If you’ve been frequenting the Stogie Review for a while, you probably remember My Graycliff Tobacco Beetle Adventure. If you haven’t read it yet, suffice it to say, it was sad tale of loss and questionable customer service. What I didn’t know then, was that writing up the experience was not the final chapter in the story.
A few months ago, a Graycliff representative contacted me. He had read about my misadventure, and wanted to replace those beetle-chewed sticks. In our conversation, I learned that one of my assumptions was correct, they do get contacted pretty frequently by people looking to score free cigars by claiming to have received damaged or beetle infested ones. Their policy is to replace legitimately flawed cigars, and find out where these cigars were purchased so they can look for and resolve any problems on their end of the process. (Inquiring about the location of the purchase also helps weed out the weasels.)
The cigars arrived, I smoked them, and so the story ends. Well nearly. As I smoked the last stick from the generous assortment I received, a red-labeled Graycliff Original Pirate, I was struck with how much I enjoyed it. So much so, I mentioned on twitter that it was my new favorite Graycliff. Cliff (@casafumacigars) of Casa Fuma Cigars saw my tweet and decided on the spot to mail me a bunch more. So it would appear that the final chapter of the story is meant to be a cigar review.
As the name implies, the red label is the original Graycliff cigar. It was created in 1997 for the upscale Graycliff hotel and restaurant in the Bahamas by Avelino Lara, the man who was once the supervisor of the Cohiba brand in Havana, Cuba. It comes in nearly a dozen different vitolas, from the tiny Taco (4 1/2 x 44) up to the shaggy-footed monster known as the Big Bamboo (14 x 50). In the Graycliff world, the name “Pirate” is synonymous with the torpedo or pyramid vitola. Let’s burn some pirates.
Cigar Stats:
Size: 6 x 52
Wrapper: Indonesia
Binder: Indonesia
Filler: Brazil, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua
Smoking Time: 2 hours
Beverage: Water
Price: MSRP $20.00
The Pre-Smoke
The Graycliff Original Pirate is an attention grabber to be sure. The red and shiny gold band just might blind you under the right lighting conditions. And when you pick one up, you’ll probably notice the cellophane is stretched to capacity around the stout torpedo. That does make it a little difficult to get the cigar out, but on the bright side it also probably means some bozo didn’t just run the bare stick under his nose before you bought it.
With the cigar carefully extracted from the cellophane, and my eyes adjusted to the golden glare it was time to take a look at the wrapper. Looking it over, I didn’t see any imperfections, finding only fine veins and an oily sheen on the wrapper.
The cigars all seemed well packed with tobacco, firm to the touch and free of soft spots. The wrapper had a really sweet honey and compost aroma, and the cold taste offered me some sweetness and earthy spices.
The Burn
The performance in the burn department reinforced my sense that these are well constructed cigars. They burned evenly for the most part, and produced a sturdy light gray or white ash that was pleasant to look at. I did have to relight one cigar just before the second third, but that was the extent of my burn trouble.
The Flavor
Ordinarily, I break this section up by thirds, but there didn’t seem to be substantial differences in the flavor between thirds. The base flavor was a complex combination of earth, spices and a little sweetness. Occasionally, there seemed to be a little leather or nuts in there as well. The flavor did develop some creaminess in the second third as the spices and earth mellowed a bit. And in the final third, the spices returned with a vengeance, making their presence known in the front of my mouth and on my lips.
The Price
This Graycliff is priced well outside of my comfort zone when it comes to everyday smokes. When you buy these, you definitely are paying a premium for the prestige of smoking them, not just the costs of production. With Graycliffs, the rule seems to be if you have to ask, you can’t afford them.
The Verdict
While the Graycliff Original Pirate was an agreeable, well constructed, milder smoke, none of cigars I lit up for this review wowed me like that first one. I’m not sure what the reason is for that, perhaps the differences in storage or age of the cigars, or maybe the influence of things I had had to eat and drink prior to that first red label. (As these Graycliff Originals were created for a restaurant and hotel, the food and drink combination may be key to the proper enjoyment of this cigar.) Which only reinforces my belief that you really do need to smoke a cigar several times before you form your opinion.
That being said, if you prefer mild but spicy cigars that burn very well and look great while doing so, and you have the funds, the Red Label Torpedo isn’t a bad way to go. It’s also wouldn’t be a bad choice as a special occasion smoke.
A big thanks to both Cliff and Graycliff for all the cigars. I really appreciate it guys!
Liked It: It was OK
Buy It Again: Probably not
Recommend It: To mild cigar smokers with extra pocket money
Tower of Burn
Here for your viewing pleasure is my trademark Tower of Burn.
I really enjoy Graycliff cigars, Depending on the day and my mood, the Original, Professional, or Crystal are all my favorites.
