Match M35 gave Crowned Heads Mil Días a direct opportunity to secure advancement from Group F. Mil Días entered at 1-1 after rebounding from its opening loss to My Father Cigars Blue Label with a half-point victory over E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel. San Cristobal Revelation stood at 0-1 after facing My Father Blue.
Mil Días used a 5 3/8 x 52 Edmundo made in Estelí with Ecuadorian Habano, Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Peru. Revelation countered with a box-pressed 6 1/4 x 52 Legend from the My Father factory, combining Ecuadorian Sumatra with Nicaraguan binder and filler.
Crowned Heads won construction, draw and flavor complexity 5.0 to 4.5. Revelation answered by taking burn 4.5 to 4.0, while balance and finish tied at 4.5. The three-to-one category decision produced a 28.0 to 27.0 victory and officially sent Mil Días to the Top 16.
Matchup at a Glance
| Category | Crowned Heads Mil Días | San Cristobal Revelation |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Crowned Heads | San Cristobal by Ashton |
| Origin | Nicaragua | Nicaragua |
| Wrapper | Ecuadorian Habano | Ecuadorian Sumatra |
| Binder | Nicaraguan | Nicaraguan |
| Filler | Costa Rican, Nicaraguan and Peruvian | Nicaraguan |
| Factory | Tabacalera Pichardo, Estelí | My Father Cigars S.A., Estelí |
| Vitola | Edmundo, 5 3/8 x 52 | Box-pressed Legend, 6 1/4 x 52 |
| Strength | Medium-Full | Medium-Full |
| Ashology score | 28.0/30 - Excellent | 27.0/30 - Premium |
| M35 result | Winner | Loss |
Mil Días began with cedar, fruit, cocoa and gentle spice. Sweet cedar, cream, mild pepper and subtle red fruit created a smooth beginning. Cocoa, roasted almond and coffee added depth through the middle before oak and pepper became more prominent with a trace of fruit sweetness remaining.
Revelation opened with cedar, cocoa, hay and mild pepper. Cedar and white pepper led into cocoa and toasted bread before coffee, almond, earth and mild sweetness added body. Oak and pepper then strengthened while coffee continued through a woody, smooth finish.
Both cigars shared cedar, cocoa, coffee, almond, oak, pepper and sweetness. Revelation organized those notes into a dependable, traditional progression with toasted bread and earth. Mil Días brought more contrast through cream, red fruit and a multinational filler blend, creating the more distinctive sequence of transitions.
Where the Matchup Was Decided
Balance and finish tied at 4.5, confirming that both cigars maintained harmony and a satisfying close. The other four categories divided three to one, with every advantage measuring one half-point.
Mil Días won three categories; San Cristobal won one; two categories tied.
Mil Días opened separation with perfect 5.0 scores in construction and draw against Revelation's Outstanding 4.5 marks. Excellent craftsmanship and comfortable airflow gave Crowned Heads a full point of combined technical advantage before flavor complexity was considered.
Crowned Heads added a third half-point through perfect flavor complexity, rewarding its progression from cedar, cream and red fruit into cocoa, almond, coffee, oak and pepper. Revelation recovered a half-point in burn, where its generally consistent combustion scored 4.5 against Mil Días at 4.0. The exchange left the exact one-point margin.
Official Result: Crowned Heads Mil Días Wins Match M35
Crowned Heads Mil Días defeated San Cristobal Revelation 28.0 to 27.0 and completed Group F at 2-1. The victory secured second place in Modern Masters and officially advanced Mil Días to the Top 16 behind undefeated group winner My Father Cigars Blue Label.
San Cristobal fell to 0-2 and was eliminated from advancement contention. Revelation later lost to E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel in M36 and finished Group F at 0-3, though six Outstanding category scores supported its Premium 27.0 evaluation.
Mil Días advanced to M51, where its tournament ended against Liga Privada T52. Its 2-2 overall record and #10 finish completed a strong campaign built on consecutive Group F victories after the opening loss to My Father Blue.
Final Ashology Verdict
San Cristobal Revelation earned a Premium 27.0 through six Outstanding scores. Its Ecuadorian Sumatra and Nicaraguan core delivered cedar, cocoa, toasted bread, coffee, almond, earth and oak with the steadier burn in this matchup.
Crowned Heads Mil Días earned an Excellent 28.0 through perfect construction, draw and complexity. Its Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and multinational filler blend produced stronger technical precision, broader contrasts and more clearly defined flavor development.
M35 rewarded Mil Días for controlling three of the four untied categories. Revelation's burn victory reduced the advantage, but Crowned Heads' craftsmanship, airflow and flavor movement created the exact point needed to clinch the second Group F advancement position.
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.