Tennessee Outlaw: J.D. Howard Reserve HR50 Review
Now available at Emerson’s Cigars, J.D. Howard Reserve.
Crowned Heads has been on a roll with hot brands, such as Four Kicks and the critically acclaimed Headley Grange. Capitalizing on the momentum of their successes, the company unveiled its third line, the J.D. Howard Reserve, at this year’s International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) tradeshow. Homage to Jesse James, who used the alias J.D. Howard while he resided in Nashville, Tennessee from 1875-1881, the J.D. Howard Reserve is touted by Crowned Heads as “…a throwback to an era where times were wild, yet values were still upheld…It’s an homage to our country’s history, and a look towards the future of cigars.” Using an alias of an American icon, the J.D. Howard Reserve (hereinafter referred to as J.D. Howard) has some big shoes to fill. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on this cigar before its arrival in stores towards the beginning to middle of August. Let’s dig into this cigar and see if it can live up to the reputation of its namesake.
Appearance and Construction: The Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper of the J.D. Howard has a nice chocolate hue and the cigar feels perfect with zero construction issues. The draw of the cigar is equally as wonderful as the construction. The band consists of an off white trim with an antique red body and gold embossed lettering displaying the initials JDH in monogram motif. All of these elements combined give the cigar a throwback vibe to the era of gunslingers and outlaws.
1/3: After a quick light, the cigar starts off with a great spice note that is pronounced, but not overwhelming. Thanks to the Sumatran binder and Nicaraguan filler, the first third of the J.D. Howard is balanced with notes of cocoa and earth emerging half way into the first third. Towards the end of this portion of the cigar, a cedar note is noticeable on the retrohale. So far, the J.D. Howard tastes exactly as it is described by Crowned Heads, the cigar is definitely medium to full body with a full flavor profile.
2/3: The J.D. Howard burns into the second third with a noticeable decrease in the spice notes that were found it the beginning of the cigar. This portion of the cigar is dominated by sweet and savory notes of cocoa and earth with a delectable pepper finish. The burn of the cigar has remained perfect all the through the end of the second third and the flavors continue to be fantastic.
3/3: The final portion of the cigar builds upon the flavors of the second third of the cigar leading to an unforgettable crescendo of cocoa, and earth with a lingering pepper finish. The one additional flavor that presents itself in the final third of the cigar is a slight leather note noticeable on the retrohale. In terms of the company’s previous releases, the J.D. Howard Reserve is one of the more earthy cigars they have created. The cigar possesses all of the qualities aficionados have come to expect from Crowned Heads, with added compliments of cocoa and cedar.
The J.D. Howard Reserve is available in 5 sizes in boxes of 24, 6 packs and a line sampler containing one of all 5 sizes at emersonscigars.com
