Graycliff 'G2'
Who is Gonz?
Episode 1
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Thank goodness for cheapskates like us, yeah, that means you and me there kid-o. The chieftains at Graycliff rarely feast on our hard-earned dollars. $300 for a box of cigars...whoa sonny....that just ain't in my appetite of daily cigar pleasures. I think they finally realized that the bargain barrel, odd-lot shoppers just won't shell out that kind of mortgage payment on cigars. Enter the everyman's Graycliff, the new 'G2'. OK, it's not exactly new, but I finally ponied up the guts to try what many have termed "Graycliff's lower-end cigar". Call me a sissy, worse things have touched my lips, but I simply didn't want to tempt my delicate palate with a potential atrocity that would scar me for life.
I picked up a 5-er of the Toros, and they look pretty darn scrumptious. A beautiful Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut wrapper (but to the less-than-skilled master-magician hairy Gonz eyeball, sure looks like a true Connecticut to me). Firm in the fingertips, a quick clip and light jumpstarted my newest carnival ride. Immediately, I'm intrigued by a peppery and lingering finish which exploded on the front tongue, very surprising from what I thought would be an uber-mild powder puff. I then expected it to disappear within a few draws, but it didn't. I'm two full ash-drops in (each about 3/4" - not bad, eh?) and the finish continues to linger. The smoke is mild, no doubt, and with a firm draw there's very little smoke to infect my precious new office space. No doubt it's chock full of mild Dominican tobaccos, a touch of seco thrown in perhaps, and a sliver of Nicaraguan richness to provide a little extra body. Overall though, a touch above uber-mild, but not much, thanks to the spice that keeps it interesting for a solid 45 minutes....a perfect anytime cigar.
The chalky white ash and perfectly even burn are pluses, while the draw is indeed firm, not vein-popping, I like smoke surrounding me and I need to draw pretty hard to get that smoke ring around my noggin. I think these would be better served if a touch on the under-humidified side. Completely unintrusive, this could be smoked in nearly any company. My Graycliff budget may indeed be established, a definite inclusion in my bursting humidor of cheapskate favorites. At $2.50 to $3.00 per stick, these qualify as a new fixture.
Light'em up,
- Gonz
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Gonz is... |
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the hotshot web developer and systems administrator at Cigars International. His prolific descriptions are truly his own and don't necessarily reflect the views of Cigars International as a whole. He smokes a lot and gives his opinion on everything, whether we like or not, and someone here thought it would be a good idea to give him his own section.
Gonz is not responsible for the website or catalog product descriptions, just Gonz's Pick. So, don't be surprised if his opinion differs from the other descriptions found throughout the Cigars International website and catalogs.
All praise, comments, suggestions, criticisms, etc. should be directed to gonz@cigarsinternational.com. And most importantly, take his opinion with a grain of salt!
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