Match M34 brought together two decorated Group F contenders searching for their first tournament victory. Crowned Heads Mil Días had opened with a one-point loss to My Father Cigars Blue Label. E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel entered after a 1.5-point loss to the same group leader.
Mil Días used a 5 3/8 x 52 Edmundo made in Estelí with Ecuadorian Habano over Nicaraguan binder and a Costa Rican, Nicaraguan and Peruvian filler blend. Pledge countered with a box-pressed 5 x 50 Prequel made in the Dominican Republic, using Connecticut Havana Seed wrapper, Ecuadorian binder and Nicaraguan filler.
Construction tied at a perfect 5.0, while balance and finish tied at 4.5. Mil Días won draw and flavor complexity 5.0 to 4.5. Pledge recovered one half-point by winning burn 4.5 to 4.0, leaving Crowned Heads with the exact 28.0 to 27.5 decision.
Matchup at a Glance
| Category | Crowned Heads Mil Días | E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Crowned Heads | Casa Carrillo / E.P. Carrillo |
| Origin | Nicaragua | Dominican Republic |
| Wrapper | Ecuadorian Habano | Connecticut Havana Seed |
| Binder | Nicaraguan | Ecuadorian |
| Filler | Costa Rican, Nicaraguan and Peruvian | Nicaraguan |
| Factory | Tabacalera Pichardo, Estelí | Casa Carrillo, Dominican Republic |
| Vitola | Edmundo, 5 3/8 x 52 | Box-pressed Prequel, 5 x 50 |
| Strength | Medium-Full | Full |
| Ashology score | 28.0/30 - Excellent | 27.5/30 - Superior |
| M34 result | Winner | Loss |
Mil Días began with cedar, fruit, cocoa and gentle spice. Sweet cedar, cream, mild pepper and subtle red fruit formed a smooth opening. Cocoa, roasted almond and coffee added depth through the middle before oak and pepper became more prominent while a trace of fruit sweetness remained.
Pledge opened with cocoa, earth, pepper and cedar. Dark chocolate, black pepper and earth created an immediate full-bodied impression. Espresso, leather, toasted walnut and mild molasses deepened the experience before coffee, oak and pepper intensified into a long, dark and warming conclusion.
Both cigars moved through cocoa, coffee, oak, pepper and sweetness, but their styles remained clearly separated. Mil Días emphasized cream, red fruit and roasted almond through a more elegant progression. Pledge leaned into dark chocolate, earth, espresso and leather for a denser, more forceful profile.
Where the Matchup Was Decided
Construction tied at a perfect 5.0, reflecting excellent craftsmanship from both factories. Balance and finish also ended level at 4.5, so neither cigar created separation through overall integration or its closing impression.
Mil Días won two categories; Pledge won one; three categories tied.
Mil Días earned a perfect 5.0 draw against Pledge's Outstanding 4.5, creating the first half-point advantage. Crowned Heads then added another half-point in flavor complexity, where its transition from sweet cedar, cream and red fruit into cocoa, almond, coffee, oak and pepper scored 5.0 against Pledge's 4.5.
Pledge answered in burn, earning 4.5 against Mil Días at 4.0. Its dependable combustion returned one of Crowned Heads' half-point gains, but the three tied categories left no other opening. Two Mil Días victories minus one Pledge victory produced the complete half-point margin.
Official Result: Crowned Heads Mil Días Wins Match M34
Crowned Heads Mil Días defeated E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel 28.0 to 27.5 and improved to 1-1 in Group F. The recovery moved Mil Días into position to secure second place and a Top 16 berth in its final group matchup.
Pledge fell to 0-2 and was eliminated from advancement contention. It later defeated San Cristobal Revelation in M36, finishing Group F at 1-2 and earning third place with a Superior 27.5 evaluation.
Mil Días went on to defeat San Cristobal Revelation, complete Group F at 2-1 and advance as the runner-up. Its tournament ended against Liga Privada T52 in the Top 16, producing a 2-2 overall record and the #10 overall finish.
Final Ashology Verdict
E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel earned a Superior 27.5 with perfect construction and five Outstanding marks. Its full-strength profile delivered dark chocolate, espresso, leather, walnut, molasses, coffee and pepper, and its burn supplied the category win that kept M34 close.
Crowned Heads Mil Días earned an Excellent 28.0 through perfect construction, draw and complexity. Its multinational blend produced the more animated transition structure, pairing cream and red-fruit sweetness with cocoa, almond, coffee, oak and pepper.
M34 was the closest Group F decision to this point. Pledge owned the steadier burn, but Mil Días created two half-point advantages in airflow and flavor development. With three categories tied, those two strengths were just enough to restart Crowned Heads' path to the Top 16.
Tasting notes reflect the cigars and vitolas evaluated during the 2026 competition. Flavor, strength and burn performance may vary based on storage, age, vitola and individual palate. Tobacco products are intended only for adults of legal smoking age.