JUNE 22, 2021 - PHIL KURUT, COMEDY - CIGARS - MUSIC
CRUX GUILD TORO EXTRA BP MARBLEHEAD (6 1/2 x 52)
WRAPPER: ECUADOR
BINDER: NICARAGUA
FILLER: NICARAGUA
The Crux Guild possesses a beautiful light brown wrapper. I dig the gold, orange, and white band, and the openings for the wrapper to show through are a nice touch.
Milk chocolate and prune tiptoe off the foot and wrapper as a swift punch of spice makes me sneeze. I always enjoy the people who try to muffle their sneezes only to make the sound akin to a quiet fart. They try. Not sure if that qualifies for a participation trophy.
Earth, tobacco, grain, and salt hit the palate, and this nice old cigar shop aroma fills the room. Hard to explain, but if you’ve been to one, you know what I’m talking about. It’s half the fun of going in there. Within a few more puffs, butter and oak begin to dance on the palate as well.
Earth and a touch of sweet leather find themselves chatting in the retrohale while coffee bean, leather, and spice guide the finish.
The draw, smoke output, and burn are absolute perfection. Hopefully, I haven’t jinxed anything.
Earth, butter, and oak continue on through the first third, and they pick up some raisin and faint maple syrup along their travels. Travels. Kind of like the Lord of the Rings. Maybe not. I’m a geek.
Sweetened coffee and spice keep the nose entertained. Coffee bean, leather, and spice refuse to give up the finish, and that’s fine. They work together well…kind of like Lord of the Rings. This is one of many reasons I spent my formative years securely buckled in the friend zone.
The second third rolls on with earth, butter, oak, raisin, and maple syrup goodness. Other sweet and enjoyable flavor notes join in throughout, but they sprint through without giving me a chance to identify them. Oh, well. I’m happy enough to meet them, even if I didn’t catch their names.
The retrohale has gone completely clean and smooth on me, offering up an excellent fresh baked bread.
Coffee bean and spice hold their spots in the finish and allow for a touch of sweetness to even them out. That coffee bean floats all round and in between the tongue and palate. Airy.
The draw and burn keep on perfectly, and the smoke output decides perfect wasn’t good enough. Plumes of smoke now cascade around the room with every puff and release. Excellent.
What started out as an already pleasant aroma of a nice old cigar shop has now been enhanced with some raisin. Performance enhancing? Maybe. I’ll have to check for muscle mass increases after I finish this. Gains.
Earth, toastiness, and a sweet wood wrap up the Guild. Raisin and coffee dominate the retrohale, and coffee now charges along on a solo mission in the finish.
A burn touch-up halfway through the final third was the only time the Guild made me think about anything other than enjoying its company. Well, that and typing, but that’s on me.
If you haven’t yet, you should take a trip with the Crux Guild. It’s a fun one.
SMOKE TIME: 1 hr. 35 mins.
RATING: 3.25 - Fresh out of the friend zone.
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