Nice to see them getting some positive space on SR.
I’m ‘graycliff’ on twitter I like ’em so much. :p
I agree — the first one I had really, really wowed me. The others are sitting in my humidor. Still waiting on it a bit.
As special occasion smokes, it’s hard to beat Graycliff. But I have been smoking more Ashtons of late…
I have limited experience with “real” Graycliffs, having only smoked 3. I don’t remember the names and sizes of the first two, just that they retailed for about $20 and $30 each and both were very quick-smoking for their size–seems that they were quite loosely-filled. The cigar-store manager said that is just the way Graycliffs are.
The third one was the Double Espresso, which is shorter than just about any of their other vitolas, but seems to be packed tighter (thus, the “Double”? I don’t know). It smoked for over an hour, tasted great and the retail was much less (about $13, I think, but I could be wrong).
My overall impression of Graycliffs, then, is that they are great cigars, but vastly overpriced for the amount of tobacco actually used to roll them and there are sticks that taste just as good and last far longer for the same price or less.
I am happy to hear, though, that they take their customer service seriously. Brian, it’s great to hear that they actually took the time to make it right for you.
I love these! But yes, they are expensive and it is true that there are great cigars that cost less. Still, they don’t last long in my humidor; one of my top 5.
Thanks for the review, Brian. I love your tower of burn!
jah
Thanks for the comments guys.
D Jones,
I have smoked other Graycliffs in the past, and noticed they seemed a little under-filled as well. However, it was NOT the case with these red label torpedoes. They were packed, just up to the point where any more would have negatively impacted the draw.
cool review! Greycliff = overpriced. But when I have a few extra bucks I plan on smoking the big bamboo.
\(^-^)/
Hey, isn’t “bozo” spelled “bowzo”????
Great review Brian. Especially following the other infested cigar review you did 🙂
I like Graycliff cigars. The Blue, White and the Black (Double Espresso) all seem loosely packed so I would tend to agree with the shop owner mentioned above that stated that’s how they are. But I don’t feel being loosely rolled was a negative. They draw well, have tons of smoke and taste great but tend to be on the strong side.
Overall, great cigars but the MSRP is ridiculous. Look for sales. At the deeply discounted sales prices they are great cigars.
Nice review. Glad to hear they greased your wheels.
I smoke most of the Graycliffs when I can get them on a Joes Jambalaya for ~ $6 each. Otherwise I am not interested as they are not worth the MSRP IMO.
Smoked about 1/2 a dozen different lines of the Graycliffs… The Double Espresso’s are my favorite so far.
Great review Brian. I am glad that they did the right thing and hooked you up. I have only had the 1666 and the only thing that kept me from buying more was the price.
Thanks, Brian, good to know it’s not just me on the “under-filled” issue. That being said, I might just have to pick up a red-label torpedo one day and see how I like it. Obviously not something I could ever see buying on a regular basis because of the price, but I’m always game for something new.
I have to fly out of Nashville in a couple weeks and I’m hoping to get to the airport a little too early and have time to kick back in the Graycliff store before my plane leaves. For those who haven’t heard, Graycliff has opened a pair of stores at the airport and I think it’s the only place you are allowed to smoke in the entire building. It might be worth the ridiculous price tag just to be able to enjoy a cigar while waiting for takeoff time!
Love your reviews Brian. And love your honesty. Once again, SR keeps it real!
Glad you put the cigars to good use!! haha…
Thanks for the mention…
Great Review…
The PURPLE IS BETTER!!
Nice review/follow up!
I have always stayed away from Graycliff due to hearing so much about beetles AND they are just overpriced for what you get. I might pick 1 up and smoke it that same day for a special occasion, but i doubt they would make it to my humi for any length of time – well plus the fact that I could not afford to buy enough to stock anyway..lol
Mike
Is the purple the gran cru? I have to admit, I really liked that one too!
I had the same experience. I got one in a sampler pack and was absolutely blown away by it. So I ordered an additional 5 pack. Despite a few months rest prior to smoking, the next two I tried were greatly disappointing…they were okay at best – certainly not the phenom from before.
I don’t know what to attribute it to…I noticed that the first one had some bloom, indicating that had been taken really good care of…
But definitely disappointing inconsistency…
I had the same experience. I got one in a sampler pack and was absolutely blown away by it. So I ordered an additional 5 pack. Despite a few months rest prior to smoking, the next two I tried were greatly disappointing…they were okay at best – certainly not the phenom from before.
I don’t know what to attribute it to…I noticed that the first one had some bloom, indicating that had been taken really good care of…
But definitely disappointing inconsistency…
Old thread but just stumbled on it. Smoking one as we
speak! Good smoke if the price is right…