Crossfire’s Platinum Magnum Still Has Force

Crossfire Cigars is a boutique cigar importer headquartered in Louisville, KY designed to produce flavorful cigars while also directing Crossfire’s economic benefits to the Dominican Republic economy and other third world countries. Note the Cross in the Platinum’s band logo. Crossfire uses the well-known William Ventura cigar company for the Dominican Republic activities and not just the cigars but also the boxes, labels and bands are produced there.

The Magnum is a 6 X 60 with an Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper with Dominican binder and fillers. I was given the Magnum at the 2014 IPCPR to review which is fine for me as I prefer the larger ring gauges. The wrapper was nice looking but not nearly as dark as I expect from an oscuro. The cigar was very attractive except for a “blot” of dark color in the center of the foot that remained after lighting. Crossfire informed me that the discoloration is actually another premium tobacco, andullo, added to enhance the flavor and add some sweetness. Only the smoking shall tell if it did. The construction was firm for the entire stick.

This cigar starts out very smoothly with an easy draw and mild, earthy taste. It shortly builds to include a stronger taste of coffee and chocolate. The aftertaste was mild throughout this medium to full bodied cigar. The smoke volume was excellent and the ash was well formed and evenly colored. However, I did not notice the sweetness promised by the andullo. The Magnum lasted 1 hour and 10 minutes and was an enjoyable, flavorful smoke. It has an SRP of $8.99 and last year I rated this cigar a 4.5 out of 5. I continue that rating this year for this fine cigar.