Graycliff Double Espresso Cigar Review
Ah, the Graycliff Double Espresso. This is one of those cigars that is touted for its exclusive tobaccos and its amazing flavors. Many people who I have talked with about this cigar say that they really liked it. Me? Well, that is another story (I gave it 86 points after smoking ten of them). But due to the positive reviews I have heard about this cigar there has always been this nagging suspicion left in my mind that I was the poor, stupid bastard that purchased the only ten Double Espressos that were bad.
Now I’m going to put that theory to the test by taking another look at the Graycliff Double Espresso (Thanks to Cigars Direct for providing the stick).
It’s not a site to behold. Snarled veins here and there, a wrapper that transitions from brown to a perceptibly darker shade of brown the closer you get to the foot and it is bumpy. Most of the deficiencies in appearance can be forgiven if the cigar tastes good.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 4.5″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Costa Rica
Binder: Costa Rica
Filler: Cuban Seed Corojo & Ecuadorian Ligero
Price: $18.00/cigar
Hunter S. Thompson Flame!
Honestly, it’s starting out well. Notes of chocolate and spice mainly. One of the things that I had a problem with previously when I smoked this cigar is that there was this general lack of flavor, which is something I don’t take too kindly for such an expensive cigar. Now the story is a bit different.
Let’s get one thing straight: this cigar is not a flavor bomb. What it is, so far at least, is a good mixture of flavors ranging from the aforementioned chocolate and spice to cedar and leather.
Things do pick up a little near the beginning of the second half in terms of both strength of flavor and strength of body. The main thing that I am liking about it at this juncture is that it is keeping my interest. The flavors are bouncing around like a ball in a pinball machine. One minor annoyance I have with this cigar is that I get this slight salty flavor that comes through. It’s not enough to ruin the experience for me but it’s enough to warrant a quick mention.
The final third does see some different nuances come into play. For example, there is some sweetness that comes on board. It is basically a sugary sweetness. There are also some coffee notes that are coming through.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this cigar. It is a lot better than I had remembered it being and I can see why so many other people like it. It’s full bodied, has a good draw and there a multitude of flavors that I always enjoy. On the downside the burn isn’t great and there was that salty flavor that was mainly apparent during the second third. With all that being said, it is a cigar many will like. Pick up a five pack here for only $40.
91 points
Monte Pascoal Cigar Review
About half a year ago I was contacted by a cigar maker of Brazilian puros. They ended up sending me three samples of their Monte Pascoal Double Coronas and this is my review of that cigar.
Honestly, when I first received these cigars I wasn’t expecting much because I can’t think of any good Brazilian puros. But they looked like they were well made. The parejo shape was pretty uniform but there are these bumps that dot the entirety of the cigar’s structure. It’s oily but it’s also a little veiny too, which could cause problems with the cigar’s burn. Here is what the makers of this cigar have to say about the tobaccos used:
The Mata Fina tobacco is characterized by complex aromas and an elegant bouquet, while the Mata Norte provides the full-bodied flavour most experienced cigar smokers enjoy.
Here is what they have to say about the blend:
All of the cigars in the Monte Pascoal line are blended with these two tobaccos, in different proportions, allowing each smoking experience to be completely unique from one vitola (size) to another.
That is basically true for every cigar: different vitolas deliver different flavors whether that is in intensity, nuance or proportionality. Alright, enough with this egregiously long preamble, lets get down to business.
Cigar Stats
Length: 7 5/8″
Ring Gauge: 49
Wrapper: Brazil Mata Fina
Binder: Brazil Mata Fina
Filler: Brazil Mata Fina & Mata Norte
Price: $34.00/5 Pack | $166.00/Box of 25
Hitchens and the Bible Fire!
Before anything else this must be said: it’s unique. The two major flavor profiles that I am picking up are sweetness and herbal and they are paired with this molasses after taste that isn’t altogether bad. Additionally, the flavors are not all that strong in the beginning (can flavors get lost over 7″ of cigar?).
During the second third, which takes a while to reach since this cigar is fairly long, sees an increase in the intensity of the flavors. Another change is that the flavors are now sweet and floral. While this isn’t exactly my idea of what constitutes great flavors for some it might be more appealing.
As the final third commences there is an oakiness that starts to come through but the main flavor is still that sweet floral flavor. This cigar has a slightly tight draw and the burn is good. I would peg it in the medium bodied range.
I have heard that some other people really like this cigar, which is something I can understand. It’s unique because it is a Brazilian puro and should be tried so that you can expand your cigar smoking horizons. Personally, I thought it was a decent cigar.
87 points
AFGL: Towers, Thrones and Heavenly Views
In this edition of A Few Good Links we will cover a couple of epic book series that have been and will be made into television series and/or movies and some awesome pictures.
- Stephen King’s Dark Tower Series is his magnum opus. It follows the last Gunslinger around in his search for the Dark Tower, which is basically the answer to everything. Without giving away the biggest spoiler about the series I do have something to say. I hope that the coming movie/television series about the Dark Tower Series has a different ending than the books. Actually, I think that this deserves a much more in depth explanation and I’ll be giving one later this week. However, if you are one of those people who loves an epic tale then this is a good place to start.
