Staff Reviews

I’ve burned through most of the regular Graycliff lines (Professionale, Original, Crystal, Espresso, et al) and after each one, I kicked my self for dropping upwards of $20 on just one cigar (I know - I should have learned my lesson after the first one, but I’m an optimist). Don’t get me wrong, their stuff is not bad, and if I paid $5-8 I would be thrilled…but $20+, c’mon! So while I’m not normally a huge supporter of Graycliff, the new and improved Graycliff G2 definitely piqued my interest. Dude…a $3 Graycliff, that’s what I’m talking about! Yes, you read that right; we’re rolling them out here at CI for just $59.99 per box of 20. So at a price I can actually stomach, I figured I would give Graycliff’s newest offering a whirl.

Graycliff G2 features a Connecticut-seed wrapper grown in the fertile soils of Ecuador. The wrapper is slightly spotty, but it has an attractive, golden tan color with a smooth appearance and a nice sheen of oil. And unlike some of the other Graycliffs I’ve dealt with, G2 is firm and well filled. Inside, lies an aged two-country filler blend from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Pre-light, this thing looks decent and has an enjoyably mellow smell, enticing enough for me.

After sparking, I’m pleasantly surprised. This cigar is smooth. It’s fairly smooth,  the smoke just rolls off the tongue. The flavor is crisp, with notes of cream, cedar and a nice sweetness completed by an extraordinarily clean finish. And there’s some richness in the aroma, which adds to the experience. As it burned it didn’t change much, straightforward and satisfying all the way down. Throughout, it burned straight, but a bit quicker than I prefer.

Overall, Graycliff G2 was enjoyable. I can’t see it winning any awards, but I could see myself burning one fairly often. A well-made, smoother offering at a solid price. And if you’re into this sort of thing…your friends will probably think you spent top dollar on them.

The weather is changing and I love it. The days have been hitting mid to high 70s, allowing ample time for work - which warrants a cold reward (read: beer) in the end, while daylight still allows enough time for a nice cigar. Lately, I’ve been hooked on one full-bodied combination: a big 22oz bottle of Stone Russian Imperial Stout paired with the new, Nicaraguan-made Diesel. Believe me when I say it....a match made in heaven.

Diesel is new to the market and due to hit our docks very soon. It is hand-crafted in Nicaragua and made in just one size: a stout 5”x56 Torpedo called the ‘Unholy Cocktail.’ I like the name but have to disagree....this cigar is indeed holy, and has made me ever thankful for the fruits of well blended, full-bodied tobaccos.

What makes Diesel truly unique is its use of a rare Broadleaf maduro wrapper from Pennsylvania. The PA Broadleaf wrapper is used by just a few makers - most notably Rocky Patel - and offers a rich and chewy flavor that’s true to the maduro name. This leaf is exceptionally thick and oily, and represents a perfect complement to the bold tobaccos within. These long-leaf tobaccos are Cuban-seed ligeros grown in Nicaragua.

The cigar is heavy in the hand and just plain dense. Not a soft spot to be found anywhere throughout this generous frame. The prelight aroma has a slight barnyard influence and rich sweetness. The thick ring takes some time to light with a soft flame, but it’s worth the wait. This cigar is worthy of a slowdown period.

Diesel opens with a warm toastiness and subtle spices on the exhale. The spices are much more prevalent through the nose - be careful. The aroma is rich and oily, filling the room with a robust charcoal aroma via thick clouds of heavy, gray smoke. The smoke is velvety, creating a chewy character that sits heavily on the palate. I pick up a dense, earthy core followed by a long series of spicy-sweet nuances. Midway through, the full-bodied nature of these tobaccos kicks in. I also take note of a sweet oakiness. The finish is long and robust. A hint of cedar develops after each puff, challenging the spicy aftertaste, but gracefully loses. The earthiness grows more intense and the aroma becomes quite zesty as I approach the final third. My head is swimming, but I can’t get enough of these dark flavors. Just when I start thinking the cigar can’t possibly become more robust - about the 3/4 mark - the smoke mellows, allowing me to fully appreciate the rich core of earth and black tobacco goodness. I feel like it’s toying with me....tempting me to light up another.

