Crux Epicure Habano

Another beautiful day, another great cigar review. This week I take a look at the newly released Crux Epicure Habano.

the Good Stuff:

The Crux Epicure Habano joins the other two lines in the Epicure portfolio: The Epicure and Epicure Maduro. Each blend utilized the same Nicaraguan binder and filler while the new Habano uses a Nicaraguan-grown Habano seco. Manufactured at the Plasencia Cigars S.A. factory in Nicaragua the cigar is offered in four sizes: The robusto (5 x 50), Corona Gorda (5 3/8 x 46), Toro (6 1/4 x 52), and the Gordo (6 x 60). Each size comes packaged in boxes of 20 ranging between $11.25 and $14.49 a stick. They have now shipped to retailers and should be readily available. Big thanks to the Crux team for sending a few over our way for review.

• Size: 5 x 50
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Seco
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $11.99

Prelight:

The Crux Epicure Habano stats out with a very dark brown wrapper which showcases lots of reddish brown and darker areas splotched across the cigar’s body. The wrapper’s texture is semi-toothy and very oily. The wrapper feels very thick, dense and hard while the entire cigar is packed very tightly and hard to the touch with no soft spots. There are some milder veins running through the cigar’s wrapper leaf as it leads up to the cigar’s round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is then finished off with the same Epicure band we’ve seen on the other blends only in manila color with black inch and a gold crest.

The wrapper on the Crux Epicure Habano gives off mostly oak and musk aromas while the foot of the cigar is much more earthy and grainy. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces an overall creamy mixture of earthiness and musk, much like the aromas the cigar releases before being lit.

First Third:

The Crux Epicure Habano starts out with an awesome mixture of musk, raisin and black tea with light notes of raspberry and a floral mixture. I really like the flavors this cigar is starting with. The draw is absolutely perfect. Every tiny puff kicks out a massive cloud of thick white smoke which dissipates rather quickly while the cigar releases a good amount of stationary smoke as it sits in my ashtray. The burnline started out all sorts of wild with two massive trails burning into the foot, however by the end of the first half it has almost completely corrected itself and is now burning like a champ. The ash left behind is semi-compacted, medium gray in color and held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

The flavors have really calmed down in the second third of the Crux Epicure Habano. The raisin and musk still lead the charge, however are considerably less-bold than the first third with slightly notes of black tea and raspberry backing it. The floral has completed dropped out. The retrohale brings out a little spice that I don’t pick up anywhere in the standard experience. One note: the cigar burns very dry. This isn’t anything too distracting however I am constantly conscious about how full my drink is to wet my mouth often. I close out the second third with no signs of nicotine.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Cvrux Epicure Habano and not much has changed in terms of flavor profile. There are still bits of black tea and raspberry mixed in with raisin and musk. If anything the flavor profile has subdued even a bit more. The cigar took me about an hour and a half to smoke down to the nub. I experience no harshness nor extended heat. There was a slight bit of sap build-up which was likely due to my smoking speed as it completely stopped once I slowed my pace. The cigar left me with nothing in terms of nicotine.

Overview:

The Crux Epicure Habano starts out with a bang, however loses steam over time. It’s not to say that it’s a bad cigar in any way, I just personally wish that the flavor profile and body that leads off when this cigar is lit up carried through the rest of the experience. Subjectivity aside, the cigar burns perfectly from start to finish even with the slip up at the start. The construction is on point, and price point is a bit high yet not too expensive. Since the only faults I found on the cigar comes down to my personal preference in flavor, I would still recommend this cigar to someone who likes habano tobacco and is looking for a casual, relaxing experience without having to focus on the complexities of the cigar’s profile. Which is what we all should be doing anyways right?