Cruzado Marelas

Overall Score

1 review for Cruzado Marelas

  1. M***

    Cruzado Marelas

    Origin : HondurasCruzado
    Format : Perfecto
    Size : 5 5/8? x 46
    Wrapper : Nicaraguan Criollo
    Filler : Nicaraguan and Honduran
    Binder : Nicaragua
    Hand-Made
    Price : $9 each

    The Cruzado is brought to us by the same people who make the Illusione line of cigars. I previously reviewed the Cruzado Elitas which I found to be an amazing smoke. In that review I laid out all the details of the Cruzado line so rather than repeat all that in this review, just click here if you’re interested in those details. Today I am smoking the Marelas. The Marelas is a perfecto and a skinny one at that. I mentioned before one of the things about the Cruzados is that not a single stick in the entire line tops a 48 ring size and that includes this perfecto, which at its thickest is just a 46 ring. I am partial to the thinner ring gauges. In my opinion the 42-48 range for ring size is an ideal size for a cigar allowing for the best balance of flavors between wrapper and blend.

    After having such a great experience with the Elitas I smoked a few more of them and each was equally impressive, so when I lit the Marelas I was a little surprised. Two things account for this. The first was an initial blast of metallic bitterness on the first few puffs. The second was that this cigar seems a bit milder in strength and body. Thankfully the metallic taste went away quickly. It was replaced by earth and leather. The aroma is rich and earthy as well. It has a delicious sweet finish. Once I worked past the bulge near the foot, the flavors became rich and creamy, full of sweet spice and a hint of pepper. This was the best that it would get though. Unfortunately it became a bit bitter again. The bitterness kept coming and going in between pleasant notes of earth and leather and this continued all the way until the end of the smoke. I’m not sure what happened here. Although the size and shape of a cigar can effect the flavors of a blend, I was expecting this to be at least similar to the Elitas but it was not. It showed promise when the bitterness was absent, but because of it I didn’t enjoy this vitola nearly as much as the Elitas. My hope is this was a fluke, and I’ll give the Marelas another try. If my experience is any different I’ll report back on it.

    Update : June 19 2009

    My first experience with the Marelas was a little disappointing. However, I decided to hold off giving the cigar a rating and planned to revisit it because I could see a lot of potential in it, plus all the other vitolas I have tried in the Cruzado line have been stellar, especially the Elitas. The first specimen I tried had an odd bitterness to it that tainted my experience. This time things were much different.

    Right from the start this cigar was smooth and yet powerful, much more like the other Cruzados I have smoked. It started off with notes of spice and fruit. As I worked past the bulge of the perfecto it really started to pickup. Strong robust flavors of coffee and spice mingle with a rich tobacco flavors. It still wasn’t the power house I found the Elitas to be, but it was much fuller this time, its body on the full side of medium. As the cigar tapers down it gets spicier and with lots of chocolate and coffee. it never gets harsh though remaining smooth with a creamy finish that lingers nicely on the palette. This is more like what I was expecting the first time I smoked this cigar. An excellent smoke that I highly recommend.

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    • Z** C****

      My Review of the Cruzado Marelas

      One thing I like about the line already is that not one single size exceeds a 48 ring gauge except the perfecto. This will ensure that the wrapper’s flavor is more in the forefront than in many other blends.

      The cigar’s band seems to reflect a “knight’s theme”: gold, silver and black seem to give the impression you need some armor to smoke this cigar.

      The wrapper is thin and oily, with a reddish hue somewhere between maduro and Colorado maduro. The perfecto cuts well and the pre-light draw, to quote our buddy Larry, is like sucking through a big straw.

      Cruzado Marelas

      The cigar takes a light easy and I am enveloped in a plume of rich earthy smoke.

      What strikes me in the first puff as I blow it through my nose: this is not a medium bodied or medium strength cigar! This is a flavor firecracker! The felling I get through my nose as I blow the smoke out is the same I get with a LG Diez.

      Right away the cigar is both sweet and spicy, loads of chocolate and spiced apple (that’s right – apple) compete for attention in my mouth. There are also hints of cedar and coffee present.

      As I get to the “bulb” of perfecto, the cigar gets spicier and makes me wonder if this is fuller in flavor and strength than the Illusione…

      As the cigar narrows the flavors get sweeter and richer, I pick up more cocoa and coffee with every puff with just a hint of anise on the finish. My only complaint is on the finish, which is really short. I want to savor these flavors even more!

      Just like the Cabaiguan and the La Riqueza are totally different cigars compared to the Tatuaje; the Cruzado is a completely different smoke than the Illusione. To me, the Illusione is earthy and rustic, while the Cruzado is crisp and refined.

      This has been one of the best new cigars I have tried since the debut of the original Tatuaje blend. Dion seriously knocked it out of the park with the Cruzado. To make things even more appealing, the price point on all sizes is under 9 bucks (at least in NC)! Pick one up (a box even) soon!

      Rating: 95 (A)

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Cigar Region Honduras
Filler Nicaragua
Wrapper Nicaragua
Binder Nicaragua
Length 6 1/2
Ring Gauge 52
Vitola Toro
Construction Hand Made
Price Paid $9.50