Crowned Heads Jericho Hill 12 Honest Men Cigar Review

• Size: 7.5″ x 38 (Lancero)
• MSRP: $120.00 (box of 12); $10.00 for a single
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium
• Strength: Medium
• Humidor Time Prior to Review: 2.5 months
• Cigars smoked prior to review: 4
• Date Smoked: January 15, 2018

This is a cigar I picked up on close out from Holt’s. The description appealed to me, and at a little over $4 a stick the price was right. Plus I’ve been wanting to try out more cigars in the lancero size. So I bought a box of 12.

These cigars are made for Crowned Heads by the My Father Cigars factory in Esteli, Nicaragua.

As you know from reading other reviews and sales copy, this cigar was named after a Johnny Cash Song. I’ll save that story for someone else to tell. These cigars were apparently released in 2015 and were limited to 3,500 boxes of 12 according to Halfwheel. Not sure why they haven’t all sold 3 years later. I guess we will find out!

Appearance and Pre-Light Aromas

The Jericho Hill 12 Honest Men is an attractive pencil like cigar. Perfectly straight and neatly rolled. The seam is a little loose in one spot, and the wrapper is spider-webbed with veins. Lots of tooth, and there is an attractive triple cap with a small tail.

Sniffing the wrapper / shaft of the cigar I get barnyard, leather, and a spice that is borderline minty. From the foot, lighter cedar, hay, barnyard, and that almost minty spiciness. You may be able to yank this cap off by the tail, but I choose to gently clip mine off. I take a pre-light draw and I get wood, earth, and gingerbread.

I commence toasting and lighting up the cigar. The time is 10:50 AM.

First Third

Things start off with a blast of red pepper. Holy shit, it is painful to retrohale this cigar. The Pepin Garcia pepper blast is alive and well.

Initial flavors are a jumble of indistinct earthwoodleather, to quote the Katman, with plenty of red pepper spice on the retrohale, and a little spice on the draw as well. The finish is long and peppery. I’d say body is a solid medium right out of the gate.

Today is MLK day. In honor of the good Doctor I decided to take the day off. I’m self employed, which means I’m always working, but I’m trying to change that a little in 2018. I recently passed the 5 year mark of being in business for myself, so I know the office isn’t going anywhere at this point.

10 minutes in and the flavors are developing. I’m getting hints of leather, bell pepper, graham cracker, oak, and chocolate over an earthy core. I can taste a light sweetness on my lips. The aroma is sweet as well: chocolate and spice. Plenty of spice. If I sniff the aroma too deeply my nose runs and eyes water.

And the cigar is burning nicely. Good smoke output, dead even burn line, and a beautiful snow white ash that is already dropping off in half inch chunks.

It’s 57 degrees today, and it feels balmy in the sun. Once again the sky is crystal clear. There is a light breeze coming from the North. A beautiful day to be outside enjoying a cigar.

Coffee is creeping in, and the chocolate notes are backed by wood and earth. The pepper has dialed back substantially. I can now retrohale this cigar without setting my nose on fire. It’s more of a bell pepper now. Interesting.

Creaminess has been introduced to the smoke, and I get that delicate flavor on the front of my tongue. So far this has been a nice cigar.

Second Third

Smoke time is at 40 minutes.

The cigar seems to be transitioning. Now some leather. Still getting cream, coffee is picking up, chocolate, and an indistinct wood. I need to study my wood flavors a bit more. Beyond cedar and oak I can’t tell you much. Cedar is a distinct aromatic flavor, and oak obviously finds its way in to a lot of bourbons, and some beers.

Coffee has ramped up and it’s now dominating the retrohale. A strong coffee flavor.

I started a new book last night: American Kingpin. This is the story of Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the underground drug website The Silk Road. Subject matter aside, this book is like crack in paperback form. The chapters are only a couple pages long. That combined with the tight and punchy narrative drives the story at a blinding pace. I’m only 1/3 of the way through but so far it has been fascinating. Recommended.

Our Jericho Hill 12 Honest Men is also driving along. Coffee is the biggest flavor, while wood, chocolate and a light leather are playing backup. Cream is still on the front end and spice is still on the back, but it’s subtle.

The sun has shifted behind the trees and we have lost our light. I drag my camera and the Jericho Hill out into a patch of sunlight on the other side of the yard for a glamor shot. Here is the Jericho Hill in all its glory:

Lets talk about the burn characteristics. We are halfway in, and the cigar has been smoking smoothly and evenly so far. Lots of smoke, and I can rest the cigar for a minute or so without issue. Some folks on the Holt’s website were reporting burn issues. Knock on wood, but I haven’t had any issues with my cigars.

Body remains at a medium. Strength is a medium as well. I can feel our good friend Vitamin N on the fringes, but it’s not overwhelming.

Final Third

Smoke time: 1 hour 10 minutes.

This cigar is reminding me of an unsweetened mochaccino. No sweetness, but plenty of coffee and chocolate. The delicate leather flavor has shifted to the retrohale with the coffee. Wood lingers on the palate with a neutral tobacco flavor. No cream at this point.

It’s not complicated, but I am enjoying the flavors I’m getting out of this Jericho Hill. It is a smooth and balanced cigar.

The coffee flavor deepens to a rich bold flavor. The aroma continues to be a lightly spiced coffee. Maybe Starbucks was a silent partner in this blend.

Like grains of sand through an hourglass, smoke drifts lazily from the foot. This lancero is burning rapidly towards the band. At the quarter inch mark I carefully pull it away. The band has been torn and folded to fit the narrow diameter of this cigar. It comes apart without issue, but won’t make for the prettiest picture.

Flavors continue to deepen. It’s now a bittersweet chocolate and coffee, with some smokey wood and light leather. Black pepper has returned to the retrohale. The strength has crept up and melts me into my chair.

With an inch and a half remaining, coffee dominates and bitterness is creeping in. I now detect mostly cinnamon on the aroma. Still cool and smokable, and I burn mine down to a 1/2″ nub.

Crowned Heads Jericho Hill 12 Honest Men Review – Final Thoughts

The Jerhico Hill 12 Honest Men has been an enjoyable cigar. No crazy transitions, but enough going on to keep me interested, and backed by pleasant flavors and excellent construction. I didn’t find it to be terribly complex. More middle of the road in that respect. Also, the cigar did not require a single touch-up or relight throughout the stick. That is excellent. Medium body and medium strength throughout.

At a shade over $4 I’d buy another box of 12 if I didn’t have 2 humidors overloaded with cigars for review. A good cigar to have on hand in the flavorful lancero vitola, and nice bargain at this close out price. I’m glad I picked mine up, and I’d rate it a box worthy “2” on the 0-2 scale.

Final Smoke time: 2 hours

Final Score: 4/5