You might recall a short time ago when the Robb Report labeled this bad-boy as being “nearly hallucinogenic”. I suppose that might be an applicable description by some, but in my humble opinion it’s merely a buzz word designed to attract attention to Graycliff’s original Espresso line. Certainly the blend is enticing enough with a combination of long-fillers consisting of Cuban-seed Corojo, Ecuadorian Ligero and Nicaraguan tobacco all wrapped up inside an oily and dark Costa-Rican wrapper. A pedigree that would have most of us literally wiping the drool from our chins!

I’ve honestly tried to give this cigar every opportunity to “blow my skirt up” (use your imagination) by smoking each of the Churchill, Torpedo and Robusto sizes on various occasions, with and without food and with a variety of my favorite spirits. Each and every time I found myself disappointed by the lack of flavor and complexity that this cigar delivers. Add to this a price tag of $18-$22 per stick and now we might be gaining some insight as to where the “nearly hallucinogenic” description came from! A 5-pack of these babies will lighten your wallet real quick leaving you feeling woozy just before your lights go out when you hit the floor like a ton of bricks. I know, I know, it’s a Graycliff and after masterfully crafting the Emerald, Crystal, Professionale and original lines you are probably thinking that it is a given that Espresso would deliver everything it promises and then some. Unfortunately, I’m sorry to say that’s not the case here. Maybe I’m being too harsh and if you truly do enjoy the Espresso then I digress. However, if you were contemplating a purchase or if you have oogled these cigars from afar uttering to yourself, “one day…one day you will be mine”, well then, my advice to you is to think it through before you pull the trigger on these. $100 can buy you one helluva of a sampling of some very tasty treats, or it can get you just one…single…5-pack.