For those interested, some notes on the beer itself. Stone Russian Imperial Stout is my current favorite when it comes to big beers. ‘Big beer’ is a term used for high alcohol content brews. The Russian Imperial Stout weighs in at a hefty 10.5% - that’s borderline hallucinogenic! However, the micro-brew is purely stout. It’s thick as mud and black as night, producing a thick, creamy froth that looks like a chocolate shake. The flavor is dark and chocolatey, with heavy roasted notes and a coffee grind influence. There’s some oakiness in there, and a strong sweetness on the finish. There’s a ton of hops, but the bitterness is masked by the heavy roasted notes. It goes down easy, especially compared to most big beers, but it must be savored slowly. Russian Imperial Stout packs a lot of heat (strength) and it will be felt before the bottle is finished....I notice it before pouring the balance into my pint glass. All you need is one, and it’ll be tough to resist opening a second, but for the sake of continuing your evening, I suggest you quit while you’re ahead.

Without its companion, Diesel is delicious and I highly recommend it. If you’re on the prowl for a satisfying, full-bodied, and full-flavored handmade....you won’t be sorry. If you dare to try the two together, make sure your evening is free of chores and responsibilities. Upon completion, you’ll want to make a b-line to the couch to watch my Phillies hit homeruns like over-aged man-children in the Little League World Series.

I have to be honest with you. I haven’t burned a CAO ‘VR’ Full Fathom Five in a long time. Actually, it might have been since its initial release 2 years ago – this cigar was initially produced in a limited production run of just 500 boxes (each hand signed by Tim Ozgener), and they sold very quickly. Fortunately, I secured 2 boxes before it sold out. Well, this 5.5”x55 box-pressed cigar has returned to the CAO ‘VR’ lineup, much to the delight of the hundreds that sent in emails asking for more. Today, the reason why I am burning this cigar is because it is part of September’s Cigar of the Month selection. That right there is some insider info for all the members – scary part is, this cigar ain’t even the ‘best’ in the bunch! So, I thought I’d double-dip on this cigar and bang out a Staff Review and the newsletter write-up. Efficiency. Cutting costs on cigars and saving time....please tell my boss!

The Full Fathom Five was the first of CAO’s 5.5”x55 box-pressed vitolas. The cigar was a huge success, which quickly spawned the same vitola in CAO’s Brazilia, Italia, and Mx2 lines. However, it is the original that still maintains the limelight due to the rich, amplified flavors it brings to the table.

As I said before, CAO ‘VR’ Full Fathom Five is a 5.5”x55 cigar finished with a soft, “Spanish” box-press format. The thicker ring creates room for more of the bold Nicaraguan and Honduran long-fillers utilized by this blend, promoting more complexity and a slower, cooler burn. Despite the additional tobaccos, the dark Brazilian Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper hardly plays second fiddle....which makes me happy because I love this leaf.

The cigar opens with a dense blast of toast and pepper, but the finish is surprisingly smooth and clean. This smooth aftertaste hints of a mellow bouquet to come. Would you know it....the cigar mellows almost instantly. The spice is all but gone, allowing the palate to detect subtle complexities with each puff. The toastiness remains, but I am picking up a rich, leathery element, dark tobacco flavors, and a touch of cedar. After the first inch the spice returns as I exhale, tickling the back of my palate. This spice is delayed though, allowing me to fully appreciate the other flavors at play. The leathery influence grows more intense as I approach the halfway point.

Note: if you’ve ever wanted to know what people mean by ‘leather,’ CAO ‘VR’ is a great way to discover this flavor. It’s almost unmistakable.

I’d like to touch on the wrapper a bit. In my opinion, the Brazilian Arapiraca leaf produces one of the finest maduros out there. The flavor and smoke texture it creates is genuine maduro. The smoke hits your palate in a heavy, chewy fashion. The flavor is dark and toasty, showcases optimum balance between sweetness and spice. The aroma is dense with a deep charcoal-like scent. The leaf itself is thick and juicy....something you can really chew on without it breaking. To me, that’s a maduro wrapper....and that’s a part of the reason why I enjoy CAO ‘VR’.

So....we have a lot going on here. The smoke is chewy and thick. The flavor starts out peppery, only to mellow into a smooth, leathery core with rich notes of dark tobacco, cedar, sweet notes, and a touch of pepper on the finish. The aroma is charcoal-like goodness. Through the nose I pick up heavy spices and cedar. All this and I still have the final third to go. By this time my head is spinning a little bit. I think I am puffing on this chunkster too often – it burns far too slow for this.

