Le Carême LE (2022) - by Crowned Heads
- Jay Grubby
- Aug 30
- 3 min read
The Leaf
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Tabacalera La Alianza S.A.
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Belicoso (5 ½ x 52)
Body: Medium
Strength: Medium
Purchased At: A gift from a friend. Thanks Steve!
Personal Rating: 8.75 / 10 — A Tale Worthy Smoke!
If you like this, you might also like: Alec Bradley Magic Toast, Foundation Tabernacle, Padron 1964 Maduro.
What We Do Here
The beauty of cigars isn’t just in the smoke... it’s in the ritual, the memory, the lore. Each review starts with the basics: how it smokes, how it tastes, whether it’s worth lighting up again or buying a box. Then, for those chasing the full story, we peel back the layers, deeper notes, subtleties, and the craft behind the leaf. At the end, we leave you with a little folklore to match the mood. Because around here, the smoke always carries a story.
Casual Take
The Le Carême Limited Edition 2022 is dessert in cigar form. Imagine a slice of warm chocolate fudge cake. That’s the core of the experience. The smoke is thick, creamy, and just sweet enough without being overbearing. A touch of mineral and dried fruit keeps things balanced, while black pepper on the retrohale adds a little contrast. If you’re looking for a treat cigar that feels indulgent but not overwhelming, this one is an easy recommendation.
Deep Burn
From the first light, the aroma alone sets this cigar apart. Rich, almost like aromatic pipe tobacco, and deeply inviting. The initial flavors bring chocolate fudge, a mineral undertone, and a sweetened creaminess that calls to mind a fine dessert table. Black pepper peeks in on the retrohale, not domineering but precise, sharpening the edges of the sweetness and providing contrast.
As the first third blends into the second, a steady rhythm emerges: rich cocoa, leather, and spice balanced by a clean mineral streak. The smoke is dense and creamy, almost oily on the palate, coating the mouth with each puff. Then shifting slightly toward nutmeg, baking spice, and cedar, while the dessert-like sweetness mellows into a subtler harmony.
By the final third, the sweetness pulls back, leaving more earth, leather, dried fig, and warm chocolate to carry the cigar into its conclusion. The retrohale grows a touch spicier, offering a final kick before the cigar eases out. Through it all, construction remains stellar: razor sharp burn, resilient ash, and a steady draw.
The Heart of the Leaf
I'm not sure you'll be able to locate this specific cigar. The more recent adaptations can still be found but be warned, Le Carême is no longer being produced. Le Carême Limited Edition 2022 is Crowned Heads at their best: a focused, flavorful profile that manages to feel indulgent without tipping into excess. Crowned Heads craftsmanship is flexing here, from the flawless wrapper to the burn consistency. The snug draw may not be everyone’s preference, but for me it only extended the richness and slowed the experience. While availability is limited; especially for this 2022 LE, this is one of those sticks worth tracking down. For me, it earns an 8.75/10 A Tale Worthy Smoke.
The Lore
In the glow of candlelight, a great chef stands before his table like a conductor before an orchestra. The copper pots simmer and hiss, their steam rising like smoke from a hidden forge. Knives flash in rhythm, steel meeting wood with the certainty of a drumbeat. Each motion is deliberate, each ingredient a playing a part in a grand symphony.
Chef Carême is not merely a cook but an architect of indulgence. Towers of pastry rise like monuments, sauces cascaded with the richness of velvet, and every plate emerges not as a meal but as spectacle. His genius lay not in excess but in restraint. Knowing when to sharpen with spice, when to soften with cream, when to let silence speak louder than sound.
Le Carême takes that composition and transposes it into leaf. The first draw is the opening act. Sweet, almost decadent, before the curtain parts to reveal layers of earth and spice, balance and precision. The smoke does not bellow; it waltzes, carrying the grace of a master who knows that indulgence is not gluttony but art.
To smoke this cigar is to sit in the chef’s theater. The dishes long gone but their memory alive in the air and still dancing on the palate. It is fleeting, as all masterpieces are, yet lingers a taste of history. A reminder that mastery lives not in abundance, but in the perfect measure.
The cigar in this review was a gift from a friend, thanks Steve! All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
