Last year at this time, Crux cigars was new cigar company breaking into the mix with 5 unique blends and interesting vitolas. They made the Stogie Press top 25 with their Crux Classic and they have rolling along ever since. This year the Crux cigar company has went all in with 3 additional blends including the Crux du Connoisseur which we review today.
The Crux du Connoisseur is available in 3 vitolas each sold in boxes of 10.
- 5.625 x 35 Crux du Connoisseur #3
- 6.5 x 38 Crux du Connoisseur # 2
- 7.5 x 38 Crux du Connoisseur #3
For this review, I sampled the Crux du Connoisseur # 2 provided to me by Crux Cigars at this years IPCPR in New Orleans. The Crux du Connoisseur # 2 falls in the category of a Lonsdale vitola which are becoming more prevalent in the market place this year. This style of cigar is one the harder ones to roll since it is a narrow ring gauge and has limited amount of filler and binder to produce the flavor profile and to get the burn right. I can honestly say this cigar is one of the best Lonsdales I have smoked as you will read.
The Crux press release on the Crux du Connoisseur describes it:
The Crux du Connoisseur features a Habano wrapper from the Jalapa region of Nicaragua, as well as a Nicaraguan binder and filler made up of tobacco from Honduras. As with all Crux cigars so far, the Crux du Connoisseur will be produced at Plasencia Cigars S.A. in Esteli, Nicaragua, and will be a regularly available release.
Examining the Crux du Connoisseur the first observation you make is the beautiful oily Habano wrapper that has a consistent pre-light sheen to it and a waxy feeling to the touch. The barrel of the cigar has a sweet fermented tobacco aroma. It is adorned with a simple yet elegant band, gold and white with the Crux logo printed sideways in white on a gold background with embossed scrolls The phrase Du Connoisseur is printed in gold on a white background at the bottom. Turning the cigar around the back of the band has the Crux Cross printed on it.
I clipped the cap with a double blade cutter and gave it a few dry draw puffs It was slightly restricted but once fired up the Crux du Connoisseur opened right up and delivered a decent volume of spicy and peppery smoke. The pepper lasted a short while and then a woody and nut flavor filled the palate. As it progressed past the one inch mark, the perfectly formed salt and pepper ash rested on a thin burn line and coffee notes began to enter the mix.
Besides loving cigars I also enjoy many forms of music and for this sampling I decided to order the newly released Keith Richards album, Crosseyed Heart, on Amazon to further enhance the smoking experience. This new album is a must have for any Stones or Richards fan as he goes back to his roots of blues and Folk while making that guitar sing.
The smoke from the Crux du Connoisseur is as smooth as the guitar licks with a thick creamy texture that is perfect for producing smoke rings. I don’t normally inhale but the smoke in this cigar is so delicious I find myself ingesting it now and then.
The wrapper shines even more as the heat adds to the oil production. It has an almost mirror like look to it as it gleams in the soft lights in the Stogie Press Lounge. The lounge is filling with sweet chocolate aroma wafting off the foot around the 2 inch mark. The initial ash falls about this point and picks ups again for about an inch of burn between ash falls.
As it moves into the second half, there is a fruit note that enters along with a sweet candy-like aroma. There is a bit of spice mixed in the profile also. Burning down the candy aroma morphs into a maple syrup scent. The transitions on the Crux du Connoisseur are smooth and delectable. So far this has been a solid medium strength cigar with plenty of bold flavors and aromas.
Getting near near the band – the final two inches – the Crux du Connoisseur starts to deliver a peppery spice that reawakened the nasals . The sweetness remains down through the rest of the burn. This mix of sweetness and spice reminds me of some Chinese meals I have had. I love how it fires up the different parts of the palate like Keith’s guitar riffs awaken my auditory senses.
I had to take the final photo before the last ash fell but I smoked this down to the final leaf fragment as it was just to good to put down.
Crux du Connoisseur
I can say for sure, Crux du Connoisseur will make the Stogie Press Top 25 this year. Where it places in the lineup only time will tell, but this is an amazing well constructed cigar with mouth-watering flavor transitions and aromas. They are truly a work of art, pride, and passion. We talked about Crux last year, but this year all I can say is wow! You don’t have to exhaust your cigar budget or break US law to enjoy a Connoisseur’s cigar, you just have to grab a Crux du Connoisseur. So as they say at Crux, #GoCruxYourself
Though I only paired this with a dose of Keith Richards, I would suggest enjoying this with a nice Highland Malt Scotch or aged sipping Rum.
Crux du Connoisseur
Stay Smokey
~Boston Jimmie