Crossfire’s Platinum Gordo Is Still Firing

I first came across Crossfire Cigars at the 2013 IPCPR and I was happy to see them again in 2014. They remain a cigar importer headquartered in Louisville, KY that selects its own blends of filler, binder and wrapper and has everything about the cigars made in the Dominican Republic, right down to the bands and boxes. The intent is to improve the employment and quality of life in the Dominican Republic.

Crossfire’s Platinum Gordo (5.5 X 56) was given to me at the IPCPR to review. It has an Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper with Dominican binder and fillers. The oscuro process is known for producing richer, deeper flavors and is recognizably quite dark in color. My Gordo was lighter than I expected for an oscuro. Aside from the light color, the Platinum Gordo was attractive. Inspection of the foot revealed a “blot” of dark color in the center 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.

The beginning of the cigar is deceptively mild but the Gordo becomes full bodied fairly quickly. The initial flavor is pepper but soon coffee and chocolate appear. There may be a hint of dried fruit. I didn’t notice the sweetness. The aftertaste is mild for this medium to full bodied cigar and the draw and smoke volume are good. The ash was firm, well rounded and even colored indicating very good construction. The SRP for the Platinum Gordo is $7.95. I spent an hour and 10 minutes smoking the Gordo and I give it an overall score of 4 out of 5, an improvement over last year’s rating of 3.5, primarily due to the changes in construction and appearance.