People often ask me for CAO’s best maduro. I always say ‘VR.’ Don’t get me wrong, I love the Brazilia, but the Arapiraca wrapper on this ‘VR’ offers a level of flavor not found in most maduros. It’s just plain unique and I love it. If you want smooth and chocolatey....go with the Brazilia. Otherwise, take the ‘VR’ for a test drive. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

I’m a certified gadget nut. I love all kinds of electronic toys, because normally they make my life easier (which is always welcomed). Cigars aren’t normally a huge forum for gadgets, but I’m sure most of you have seen an electronic humidifier either within the pages of our catalog, on the web, or at a cigar shop. It’s been my experience that most people eye them up with interest but never pull the trigger on a purchase. I know, it seems pricy for a humidifier. But if you have as much cash tied up in cigars as I do (or even a collection half the size of mine), it makes sense to ease the process of keeping your prized cigars properly cared for.

Not too long ago, I put together an instructional video for the Humi-Care EH Plus Electronic Humidifier. The EH Plus a great unit if you have a “smaller” humidor (150-500 capacity). I’ve been playing around with these electronic humidifiers for a while, and they really make cigar humidification nearly effortless. Electronic humidifiers are like the cigar accessory version of those rotisseries from the infomercials – set it and forget it. I know a lot of guys have developed good systems, and an electronic unit may not be on your wish list. But if you’ve been using those plastic humidifiers with the floral sponge inside, get one of these – it will change your life, I promise. The EH Plus works well, wont break the bank and accommodates the majority of the humidors out there.

Just recently, Humi-Care debuted a new electronic humidifier – the Humi-Care XG1000 Pro (the name even sounds impressive!). The XG1000 Pro is the EH Plus’s bigger, badder cousin, equipped with enough power to humidify everything up to a commercial size cabinet humidor (16 cubic feet). For those of you who have a cabinet size humidor, or are thinking of getting one, take note of the Humi-Care XG1000.

The unit itself is big for a humidifier, but not massive (11" x 4.25" x 4.75") – able to be nestled nicely in the bottom corner of a cabinet without losing too much space. It comes equipped with dual top-mounted fans and the ability to add additional fans (up to 3 more) if desired. The reservoir is large, to keep refills to a minimum. Once you fill it up with distilled water, set the desired humidity on the LED screen and the unit will run until it achieves that level then shut off. Then when it dips below again, it kicks back on. Simple, but effective. Another nice feature is the remote control panel (on a 54” cord), which lets you operate the XG1000 without even opening up the humidor. The unit also alerts you when the water is low with a blinking light and a beeping. Its design is sleek and attractive, it’s all digital and accurate, and it’s powerful enough to get the job done on bigger areas.

If you have a larger humidor, this thing is the way to go. In addition to being feature-loaded, powerful and well made, it retails for only $149.95 – more than $50 less than most other comparable models.

CAO is a brand that makes a ton of great cigars, has accrued a lion’s share of 90+ ratings, and developed a devoted fan base of die-hard CAO nuts. Their cigars are definitely some of the best on the market today. A personal favorite of mine has always been the CAO Black. This is the unequivocal “everybody” or “anytime” cigar. It’s mild and smooth enough to light up right at the crack of dawn, but it also has more than enough flavor and complexity to be enjoyed after a full meal or over drinks. It’s the essential, universal humidor staple. Best part is, they are consistent as hell and reasonably priced.

The packaging is noteworthy. The boxes are hand painted with a Jackson Pollock-esque paint splattering – a nice touch. Packaged in wooden boxes of 20, each cigar comes individually cedar wrapped.

The wrapper - It’s a Connecticut-seed grown in Ecuador, but it is unlike any other Connecticut wrappers out there. Dark-brown, even colored and astoundingly smooth, this wrapper is a sight. The binder is a Nicaraguan Habano, which adds some oomph. Its 3-country filler blend is well aged for smoothness and diverse for complexity. With long-filler tobaccos from Nicaragua, Honduras and Mexico, CAO Black is well proportioned and meticulously blended for optimal smoothness, flavor and complexity.

From beginning to end, CAO Black is smooth, impressively smooth. The flavor profile isn’t overly flamboyant, but it is loaded with rich, natural tobacco notes. With some cigars, I get a ton of different distinct flavors – which I like most of the time. But CAO Black offers something a bit more traditional. It tastes like a cigar – pure, natural tobacco. I definitely get some notes of cedar, cream, and pepper accompanied by a clean, semi-sweet finish, but nothing too intense of overwhelming. Its mellow and easygoing from start to finish, but the flavor is defined and always present. Medium-bodied, refined, elegant and not overdone.

This may not become your favorite cigar (although it very well may), but they do have a place in your humidor. When I buy a box, its always seems to be empty pretty quickly.