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Size: 5 1/8×58, Torpedo (Bullet)
Wrapper: Costa Rica
Binder: Ecuadorian
Filler: Costa Rican & Dominican
Strength: Medium
Price: $13
Grade: 8.8
D’Crossier is distributed by Pure Aroma Cigars and recently displayed at the 2009 IPCPR. The operation is based in Miami, Florida, while the manufacturing processes take place in Costa Rica. The president, Isaias Stantana Diaz, was Cuban born in 1973 and came to the United States in 1995, by way of Sweden; he rolled his first cigar at the age of 17 and has been on a journey to create a great cigar ever since. D’Crossier is named for Isaias’ great grandfather, Francis Navarro Crossier, whose legacy was impressed upon a young Isaias when coming across his diary. His great grandfather was an avid smoker and indulger in the finer things of life.
Currently, D’Crossier boasts a 5 cigar lineup: Premium Blend, Golden Blend, Limited Edition 2008, Imperium Class Vintage, and Presidential Four Pac. The Golden Blend received 4/5 stars and the Imperium Class Vintage received 3/5 stars from the 2009 Special Edition of the European Cult Journal. They also received a 90 from Cigar Snob Magazine for the Premium Blend (May/June 2009 Issue).
Today we are reviewing the Imperium Class Vintage, which is sold in boxes of 25 and available in four sizes: Trabuco (5 1/8×60), Robusto (4 7/8×50), Taino (5 7/8×54), and the Bullet (5 1/8×58). You can learn a bit more by visiting them online, though there is not a ton of information even there.
Now, on to the toast!
Pre-light, 1.7:
The Imperium Class Vintage by D’Crossier had a great looking band that really stood out on the cigar. The oily, dark brown wrapper was a bit toothy and had a few prominent veins. The head on the Bullet was well constructed and capped off a tightly packed cigar with no soft spots and a good hefty weight, befitting the ring gauge. The pre-light aroma was of Costa Rican tobacco with a hint of pepper at the foot. The cold draw produced some sweet notes at the beginning with continued pepper on the back of the throat. The oily wrapper and flavor notes of sweet and spicy really had my mouth watering for this smoke.
Burn, 1.6:
The draw was a little tight but produced an adequate amount of smoke after toasting and lighting. The ash held well with a nice medium gray color and some brown tints here and there. The filler, binder, and wrapper burned with a nice orange glow that filled the room with dense smoke. The burn became a little crooked in the second third and as I moved into the last third, the draw tightened up considerably. The D’Crossier required a re-light right at the beginning of the last third, but after that the draw opened up again and it burned like a champ to the nub. However, there was a jagged burn from the second third on.
Flavor, 2.8:
The first puff on the bullet was of tobacco with spice on the lips that was peppery in profile. I also picked up a hint of sweetness on the finish, which was a nice surprise. The second third presented some woody notes but the prevailing flavor was of solid tobacco with continued pepper. The finish was shorter at this point than in the first third. The final third was all tobacco and pepper with a long finish. The smoke was heavy on the palate, which was pleasing, especially on the exhale.
Overall, 2.7:
I enjoyed this smoke and put it down at the nub. It seemed to be full in strength but might be medium to full for some palates. This smoke is around $13 a stick so it will not be in the regular rotation, but if you see one pick it up, I don’t think you will regret the purchase.
(Total: 8.8)
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