Today we review the Crowned Heads Blood Medicine B Positive LE 2026 in the 5 1/2 x 56 size. Blood Medicine is a line connected to the city of Nashville, where Crowned Heads is headquartered. It also has a history within the Crowned Heads portfolio.
Blood Medicine takes its name from a building on the corner of Broadway and 4th Avenue in downtown Nashville. Theoriginal structure was a three-story building built in 1872. On the third floor, there was a wholesale drug company that was famous for producing the alcohol and opium-based “Blood Medicine.” From 1892 to 1988, the building was The Merchant’s Hotel. Nashville’s music scene has drawn numerous legendary musicians over the years, including Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Patsy Cline, all of whom stayed at the hotel. More recently, the building has housed Merchants Restaurant, and the name “Blood Medicine” can still be seen on the brick wall.
Blood Medicine is a Crowned Heads brand that started as an event-only cigar back in 2015. In 2024, Crowned Heads released Blood Medicine as a limited edition cigar. In 2025, Blood Medicine made another limited return – this time in three sizes. During that time, Crowned Heads was also working on a new expression of Blood Medicine. Company president Jon Huber said he was “looking for a darker, meatier expression of the Blood Medicine blend,” leading to the creation of B Positive. B Positive was released later in 2025, and in 2026, the cigar returned with three sizes.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the Blood Medicine B Positive 5 1/2 x 56 and see what this cigar brings to the table:
SPECIFICATIONS
Blend and Origin
The Blood Medicine B Positive features a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper. The blend also features an Ecuadorian Connecticut seed binder and Nicaraguan fillers. Production comes from Eradio Pichardo’s TacaNicsa factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The LE 2025 and LE 2026 editions of Blood Medicine B Positive share the same blend.
- Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
- Binder: Ecuadorian Connecticut
- Filler: Nicaraguan
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Factory: TacaNicsa
Vitolas Available
The Blood Medicine B Positive LE 2026 release comes in three sizes. Each comes in 21-count boxes.
- 5 x 52
- 5 1/2 × 56
- 6 × 54
The LE 2025 edition of Blood Medicine B Positive came in a 6 x 52 Toro. That size wasn’t part of the LE 2026 release.
Appearance (*)
The Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper of the B Positive 5 1/2 x 56 had a light-roast coffee-bean color. The wrapper had a very light sheen of oil. The wrapper surface had several prominent veins and several visible wrapper seams. While visible veins and seams can give a cigar a rugged look, I didn’t find that to be the case with the B Positive 5 1/2 x 56 cigars I smoked.
PERFORMANCE
Pre-Light Draw (*)
Before lighting the B Positive 5 1/2 x 56, I used a straight cut to remove the cap. Once the cap was clipped, it was time to commence with the pre-light draw ritual. The cold draw was pretty straightforward – delivering a mix of earth and cherry sweetness. Overall, this was a satisfactory pre-light draw. Next, it was time to toast the footer of the B Positive 5 1/2 x 56 and move into the smoking phase.
Tasting Notes
The B Positive 5 1/2 x 56 opened up with notes of cherry, vanilla, cream, wood, and white pepper. Early on, the cherry and vanilla notes became primary. Meanwhile, the wood, cream, and pepper notes took to the background. The retro-hale was a mix of pepper, wood, and a touch of cherry sweetness.
As the B Positive 5 1/2 x 56 moved through the second third, the cream and wood notes increased and, early in this third, became primary. Meanwhile, the cherry and vanilla notes diminished into the background, becoming secondary notes. By the midway point, the wood notes took over as the sole primary note. Once in the second half, the cherry notes diminished on the tongue, but the pepper, vanilla, and cream notes remained.
By the final third, the wood notes remained. Pepper and vanilla still lingered. Most of the cream notes had dissipated – although I detected a few here and there. This is the way the B Positive 5 1/2 x 56 came to a close. The resulting nub was slightly soft and cool in temperature.
Burn
Overall, the B Positive 5 1/2 x 56 maintained a straight burn path and straight burn line. This cigar did not require an excessive amount of touchups. The resulting ash was light gray. The ash was skewed toward the firmer side. Meanwhile, the burn rate and burn temperature maintained ideal levels.
Draw
The draw of the B Positive 5 1/2 x 56 was excellent. It had a touch of resistance, which I like. At the same time, this was a low-maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.
Strength and Body
The B Positive 5 1/2 x 56 definitely fit Huber’s vision of “darker and meatier”. It was also much bolder than I expected. The cigar opened with medium strength and medium to full-bodied flavors. Both attributes increased gradually and near-linearly throughout the smoking experience. By the second half, the strength was in the medium to full-territory. As the cigar entered the final third, the flavors crossed the threshold into full-bodied.
In terms of strength versus body, the body maintained an edge over the strength from start to finish.
BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)
Last year, Crowned Heads decided to revamp its portfolio packaging. I think Huber and his team did a great job with that packaging revamp. One thing I was happy they left alone was the Blood Medicine. The B Positive follows suit with the Blood Medicine packaging that is very 19th-century in terms of font and appearance. I also like how they went with the red-and-white primary bands for the B Positive. Huber and Crowned Heads did an excellent job on this release.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Final Thoughts
B Positive 5 1/2 x 46 is a nice limited edition offering from Crowned Heads. It delivered some really good flavors – especially in the first half. I didn’t find the second half as flavorful as the first, but it still gets my nod overall. This cigar had some boldness, and I particularly liked that with a Corojo wrapper. In the end, I’d recommend this cigar to an experienced cigar enthusiast, but if a novice wants something bolder, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. As for myself, this is a cigar I would smoke again. Coming in at $12.50. I’m also curious to give the other sizes a smoke.
Summary
- Key Flavors: Wood, Cherry, Vanilla, Cream, Pepper
- Burn: Excellent
- Draw: Excellent
- Complexity: Medium
- Strength: Medium (1st Half), Medium to Full (2nd Half)
- Body: Medium to Full (1st 2/3), Full (Final Third)
- Finish: Very Good
Rating
Value: Buy One
Score: 89
REFERENCES
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted.
(*) Indicates this is not factored into the score or value rating
