Graycliff 'G2' June 22nd, 2010 Gonz Share: 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-mellow 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 smooth, 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 mellow 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-tamed, 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