Crux du Connoisseur No. 2 (2021) – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

Crux Cigars went through a total rebrand of their packaging and branding a few years ago. The process started with their core lines and has slowly been making its way to their limited lines. Last year, that refresh made it to the Crux Du Connoisseur line and it was shown off at the PCA trade show.

The Du Connoisseur was originally released at the 2015 IPCPR trade show and was the first line outside of the company’s 5 core lines. The new packaging uses a gold on white box specifically made to store the 4 sizes with a small footprint. The Crux Du Connoisseur line was created to showcase small ring gauges in an elegant blend. The revamped line comes in four sizes: No. 1: 7.5 x 38 Lancero – $10.99 MSRP, No. 2: 6.5 x 38 Short Lancero – $9.99 MSRP, No. 3: 5.625 x 35 Panatella – $8.49 MSRP, and No. 4: 5.375 x 46 Corona Gorda – $9.99 MSRP. All come in packs of 5, boxes of 20 and 20 count refill bundles.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Petite Lancero
Length: 6 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 38
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Honduras
Factory: Plasencia Cigars S.A.
Blender: Jeff Haugen
Number of reviewers: 5 – Kevin A. (Kevin A.) Jason H. (Jokey Smurf) Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi) Kevin J. (maninblack77) Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Price: $10.99
Age: 8 Months
Release Date:2015
Contributed by: Crux Cigars

Initial Impressions – Crux du Connoisseur No. 2 (2021)

Appearance: 93

“An absolutely gorgeous honey-colored wrapper adorns this lancero. Slightly oily at first glance. Some veins are visible. Eye-catching for sure.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

Aroma: 93

“Some of the aromas I’m getting off the wrapper and the foot includes floral notes, dry grass, honey, and baking spices. Very intriguing.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

First Third

Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The first few puffs of this cigar are full of earth and mineral notes. The draw on the cigar is quite loose, easily allowing a mouthful of flavorful smoke. The earth and mineral lead the way, with notes of cedar and red bell pepper in the mix. The retrohale has hints of baking spices with just a hint of pepper. The cigar is medium in strength, with the body ticking in at medium-full.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

“The first flavors of this cigar are bold and immediately capture my attention with nose blasting black pepper and dark, peaty earth. Surprisingly, the finish is relatively short and the closing charcoal flavors hit my palate hard and quickly leave it clean and ready for the next puff. Through the sinuses, the smoke is jarring and brings quick tears to my eyes. I’ll take that warning of strength to heart and temper my retrohales accordingly.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

Second Third

Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The second third continued with grain flavors but now they came across more of a lager beer. Along with that came a boiled peanut flavor which was fairly nice.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

“This third is almost a carbon copy of the first but with the addition of a simple syrup. This coats the palate and lengthens the finish. The cedar comes and goes in both the palate and retro. Speaking of the retro, the pepper has overtaken everything. This stings the sinuses long after it is gone. The smoke is still silky smooth.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Final Third

Flavor: 88
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The final third was sadly a repeat of the second. I didn’t get a lot of flavors, mostly just dry tobacco and grass. I was hoping things would pick up as they were in the first third but it wasn’t to be. I really lost interest as we finished. A disappointing ending to a cigar that I had fairly high hopes for.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“The cigar develops a bitterness just past the halfway point that sort of pushes the other flavors into the background. I think the bitterness is being caused by the loose draw which is causing the cigar to get a little too hot.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

Overall Impressions – Crux du Connoisseur No. 2 (2021)

Draw: 91

“I love a well-constructed lancero and this was exactly that…an excellent draw from the first to large the last puff.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

Burn: 91

“This cigar liked to be smoked and had no problems with the burn.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

Construction: 93

“Small ring gauge can be a land mine. All it takes is one mistake, in any part of the process, for it to become unsmokable. That is not this cigar. From start to finish this cigar performed as expected. A true pleasure to smoke.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 89

“Even though the cigar made an unfavorable turn in the final parts, the smoking experience and flavors were still good and to my liking. The cigar is a quick burner, and the draw doesn’t help that at all. I would be interested to try this cigar again. It was an enjoyable experience and could easily be enjoyed first thing in the morning.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

“All aspects of construction were remarkable but it always comes down to flavor and this sample was just too much for me today. I’m one of those who gravitate to strong cigars but this actually blew my palate away. I actually had to step away for a short break to be able to finish the smoke. If you like an absolute powerhouse then this is worth a try. For me, it was just too much.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

“First and foremost, I am a small ring gauge fan. This automatically adds a few points in my book. That being said that if something goes wrong in the cigar-making process this would be one to avoid. Luckily that was not the case with this sample. The smoking experience matched the look of this cigar. A sweet and delicate flavor profile greets the smoker and is definitely nub-worthy. I hope that the current trend in the cigar industry continues and we continue to see cigars in the size. This will definitely find a home in my humidor once I know what it is.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“A bright beginning for a cigar that couldn’t finish what it started. The diminishing flavors really made it hard to finish this cigar. The bright floral notes, honey, and graham cracker were abundant in the beginning but quickly vanished as we moved along. This won’t change my opinions of Lanceros unfortunately. This is a cigar I’d probably pass over if I saw it in my humidor.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“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)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 81

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

Crux du Connoisseur No. 2 (2021) – Blind Cigar Review