Match M31 opened Group F with two cigars that would become the division's Top 16 qualifiers. My Father Cigars Blue Label arrived as a new expression of the García family's Honduran heritage. Crowned Heads Mil Días entered after a nearly three-year blending journey that inspired its name, meaning one thousand days.
My Father Blue used a box-pressed 6 x 54 Toro made in Honduras with Connecticut Broadleaf Rosado over Honduran binder and filler from Finca La Opulencia. Mil Días used a 5 3/8 x 52 Edmundo made in Estelí with Ecuadorian Habano, Nicaraguan binder and a multicultural filler blend from Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Peru.
Construction, draw and flavor complexity tied at perfect 5.0 scores. My Father created the one-point margin by winning burn 5.0 to 4.0 and balance 5.0 to 4.5. Mil Días answered by taking finish 4.5 to 4.0, producing a competitive 29.0 to 28.0 opening result.
Matchup at a Glance
| Category | My Father Cigars Blue Label | Crowned Heads Mil Días |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | My Father Cigars | Crowned Heads |
| Origin | Honduras | Nicaragua |
| Wrapper | Connecticut Broadleaf Rosado | Ecuadorian Habano |
| Binder | Honduran | Nicaraguan |
| Filler | Honduran | Costa Rican, Nicaraguan and Peruvian |
| Factory | My Father Cigars Honduras | Tabacalera Pichardo |
| Vitola | Box-pressed Toro, 6 x 54 | Edmundo, 5 3/8 x 52 |
| Strength | Medium-Full | Medium-Full |
| Ashology score | 29.0/30 - Exceptional | 28.0/30 - Excellent |
| M31 result | Winner | Loss |
My Father Blue opened with pepper, cedar, cocoa and sweet tobacco. Classic pepper gave way to dark cocoa, cedar and earth before espresso, leather and baking spice developed. Natural sweetness balanced the building strength, then black pepper, coffee and charred oak dominated over a continuing cocoa foundation.
Mil Días began with cedar, fruit, cocoa and gentle spice. Sweet cedar, cream, mild pepper and subtle red fruit formed a smooth first third. Cocoa, roasted almond and coffee added depth through the middle before oak and pepper became more prominent while a trace of fruit sweetness remained.
Both cigars combined cedar, cocoa, coffee, pepper and natural sweetness, yet their styles remained distinct. My Father emphasized espresso, leather, earth and charred oak through a bold Honduran profile. Mil Días stayed more polished and fruit-driven, using cream and almond to soften its spice and wood.
Where the Matchup Was Decided
Construction, draw and flavor complexity all tied at perfect 5.0 scores. Both cigars therefore matched one another in craftsmanship, airflow and clearly defined transitions. The result depended on burn, balance and finish.
My Father won two categories; Mil Días won one; three categories tied.
My Father earned the largest single advantage in burn, scoring 5.0 against Mil Días at 4.0. Strong draw, heavy smoke and consistent combustion allowed Blue to convert an already excellent technical performance into a full-point edge.
Blue added a half-point in balance, where its natural sweetness controlled the rising pepper, espresso and strength for a perfect 5.0. Mil Días recovered a half-point in finish: its balanced, slightly sweet, medium-to-long close scored 4.5 against Blue's long and satisfying but more forceful 4.0 finish.
Official Result: My Father Cigars Blue Label Wins Match M31
My Father Cigars Blue Label defeated Crowned Heads Mil Días 29.0 to 28.0 and opened Group F at 1-0. The victory began a perfect 3-0 group stage that secured first place in Modern Masters.
Mil Días opened at 0-1 before defeating E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel and San Cristobal Revelation. Its 2-1 group record secured second place and advanced it to the Top 16, proving that the opening loss came against exceptional opposition.
Both cigars advanced beyond Group F. Mil Días finished #10 overall after a Top 16 loss to Liga Privada T52. My Father defeated Foundation Olmec in the Top 16 before falling to the eventual champion, Padrón 60th Anniversary Perfecto, in the Grand 8, completing a 4-1 run and a #6 overall finish.
Final Ashology Verdict
Crowned Heads Mil Días earned an Excellent 28.0 through perfect construction, draw and complexity, supported by Outstanding balance and finish. Its Ecuadorian, Nicaraguan, Costa Rican and Peruvian tobaccos created an elegant, distinctive profile with precise transitions.
My Father Cigars Blue Label earned an Exceptional 29.0 with five perfect categories. Its Connecticut Broadleaf Rosado wrapper, Honduran core and powerful flavor progression combined with the more consistent burn and stronger overall integration.
M31 immediately established Group F's leading pair. Mil Días owned the better finish, but Blue's full-point burn advantage and half-point balance edge created the exact one-point margin that launched its Grand 8 campaign.
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.