Crossfire Legends of the Arapiraca Cigar Review

Back in 2015, Crossfire Cigar, LLC released the Library Series 1st Edition cigar line. The line contained three different blends each packaged in 10-count boxes resembling a novel. Each blend was named like the title of a book.

• Diary of a Connecticut
• Count of San Andres
• Legends of the Arapiraca

In the company’s original press release, they described their mission of creating quality cigars and giving back to the community:

Crossfire Cigars, LLC is a company born from the love for the Dominican people, their rich heritage in hand rolled premium cigars and the desire to help provide jobs, opportunity and hope in underserved communities

The Library Series 1st edition is a collaboration Crossfire Cigars, LLC and Master Blender, William Ventura.

Although we released the press release back in 2015, we did not get any samples to review. That has been corrected at this years IPCPR  and today I would like to review Legends of the Arapiraca which is a 6.25 x 56 box pressed toro that retails for $11.95.

The blend of the Legends of the Arapiraca is described as:

• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Arapiraca
• Binder: Dominican
• Filler: Dominican

For those that are not familiar with Arapiraca tobacco, it is a leaf that hails from the Brazilian region of the same name. According to Famous Smoke

“it’s a thicker and meatier leaf than Mata Fina, but less intense in both flavor and aroma; because it’s more subtle, Arapiraca is used to help round out a blend by adding complexity. It’s a mellow smoke, and burns with a white ash.” 

Crossfire Cigars uses an Arapiraca leaf grown in Ecuador using the Brazilian seed.

Pre-Light Examination

The Legends of the Arapiraca is a dark and marbled cigar that has a fine sheen to it.  There is practically no veins on the wrapper and the box press is no-nonsense with keen edges and tight seams. It had a solid weight in the hand with no soft spots detected.  I picked up rich and complex aromas along the barrel including cocoa, fruit, and a well fermented sweetness. The foot offered a mix of vanilla bean and cocoa. The combination of aromas was like walking into a candy store, I just sat there sniffing and wondering if I should light it up or just smell it.

Of course, I decided to move on with the sampling and sliced the cap. The cold draw had notes of creamy chocolate and just a touch of pepper on the lips. Rolling it around a little more, the pepper increased on the lips and palate.

The pre-light was quite enticing and now it was time to read the Legends of the Arapiraca

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Cigar Review Notes

• Early puffs provided a mild pepper sensation to start the first chapter
• Flaky light grey ash rested on a medium char line 
• Coffee bean notes continue the journey
• End of the first chapter offered Spice – lots of spice!
• Black Pepper conjoins with the spice
• Slight wave started end of first third and required a touch up
• Into the second chapter, spice settles back near the half way mark
• Sweetness breaks through
• Dry cocoa powder enters to finish the second chapter
• There is a slight spring in the barrel at this point
• Gentle spice moves in the final chapter
• Sweetness and spice blending well 
• Toffee rounds out the profile
• Dry leather finish
• Medium – Full Strength
• Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 20 minutes

Overall, the Legends of the Arapiraca  was a decent cigar that offered plenty of spice and pepper in the first half. The second half was almost a different cigar with its sweetness, cocoa, toffee and leather. I paired this with water but I think this would pair well with a cafe mocha to bring out the sweetness and cocoa. If you are looking for a heavy pepper and spice bomb, you may want to try the Legends of Arapiraca from Crossfire Cigars.