- I have not read George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice Series but I am watching the television series that is based off the books: Game of Thrones. Like King’s series, Martin’s series is about a mythical world that is facing very troubling times. There is evil afoot and competing claims to the crown. I’m seriously thinking about purchasing the first four books from this series; any of you who have read it think that it is worth the while?
- The last thing I want to share with you this Sunday is a link to 100 pictures that were taken from planes. They are gorgeous pictures of different places all over the globe. A few of these things I have seen, most I haven’t. Take a gander if you get the time. Here’s one of the more striking images, which comes from Cargill Salt Ponds in San Francisco Bay.
5 Vegas Relic Short Cigar Review
Thanks to the good folks over at Cigars Direct for this cigar. Now onto business. And this is going to be a Short Cigar Review not because the length of this post is short but because I only smoked one of these cigars.
You would be forgiven if you saw this cigar from across the room and thought that it was a good looking cigar. For one, it’s a figurado, which, while not a rarity, is a different pace. Another reason to appreciate its look from across the room is its dark and alluring wrapper. Alas, you will need to eventually cross the room and pick up the cigar if you are going to smoke it.
When you do that be prepared for a haphazard cacophony of black blotches on a muddied, dark brown canvas. Look closer and you will see a series of bumps and other misshapen portions of the cigar. It’s not totally gruesome but it is, charitably, rough looking.
On the plus side there is a goodly amount of oil on the wrapper. Well, that and it’s a cigar.
The prelight draw was, as expected, nonexistent. But I was able to get some chocolate flavors up front followed by some spice on the finish.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5.7″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Dominican Corojo
Binder: Dominican Piloto
Filler: Three kinds of Dominican: Piloto ’96, Corojo and Criollo
Price: $5.25/Cigar | $100.00/Box of 24
Mamet Fire!
Surprisingly, the draw starts out nicely. Even though it requires a little effort to get some smoke through I am able to pick up some sweet spice notes. That’s pretty much all there is until the burn reaches the meaty part of the cigar.
Once the burn reaches the meaty part of the cigar I’m better able to pinpoint that sweet flavor – it’s fruity, like a peach. As the burn progresses spice takes on greater importance and that chocolate flavor I sensed on the prelight draw also comes on, but barely.
That peachiness has (mercifully) faded into the background. Now the spice is really making its presence known. Chocolate only grows stronger.
This is a medium bodied, maybe medium-full bodied, cigar. The flavors are actually pretty good. Even that peachy sweetness wasn’t too bad. Couple all that with this being a fairly cheap cigar and it is definitely worth a try.
3 points – Average
ROTT in Hell
It’s like Christmas morning for a cigar smoker: the delivery truck guy drops off a box of cigars, you open up the box to find some delicious cigars and then you take one of those cigars out of their cellophane wrapper, cut the head off, light the foot and then… You get disappointed. The flavor is all wrong, the cigar doesn’t burn right, your expectations are not met and you are now bummed.
Smoking cigars Right Off The Truck (ROTT) is a bad idea for a number of very simple reasons. Here are some that I can think of right off the bat:
- Cigars are not properly humidified while they are in transit
- Cigars have been exposed to wild fluctuations in temperature while they were in transit
- Cigars may not have been properly cared for before they were even shipped
- In rare cases, the delivery company will damage the package – accidentally of course
- Maybe the cigars were properly cared for but are still just too young to be smoked
I know it might be hard to put away some cigars that you have been looking forward to trying for a while but that is what you should do; especially when you are ordering cigars from an online retailer. When you are ordering online you have no way of knowing how those cigars that you ordered were cared for either in the retailer’s humidor or in transit. Personally, I have not had a problem with the quality of the cigars I have received from any of the online retailers that I have used as long as I have let my cigars rest in my humidor. But rest is the key.
How long should you let your cigars rest? I have found no hard and fast rules here as some cigars have been very good ROTT while others didn’t start tasting good until more than a month after I received them. Generally speaking though, I will give whatever my value, go-to cigars at least two weeks of rest after I have received them and for the more special cigars I will let them rest for at least a couple of months. I have some cigars in my not-too big humidor collection that have been resting for over a year, but that is more for finding the right occasion to smoke those cigars as opposed to giving them extra rest. (To see a review that compares the same cigar with different periods of rest go here.)
There are times, however, when I don’t stick to those rules. For example, I recently got shipments of two different kinds of very good cigars. One was the Cro Magnon and the other was the Man O’ War Puro Authentico. I smoked the smallest vitola from the Cro Magnon line ROTT and it was pretty awesome. Tons of flavor and a good balance to the flavors even though it nearly knocked me on my ass power-wise. Likewise, I smoked a Man O’ War Puro Authentico ROTT and was severely disappointed. It was harsh and the flavors were pretty bad.
Since then I have let both lines of cigars rest. Both have gotten better and the Man O’ War Puro Authenticos have become pretty good cigars with lots of flavor and nuance. If only I had rested them all ROTT I would not have wasted a cigar due to my impatience.
