I recall way back when, in 2014 – the Crux Cigar company entered the premium cigar market and I first met Jeff and Casey Haugen, two cigar loving cousins with a mission to bring some of the best cigars to the market. Jeff owned a lounge in Maple Grove, MN and he knew he wanted to make cigars as they brought people together. As a small company in a crowded field, Jeff and Casey had the cards stacked against them but that did not deter the two. From the very first release through their latest 2022 releases, they have proved they are a force to be reckoned with.
The Crux Cigars website aptly notes:
“Appropriately named. Intelligently premium. With only 1,000 boxes produced a year, the Limitada is rooted in exclusivity. Superior with notes of earth and pepper, this Limited Edition cigar has the anatomy of exceptional tobacco. When quality and craftsmanship gets rolled into one, it becomes a national treasure that only makes select appearances during prime time”
This year, the Crux Limitada was offered in 3 different vitolas, each packaged in 20-count boxes containing 10 loose cigars and two recyclable cardboard 5-packs.
- PB5 (5 3/4 x 54) – MSRP $14.50
- Short Salomone (6 x 54) – MSRP $16.00
- The Show (5 x 52) – MSRP $12.50
For this review, I purchased a 5-pack of the Short Salomones at a Crux Cigars event at my local Brick & Mortar – Executive Cigar Shop and Lounge in Melbourne, FL. I am pleased that my local shop has latched onto Crux finally after the many years I have been speaking highly of their brand.
The 2022 Limitada has a blend described as:
- Wrapper: Nicaragua (Engañoso)
- Binder: U.S.A. (Connecticut Broadleaf)
- Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaragua
I smoked three of these for the review. I gave one away and will keep one to age a bit in the trusty do not touch box.
Pre-Light Examination
The Crux 2022 LE Limitada Short Salomone is a nice looking figurado sporting a milk chocolate brown wrapper that has a sight reddish tinge and a natural oily sheen. The wrapper is silky smooth to the touch and has all but no veins. There is a light marbling running through the wrapper leaf. The cigar is solidly packed with no discernable soft spots. A well applied cap finishes the presentation.
A single band adorns the cigar. It uses the new branding design for Crux Cigars. For this line it uses a black, gold, and white motif with CRUX proudly presented in white on the black background of the band. The name LE Limitada is printed in gold in the center and bottom of the band. The band also has a die cut out in the middle on both sides to show the leaf color behind it. Lastly there is a golden circle on the left that states CRUX.
As I ran the barrel along the nose, I did not pick up much aroma, but the foot tip did present a light baking spice note.
I used my CigarMedics Baller cutter to open the cap. One snip cuts the tip, and the second snip provided a perfect concave cut into the head. The cold draw was good, but it was a tad open with respect to restriction. The pre-light profile was that of a barnyard earth and medium peppery notes.
Using y single flame torch, I ignited the tip of the foot and drew in the first puffs of peppery smoke to start the journey. Follow along as I burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Peppery shots off the first light
- Maximum volume of smoke fills the palate
- Dry fruit notes quickly enter the profile
- Cocoa and natural sweetness round out the early profile
- A light grey ash forms on top of a medium thick wavy char line
- Ash fell in a decent chunk revealing a flat burn cone
- Continued chocolate with added spice continues the journey
- Burn is behaving and does not require any touch ups
- Vanilla cream balances out the profile midway
- Mild earth notes appear deep in the second third with a continued cream note
- Peppery spice rejoins down through the final
- Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 35 minutes
Final Analysis
I have always enjoyed the Crux Short Salomone vitolas and the Crux 2022 LE Limitada Short Salomone did not displease. It started with a good shot of pepper to start the journey and settled into a creamy, sweet, and cocoa delight as it burned. There was no bite to the blend and each puff offered a balanced pleasure of flavor notes that one can expect form the aged leaf used in the blend. The smoke was always at full volume. It did have a slight wave in the burn in the beginning and when the ash fell it was a flat cone. I most certainly enjoyed the cocoa and cream notes that kept my attention. This is a box worthy cigar. I rate this a 94.
Point Deductions: (-1) Flat Burn Cone; (-1) Wave in Burn
Bonus Points: (+1) Box Buy; (+1) Pleasurable and Consistent across Multiple Samples
