Graycliff Espresso PG

C

croatan

Parisian Pimp
rjs talked this cigar up to me during the RTDA convention in Houston last month and, when he found out I hadn't tried one, he told me he'd send me one. Not long after returning home, I found this cigar (and a couple others) in my mailbox. So, after letting it rest a few weeks, I figured I'd pour a drink, put a movie on (Vertigo--what a great flick!), smoke the cigar, and do a quick review.

Upon clipping the cigar, I was immediately impressed. For one, I was left with a good divot, which I love to see in a cigar (see pic below--sorry the pics aren't great, I was in movie-mode and didn't have much light). Additionally, the prelight draw was good and there were no unpleasant flavors--to the contrary, I got a bit of an aged tobacco flavor that made me look forward to lighting the cigar up.
divot.jpg


espresso.jpg


Given the cigar's name, I took a guess on flavors and poured a glass of Kahlua to go with it.

I must say: I enjoyed the cigar from first puff to last. True to its name, I did notice many flavors in the chocolate/cocoa/coffee/espresso range, sometimes creamy and sometimes spicy through the nose. It started out fairly medium-bodied (I had a couple of "ashy" puffs during the middle third), and it really picked up flavor and strength toward the end. It was one of those "why can't the whole cigar taste like the last third" type of smoke.

Though I enjoyed the cigar, I'd have a very difficult time paying retail for it, which is probably why I hadn't tried one before tonight.

Rob, thanks again. And, specifically, thanks for opening my eyes to a pretty darn good non-Cuban cigar.
 
these are great cigars

I've been on a Graycliff binge for several months now since I was given some Crystal Pirates and Chateau Grand Crus by pds as contest winnings. I mostly smoke full flavored/bodied NCs so the contrast was amazing, hardly any bite, much more mild yet still very flavorful.

I had a bit of what I think is a revelation on the Graycliff flavors last week, they all tout Brazilian leaf as a component to the blends. I was lucky enough to land a load of Brazilian puros quite some time ago and I decided to smoke nothing but for a solid week, I ended up admiring them a great deal and thinking they were very similar to Cubans in the fact that they were all very organic in flavor, never anything that tasted overpowering, harsh, or biting. In the end I thought them a little flat for flavor but the consistent grassy, vegetal, earthy flavors were admirable and what I came to assume was indicative of a Brazilian 'twang'.

Graycliffs I think use Brazilian leaf like a base, a canvas if you will, to paint on top of with other more traditional NC flavors/leaves. It works real good for me!

But yeah, retail price on these are just silly. Great smoke, review and pics. Grazi.
 
I love me a Graycliff (and could kick myself in the rump for missing out on CI's $150 a box deal that sold out in less than four hours), but the sticker price is just insanely prohibitive. The only shop near me that carries these charges $23-$35 a stick, depending on the label/vitola. I'll treat myself to one every once in a great while, but I always think about the five or six decent smokes I could have gotten for that price. LOL
 
horrorview said:
I love me a Graycliff (and could kick myself in the rump for missing out on CI's $150 a box deal that sold out in less than four hours), but the sticker price is just insanely prohibitive. The only shop near me that carries these charges $23-$35 a stick, depending on the label/vitola. I'll treat myself to one every once in a great while, but I always think about the five or six decent smokes I could have gotten for that price. LOL
Click to expand...

:tpd:

I did pick up a couple of fivers from the devil at a price I was willing to pay and gotta say I really like the 'gar. But I won't buy them as a matter of course, rather only if/when I see 'em at a decent price.
 
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