It was a long week of business up in Detroit this past week so when i got back to Florida I decided to take a little trip to the Gar Cave. You don’t need a passport to enter the Cave but today I decided I would bring one just the same – a Crux Passport that is. The Crux website clearly notes:
Why simply dream of a better life, full of travel and adventure, when you can begin by enjoying a Crux Passport? Sure, not everyday can be a cafe in Paris, or wrestling a warthog in Madagascar, but why not take a one hour vacation from a busy day of work? After all, we’re guessing you’ve earned it. NO VISA REQUIRED.
The Crux Passport was blended by Jeff Haugen from Crux Cigars. It rolled at Nestor Plasencia’s factory in Honduras
The Passport comes in 3 vitolas:
- 7 x 40
- 5.5 x 44
- 6 x 48 Marblehead
For todays trip to the Gar Cave I selected the 5.5 x 44 Corona. It is a beautifully constructed cigar with a velvety chocolate-brown 2009 Habano Ecuadorian wrapper encasing Nicaraguan filler and binder. Examining the Passport the barrel gives of a slightly pungent scent of fermented tobacco and the stick is tightly packed with no soft spots. I clipped the cap and the dry draw was offering a taste of chocolate with sweet tobacco. My lips were watering to light up this stogie.
Crux Passport
Since this is a Corona I chose to fire it up with a lit piece of cedar so as not to scorch the foot. I was greeted with some notes of bitterness and black pepper to start, that settled quickly into a delightful nutty flavor. The ash was dark grey and seemed quite firm with no flaking. The draw is perfect and the burn is right on. The wrapper developed an oily sheen to it as it moved through the 1st third.
I settled back on the Cave Couch and relaxed with a cup of black coffee to enjoy the early afternoon and some classic Doors vinyl.
As the Passport broke on through to the 2nd third, there was a gentle sweetness entering the mix. It was well-balanced with the early nut and pepper flavors and there was a scent of chocolate coming off the foot. The retro-hale was clean with little to no burn of the nostrils. I even had a moment where the sweetness of the smoke just decided to enter my lungs. Oops, I don’t normally inhale but the smoke juts found its way there. The initial ash fell just into the 2nd third but picked back up for another decent ride into the last 3rd.
Progressing into the final third there was a salty flavor on the head that mixed quite well with the still present nut and pepper flavor.
The Passport is a solid medium body smoke that does ratchet up in the final third.
Crux Passport
I want to thank Crux Cigars for providing us a sample at this years IPCPR, I do enjoy their full line of cigars. If you have not tried a Crux yet – look for them at your local Brick and Mortar.
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