar making. The no-nonsense appearance and dark blotchy Habano wrapper are deceptively brilliant. It lends the Maduro a rugged look, with bumps and irregularities that give it the staunchness of a fine, hand-crafted cigar.

The design sticks with the tradition of the original, but opts for the gold crown on a black background, instead of the red and gold motif featured the first time around.

The packing is tight and robust throughout, while the head is finished off with a well-applied triple cap. Running the Four Kicks Maduro along the nasals, I struggled to get any strong aromas off the foot or along the barrel.

I made out some faint pepper on the wrapper, while the foot had some earthiness to it. However, I remained optimistic about experiencing something a little more potent on the dry draw.

A few words on the cold draw

The cold draw certainly offered greater intensity in terms of the flavors. I clipped the head and was greeted with a warming mix of mocha (killer chocolate and coffee notes), along with a cordial spicy tingle that rolled along my lips and tongue.

What flavors did I enjoy from the Four Kicks?

If you’re happy entertaining the element of surprise and easily coaxed by a strong cigar, then the Four Kicks Maduro is exciting, nuanced, and delivers very impressive flavors from light to nub. It thrives off bold flavors of bittersweet chocolate, sweet spice, and caramel, but its creaminess and earthiness are just as dominant.

It’s a darker and more intimidating rendition of the original Four Kicks, but it’s a cigar that lives up to its reputation by separating the aficionados from the pretenders.

First Draw

The thick, chewy smoke production during the initial stages is heavenly. It has a decadent, creamy texture that maintains in the initial stages of the smoking experience. There’s a heavy campfire-like earthiness and a fudgy wholesomeness that graced my palate.

I also picked up some complimentary notes of black pepper, which morphs into a baker's blend of warm spices after the first three-quarters of an inch. The ash is really holding firm at this stage, while I detected the natural sweetness of raisins on the retro-hale.

Second Draw

The ash is still super tight, while the strength reaches its most tenacious point, clocking in at medium-plus intensity. It’s certainly far more full-bodied than the original, which is hard to believe when you think that the only difference is the oily Connecticut Habano wrapper.

The flavor profile is also really starting to build. There’s so much going on. One moment it's creamy, the next it tastes of wood, smoke, and charred meat. There’s even an earthy, mineral complexity that brings a pleasant saltiness.

Final Draw

Moving into the finale and it’s back to those chocolatey and earthy notes driving the profile. Even down to the nub, the cigar is still quite the powerhouse and packed full of flavor. There’s an increased presence of black pepper in the finish, and even when I’m out of puff, I can still taste a lingering nut flavor.

I would certainly label this a ‘finger burner’, as it’s a stick you take down to the very last draw until you cannot hold on any longer.

How strong is the Four Kicks

The Four Kicks Maduro started out at medium strength but crept towards medium-full around halfway through. I was able to appreciate the additional body, sweetness, and pepper spice that’s absent in the natural-wrapped version.

Final Thoughts

I can’t help thinking that Sex On Fire is the aptest song title when it comes to pairing the Kings of Leon back catalog with potential cigar line names.

Maybe that’s one to watch… However, if the purring attack of Four Kicks is your kind of Southern rock stomp, then you will love the medium-full-bodied smoking experience that Crowned Heads (under the supervision of Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr) have brought to the rebellion here.

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