"I really liked this cigar. My only complaints were the somewhat muddy flavors of the final third and the stick's overall average smoke production. The flavors of this smoke were very well-blended and played off of one another really well. I really liked the sweetness in the flavor profile because it was never cloying or ordinary -- always buttressed by cedar and toast. The performance of this lancero was surprisingly stellar. With a medium strength and perfectly complex body, this stick would pair well with a sweet tea after lunch, or, because of the cigar's slightly-sweet profile, a fresh vanilla milkshake." -Ryan (Youngryan216)
"If this cigar was a whiskey, it's Monkey Shoulder. The whole time I smoked this it reminded me of that blended malt whiskey. That aside, this cigar is good and provided great flavors and transitions. It is quite enjoyable and will be revisited again." -Isaac M. (The Nothing)
"This was a very good cigar. Strong enough in body to keep me involved, but not overbearing in any sense. I love the semi-sweet chocolate notes that paired with the espresso and wood...right in my wheelhouse. This was paired with black coffee and I couldn't have been happier. Give me more smoke output and I'd be chasing a box." -Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
"Overall, a very good cigar. The first two thirds of the cigar was awesome. It really kept me on my toes of trying to figure out that "wood fire" and "hickory bbq" note. I would happily get a fiver of this cigar. A couple to smoke now and a few to smoke within the half year marks. Great way to end my BMP review year with this tastiness!" -Jiunn (jliu)
"It's a fantastic cigar. I'm not going to say it will wow you with it's dynamic profile changes because it won't. The flavors are the same from beginning to end but they're crisp and bold the entire time. It just does so many things right that it's impossible not to recommend and if I was after a great experience that I was just wanting to relax and enjoy smoking I would reach for again and again. " -Alan (Eulogy)
The Crux Epicure Habano, rolled at Plasencia Cigars S.A. in Nicaragua, began shipping in June 2023. With high-quality Nicaraguan binder, fillers, and a habano seco leaf wrapper, it received overall positive reviews for its flavors and draw.
"I find myself enjoying this more while reflecting back on it. The flavor profile was a very traditional style Nicaraguan with tobacco, cedar, leather, and pepper but it all worked very well when taken as a whole. The retrohale provided a bit of a break from the draw and even though the draw was a bit tight it was a good cigar for what it was. It's not a game changing cigar but it's a solid smoke and certainly worth your time. " -Alan (Eulogy)
"This is a good short smoke. Nothing too revolutionary, but definitely a good worthwhile lunch smoke. It had great promise and I would smoke it if time was in a pinch. The flavors were great to start and construction hampered it, but I don't think it's a bad cigar by any means." -Jack (Jack_H)