It has been awhile since I reviewed the original Crux Du Connoisseur. In fact it has been almost 7 years. The company was founded in 2014. That cigar was one of my all time favorites from the young Crux Cigar Company back then. Now here we are 7 years later, the company is still rocking and producing quality cigars and have grown their footprint in the premium cigar industry.
I met up with the company at the 2022 Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE) and caught up the brothers Haugen. Though nothing really was new, they were showcasing their full line of cigars including the thicker and shorter expression of the Du Connoisseur that they released in 2021. Known as the Du Connoisseur No. 4, it is expressed in a (5 3/8 x 35) corona gorda vitola and is packaged in 5-count cardboard packs and 20-count boxes with the company’s new branding.
The Du Connoisseur No. 4 joins a full lineup of this blend that includes 4 different vitolas:
- No. 1 (7.5 x 38) Lancero – MSRP $10.99
- No. 2 (6.5 x 38) Short Lancero – MSRP $9.99
- No. 3 (5.625 x 35) Panatella – MSRP $8.49 MSRP
- No. 4 (5.375 x 46) Corona Gorda – MSRP $9.99
The blend remains the same and is described as:
- Wrapper – Nicaraguan Habano
- Binder – Nicaraguan
- Filler – Honduran
They are each handcrafted at Plasencia Cigars S.A. and were blended by Jeff Haugen. For this review I sampled 3 of these which I received from the company for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press
Pre-Light Examination
The Crux Du Connoisseur No. 4 sports a milk chocolate brown habano wrapper that exhibits just a few veins and slight oily sheen. The cigar is firmly packed but with just the right give and is finished with a well applied cap.
A large single band adorns the cigar. It uses the new branding for the company, The band is pearly white with gold leaf borders. The new Crux logo is printed sideways along the band and the the initials “DC” are printed in gold in a gold bordered circle on the bottom. The coolest part of this band is the cut outs along the side that show the wrapper beneath. This is an elegant band for such an elegant cigar and certainly one that would attract my eye on a humidor shelf.
Running the barrel along the nose, I did not pick up much pre-light aroma, but the foot exudes fresh floral notes that pleased the nasals.
I sliced the cap straight across the shoulder of the cigar and proceeded to give it some cold draw puffs that further enticed my palate with with a growing sweet pepper along with a sprinkle of earth and light exotic spice note.
Using my double flame torch, I warmed the foot to an even orange glow and drew in the first puffs of natural tobacco sweetness and spicy pepper. Follow along as I burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Natural tobacco sweetness and spicy pepper to start
- Dry sweet fruit quickly adds to the early pleasure
- A solid light grey ash forms on top of a crisp thin burn line
- Dark chocolate nuances keep the palate interested after an inch of burn
- Mild cinnamon notes break through
- Ash drops in solid chunk revealing a perfect burn cone
- Sweetness and cocoa notes grow along with an added hint of citrus
- Rich cedar notes enter midway taking control of profile
- Razor sharp burn so far
- Sweet nutty aroma has been wafting off the foot
- The cigar is nothing short of mouth watering
- Spice notes begin to grow entering the final
- Strength is a smooth medium
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 10 minutes
Final Analysis
I have been writing about Crux Cigars since their debut in 2014 and have enjoyed their craft since the first cigar I smoked from them. Having enjoyed the original Crux Du Connoisseur way back in the day, I had high expectations for the No. 4 and once again the brothers Haugen (actually they are cousins and great BOTL’s) did not disappoint. In fact I think this is an awesome expression of the blend. It offered an complex and extremely well balanced array of flavors along with an inviting sweet nut aroma. The burn is one I don’t get to rave about much but this was spot on razor sharp and never missed a beat. I especially enjoyed the dark chocolate and cinnamon notes early in the burn and the sweetness and cedar later. This is most certainly the most discerning enthusiasts should have in their humidor and with the smooth medium strength even a new enthusiast would enjoy the palate pleasing notes this had to offer. Buy a box of these for sure. I rate this a solid 98, they don’t get much better than this!
Point Deductions: NONE
Bonus Points: (+1) Complex and well Balanced; (+1) Razor Sharp Burn; (+1) Pleasant and consistent across multiple samples; (+1) Buy a Box
