Initial Smoke 

Locked and loaded, with more leather than a German bondage party in the heart of a dark discothèque, the raw tastes of the deeply fermented tobacco inside strike a nerve right away. A really, REALLY good nerve. As strong peppercorn-punctured retrohales send the senses spinning, out comes a kick of cocoa, a dash of molasses, and medium amounts of baking spices being the top tongue tap dancers. Is that a sense of reservation in there that I am detecting? Not from you. I'm talking about the cigar again. Silly smoker... 

1st Half

Spicier by a good bit, retrohales remain mixed peppercorn punchy, with a flurry of fermented hay leading into a heavy oaken finish that lightens the load and throws some additional tannins your way. The draw is 

Any funk by this point is purely molasses-based, and the gooey sweet goodness that it embodies coats the tongue with a treacly sweetness. Leather loading up for another go, things slowly grow meatier every few puffs, and the dryness upon retrohale begins to influence the finish. By the time the second third has come into its own, the entire blend has built to full status, with strength being a bit closer to medium-full than all-in.

2nd Half

Broadleaf cigar flavor profiles are building, and with them, the body begins to grow by leaps and bounds. The central section of this blend is a biggun. A bump in acidity eventually awakens a salted walnut flavor that works well with the wet wood funkiness that is forming. Still oak-strong and growing more potent in strength, the return of baking spices and molasses makes a mighty fine mixture just prior to the final third.

Oilier and danker than ever, the last major section is funkier and more cinnamon-strong, with the malts found in an imperial stout showing themselves for the first time. Meaty and savory, with a gradual grade of nicotine increasing, the cigar sends out a final plume of cedar on retrohale, as it prepares for parting puffs.

Parting Puffs

Sweaty leather bondage gear, a bit of dark roast coffee, and a spike in acidity send the final section into full-strength territory on every front. Oak tastes and tannins remain strong, though, which somewhat lighten the blow, and despite being pepper-heavy and very potent, the remnants of the blend still taste palatable until the bitter char sets in.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Ash drops were the only issue with all three cigars smoked, including my review stick. Outside of that, the blend burned great, and despite having a super tight roll, the draw was pure perfection. Oh, and my what a mighty fine white ash this cigar produces...

Final Thoughts

Surprisingly smooth, yet undeniably full-force, this latest release from Nashville's hottest boutique brand is a nice mixture between potent and pleasant. I also found myself appreciating the larger, "robusto extra" vitola that we stock, which allows both the draw and the ash to earn a place on stage thanks to that fatter 56-ring gauge.

If there is one major drawback to this cigar, it is its overall lack of sweetness as it burns. Molasses certainly made its presence known in places, but it was neither consistent nor long-lived. So, anyone hunting for a sticky-sweet broadleaf smoke needs to search elsewhere.

That shouldn't be enough to drive away the masses, though, for this new smoke from Crowned Heads has plenty of smoking pleasure packed into its big barrel. Personally, I would smoke another Broadway when the mood struck me, and I know deep down that quite a few of you will be clicking that "Buy Box" button once you spark one up and give this blend a whirl.