Back in June of this year, we covered the announcement of the Epicure Maduro by Crux Cigars. The original name was Galant but the company had to change the name to just Epicure Maduro due to naming issues. Five years in business and this company has not skipped a beat, as they continue to put out quality and palate pleasing products time and again.
I caught up with the Crux team at this years IPCPR and talked about there new releases and line extensions but I was most intrigued by the Epicure Maduro as the original was fantastic and I was curious as to how this
Jeff Haugen, Crux Cigars President reiterated to me at the show that which he noted in their press release:
“We have been asked about a Maduro being added to our lineup for the past couple of years. This is the first blend in that tradition that we felt satisfies our desire to produce a premium smoking experience…The Crux Epicure Maduro continues our desire to produce cigars of the highest standards as well as extending the overall line-up of blends.
Jeff made sure I had a sample to take back home with me to review on Stogie Press and today I here to present said review.
Like the original, the Crux Epicure Maduro uses Nicaraguan binders and fillers but employs a Mexican San Andrés wrapper which is a first for Crux Cigars. It promises to deliver some special flavor sensations.
The Crux Epicure Maduro comes packaged in 10-count boxes and is available in three
- Robusto: 5 x 50 (MSRP $10.00)
- Toro: 6.25 x 52 (MSRP $11.50)
- Robusto Extra: 5.75 x 54 (MSRP $10.75)
For this review I sampled the Crux Epicure Maduro Toro which rested in my temperature and humidity controlled humidor for 3 months since the show.
Pre-Light Examination
The Crux Epicure Maduro is a dark brown and a bit of a rugged looking cigar with some veins and bumps along the barrel. There is less tooth to the wrapper than many of the San Andrés I have reviewed. There is a significant amount of marbling on the wrapper and it has a decent oily sheen. The cigar is solid to the touch with no soft spots and seems to be well constructed.
There are two bands that adorn the cigar. The primary uses a black, gold, and white motif and includes the Crux logo in the center and the golden word “EPICURE” centered in a white background on the bottom. The secondary band has since been removed due to the naming issue.
Crux Epicure Maduro 
Crux Epicure Maduro
Strangely, the cigar is basically void of pre-light aromas on the barrel and foot, so I quickly moved into the cold draw to see what it had to offer. OK, there is the flavor; pepper and butter. As I rolled it about the pepper grew on the lips and some fruit begins to show. This is what I expect from Crux!
It was time to get the rest of the journey underway as I used my dual flame torch to warm the foot and take in the first pepper laden puffs of smoke.
Cigar Review Notes
- Pepper hits the nasals right off the initial light
- The pepper settles after an inch giving way to sweetness and a maple syrup aroma
- A wave in the burn starts appearing
- The medium grey and flaky ash falls early revealing a flat off centered burn cone
- Mint notes enter
- Burn straightens out at the end of the first third
- Cocoa and cream notes entering in the second third
- Think mint chocolate chip ice cream
- Spice enters along with a graham cracker note midway
- Spice moves up and down into final with natural sweetness and some nutmeg
- The wave picked back up in the final third
- Medium in strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 45 minutes to the nub
Overall, we rate the Crux Epicure Maduro a 91. Although there was little to no pre-light aromas the cold draw made up for that delivering an enticing blend of flavors. The burn was wavy in the start and then end with a short- lived medium grey and flaky ash progression. The flavors were well balanced and offered some unique notes including mint, cream, cocoa, nutmeg, and maples syrup. This worth a fiver in my book to add to your rotation and let a few age.
Point Deductions: (-1) No Pre-light aroma, (-1) Flaky Ash, (-1) Medium Grey Ash, (-1) Jagged Burn, (-1) Flat Burn Cone
