It’s 1:25 on a sunny Wednesday afternoon here in Nashville. I just sat down at my computer, and cut and lit a Headley Grange Eminentes.

The smell of pepper and cedar on the foot….the initial citrusy-sweetness on the front of the tongue..the blast of wasabi through the sinus on the retrohale. It all takes me back to that day in early February 2012. We were in Santiago (Dominican Republic), and Mike and I were in Ernie’s (Ernesto Perez-Carrillo) car driving back to the factory. We’d just finished lunch at one of our favorite restaurants we frequent when we’re down there (for the record: it’s Italian–but some of the best pasta you’ll ever have and it’s in the Dominican Republic–go figure). We had been working on a new blend we’d been referring to as “Project HG” (which we would later announce as “Headley Grange”). In fact, we’d been working on that blend since October 2011.

Up until that moment in Ernie’s car, we’d gone through many–and I mean, many–tweeks and twists on the blend for Project HG. Wrappers, binders, fillers, regions, farms, primings…the combinations and variations were countless. And then came that moment. We lit up the latest Project HG sample, and–BAM–there it was. I call it the “A-ha” moment (not to be confused with the lame 80’s pop band). I don’t claim to be a ‘master blender‘ or even that I know more about tobacco than the next guy; in fact, one of the things I love about this business is that I am constantly learning each and every day. That said, someone recently asked me how we go about the blending process. All I could say is that it starts with having a vision in your mind of what the cigar should ultimately look, taste, and smell like. Then, there’s a whole lot of trial and error and experimenting with different tobaccos; until you have that “A-ha” moment. It’s that instant when you taste that particular blend of tobaccos, let it wrap its arms around your taste buds, and you know deep in your soul that this is IT. THIS is the exact effect on your palate that you’d been in search of for months. Personally, I’ve had that “A-ha” moment precisely four times since we started Crowned Heads in January 2011: Four Kicks, Four Kicks Mule Kick LE 2012, Headley Grange, and J.D. Howard Reserve (coming this Summer).

By now, most of you reading this blog probably already know the backstory to Headley Grange–the whole “make a cigar taste the way the drums sound on ‘When The Levee Breaks.” In fact, I’ve recanted that story too many times over the last year to remember, and to this day, it’s difficult for me to even listen to that song anymore. But I will always appreciate that moment of divine inspiration, and will always appreciate the hard work that everyone on our team put into creating what would become Headley Grange. In particular, I’m grateful for the patience that Ernie had with us during the process. One funny ‘behind-the-scenes‘ story to share: The “A-ha” moment had come and gone, and Mike and I had returned to Nashville. We called Ernie and I requested another bundle of 25 cigars of the final blend to re-evaluate it again. I’ll never forget Ernie’s response: “Bro, how many cigars do you gotta smoke to figure this out?! Let’s put it this way–this blend is unique and it’s really good…it’s so good, that if you guys don’t do something with this, I’l go ahead and bring it to market under EPC.” When an industry icon like Ernesto Perez-Carrillo says something like that–you pay attention and you listen. To be clear, when Ernie agreed to manufacture our cigars back in 2011, he was emphatic that WE would have to create and approve the blends on our own–he would not be liable for our success or failure. So, it’s not very often when Ernie lends his two cents on a blend; but in the rare occasion when he does, it behooves you to listen to El Padrino.

So, after working on Headley Grange for nearly a year-and-a-half, this Eminentes is tasting particularly good right now. It’s the same sense of satisfaction I had as a young boy, when after helping my Grandfather turn the soil in our garden for hours, he would share a sip of his Olympia beer with me. He used to toss in a pinch of salt into the can and let it fizz up a bit. That first sip was like liquid gold. And so it is with this first “sip” of this Headley Grange Eminentes.

We received our first Headley Grange shipment of all 5 vitolas yesterday at 1:00. By noon today, we had shipped out every last box from this shipment (not to worry–there’s another shipment leaving the factory today). Knowing that what started as an idea inspired by John Bonham’s drums will soon be purchased and (hopefully) enjoyed by cigar enthusiasts across the country, is a very gratifying feeling. It’s starting with a mere idea that floats around in your brain matter–and then through the work of a talented team of individuals–it comes to fruition in the form of a tangible and consumable product. For me, it is the reason I do what I do for a living; and I am blessed to be able to do it.