A New Magnum in Town

Crossfire Cigars is a cigar importer headquartered in Louisville, KY managed by Scott Meneffe, the President and CEO.  He formed this boutique cigar company several years ago as a means of producing flavorful cigars while also directing Crossfire’s economic benefits to the Dominican Republic economy and other third world countries.  Scott points out that Crossfire’s profits are redirected back into the Dominican Republic and other third world countries through a Kentucky based mission activity. 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 Maduro comes in 2 sizes – the Gordo at 5.5 X 56 and the Magnum at 6 X 60. I was given the Maduro Magnum at the 2013 IPCPR to review which is fine for me as I prefer a large ring gauge. The wrapper was a nice looking Ecuadorian Habana – Maduro and the binder and filler are Dominican. The cigar was very attractive and the construction very firm for the entire stick. I could barely see the seam for the cap. The appearance and construction are excellent.

The pre-smoke aroma had a hint of sweetness with noticeable earth and light pepper tones. The stick light well enough and the draw was quite open. The first third of the stick had very strong pepper, spice and earth flavors that moderated in the second third. By the final third, earthiness had disappeared and pepper and spice dominated with an under taste of coffee.  The smoke volume was very good and the ash continued to demonstrate the excellent construction of the cigar.

The stick lasted about 1 hour and was an enjoyable, flavorful smoke.  The SRP is around $9 and the Maduro has a rating of 4.5 out of 5.