Announced over a year ago, the Crux Epicure Habano is the 3rd and long waited blend for the revered Epicure line. The previous two were the original Epicure and the Epicure Maduro. The new Crux Epicure Habano started shipping to retailers in July.
Jeff Haugen, president of Crux Cigar noted:
“The Habano will complete the Epicure trifecta and we couldn’t be more excited for this cigar to get in the hands of customers across the country. We are blessed to work with Plasencia Family making some of the highest quality cigars in the world and the Habano is no exception.”
The blend of the Epicure Habano is described as a Nicaraguan puro:
- Wrapper – Nicaraguan Habano seco
- Binder – Nicaraguan
- Filler – Nicaraguan
The Crux Epicure Habano is expressed in 4 different vitolas, each packaged in 20-count boxes:
- Corona Gorda (5 3/8 x 46) – MSRP $11.25
- Robusto (5 x 50) – MSRP $11.99
- Toro (6 1/4 x 52) – MSRP $13.49
- Gordo (6 x 60) – MSRP $14.49
Plasencia Cigars S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua handcrafts all Crux Cigars.
For this review I sampled two Crux Epicure Habano Robustos which I received from the company for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.
Pre-Light Examination
The Crux Epicure Habano is a dark brown cigar that has a slight oily sheen and minimal veins. The cigar is packed solid with a relatively smooth feel along the barrel. The seams are tight and barely noticeable. A double cap finishes the construction.
A single band adorns the cigar using the company’s standard die-cut design to display the wrapper color in the center. The band uses a cream, black, and gold motif and displays the company logo in the center and the word Epicure on the bottom. The word Habano is printed in a red script font to the right of the word Epicure to identify the blend.
Running the cigar along the nose I noted a mild pungent, barnyard aroma along the barrel which was a bit more pronounced off the foot.
I used my CigarMedics Baller cutter to open the cap perfectly and gave it some cold draw puffs that I found to be spot on with restriction and offering a growing black pepper note with a nuance of cream in the background.
Using my single flame Xikar torch lighter, I warmed the foot to an even orange glow and drew in the first puffs that greeted the palate with an array of pepper, fruit, and nut notes. Follow along as I burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Right off the first light, the Crux Epicure Habano pleases with notes of pepper, fruit, and nut
- The pepper is most forward in the profile especially on the retrohale
- A light grey ash forms on top of a thin char line
- Very pleasant, sweet nut aroma wafts off the foot
- Dark Chocolate notes add to the dimension
- Fruit notes begin to morph into more of a mouthwatering citrus rind
- Slight wave in burn line moving into second third
- Citrus has move front and center midway through
- Burn evens out without a touchup
- Ash fell in huge chunk revealing a slightly off centered burn cone
- Strength has gradually increased to full by the midway point
- Citrus begins to pull back making way for notes of cream and coffee to enter
- Spice notes add to the profile moving into final third
- Touch of earth finishes the journey
- Full Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 30 minutes to the nub
Final Analysis
As soon as you ignite the Crux Epicure Habano, it greets your palate with a delightful medley of flavors, including the zesty kick of pepper, the subtle sweetness of fruit, and the rich earthiness of nuts. The pepper takes center stage, particularly on the retrohale, delivering a tantalizing spiciness. A thin char line gives way to a light grey ash formation, while a pleasantly sweet nutty aroma wafts from the cigar’s foot. As you continue to savor it, dark chocolate undertones emerge, adding depth to the overall experience.
The fruit notes, initially present, undergo a transformation into a mouthwatering essence reminiscent of citrus rind. A slight waviness in the burn line becomes apparent as you enter the second third, but it soon rights itself without the need for a touch-up. Midway through, the citrus notes come to the forefront, dominating the flavor profile. The ash falls in a substantial chunk, revealing a slightly off-centered burn cone.
The strength of the cigar gradually escalates to full by the midpoint. The profile undergoes a shift as the citrus notes recede, making room for the emergence of creamy and coffee-like undertones. Spice notes also make their presence felt as you enter the final third, contributing to the pleasing complexity. Finally, a subtle touch of earthiness concludes the captivating journey. This is certainly a box buy. I rate this a 95.
Point Deductions: (-1) Wave in Burn in first half; (-1) Off Centered Burn Cone
Bonus Points: (+1) Box Buy; (+1) Long Ash; (+1) Pleasantly Complex and Consistent across Multiple Samples
