Staff Reviews

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.

It took me awhile to actually reach in and spark one up, but let me mention the price - less than $1 per stick. OK, twist my arm, it's worth trying for a buck. This latest product is made by Rolando Reyes' Puros Indios factory in Honduras of Brazilian, Dominican, and Nicaraguan filler and a dark Ecuadorian wrapper. Funny since it's made in Honduras, there's no leaves from Honduras. It says "mixed fillers". Hmm, perhaps I should be skeptical but I'm not going to pass judgement until I smoke it.

A quick snip and we're off. It's a little bumpy around the edges, but the wrapper itself is quite smooth. The clipped head doesn't reveal any mixed fillers, and after igniting and drawing on it a few strokes, it doesn't leave any annoying leaf bits caught up in my teeth. In fact, I didn't get one. The first draw is quite pleasant, gentle and creamy, no bite, no spices, just smooth. Hmm, a head-scratcher already. After just a few draws, it really opens up. Look out if anyone is standing behind you because they're going to get blasted with smoke. Just ask my buddy Ranger who happened to be down-wind on my deck when we first tried these. It's funny that he seems to be around every time I'm trying cheapie cigars. He doesn't seem to mind, and even after the last few years that we've been smoking together, I doubt he'd know the difference anyway. OK, back to the job at hand.

So far, a very nice surprise. Let me try to explain the flavor. No aftertaste, none, nada, don't look for one. My tonsils tell me it's smooth to medium bodied, a bit up there on the strength scale, just enough to give you a little rush. Pleasant and very creamy with the slightest hint of beer-nuts on the wrapper (oh, never mind, I just threw back some Planters.) Just like those Miller Lite commercials (have you seen the ones in the fountain? wow!) this tastes great and lends itself to the perfect non-intrusive any-time smoke. The first half is incredibly consistent. Ranger won the smoke-ring contest, damn cigarette smokers make it look easy. The smoke is so plentiful that it was hovering in this tree overhead, pretty neat. The ash holds firm and solid for nearly an inch before flaking off. No signs of mixed fill whatsoever, so far I think that's a misprint, or the factory goofed.

The second half spices up a bit and it starts burning a little warmer. The finish is a little sharper and dryer as the cigar continues to fire out an awesome burn. There are a few spots that get a little soft and mushy, it's loosely packed and if you like chewing on your cigars, you'll probably take a bite right out of it. Yet the construction is superb, holds together well and clearly doesn't wear the mixed-filler label. This one's for real.

At about 45 minutes per cigar, not bad for the Toro size, we smoked a couple more that night. I expected a burnt, cottony, choked up throat the next morning. Nope, not a bit. We smoked each one down to about 2 inches, then it got a bit hot and tossed them. Heck, for a buck, it'd be worth smoking down half way, you get your money's worth after just a few draws.

You'll be shocked, believe me, I'm floored by how good this cigar is. Since that weekend on my deck 4 weeks ago, I've nearly finished the second bundle and am going to pick up a few more. It's a I-could-really-use-a-cigar-right-now cigar. This originally struck me as a mindless, riding-the-tractor, cigar. But, it turned out better. If you do decide to mow the lawn with it, you'll find yourself taking a couple of extra laps just to spark up another and enjoy a few more strokes on this one. It's not the prettiest cigar, one you'll probably not hand out at the Christmas Ball, but overall it's a nice everyday cigar.

This sure ain't the Flor del Doo-Doo of old. It's the highest quality cheapie I've smoked in a long time. Spark'm up fellas.

It’s safe to say Don Diego cigars are made well. I can’t recall receiving complaints about the quality or construction of this brand. It’s the recipient of numerous favorable ratings from various cigar magazines and commands prices anywhere from $4 to $7 per stick (well, not at CI). Holding the cigar in my hand, a hefty 6”x50 Grande, I can easily agree with these statistics. A sweet, cedary aroma works hand in hand with a thin, vein-free wrapper to scream, “Pick me, I’m gentle!” to passersby. And gentle it is. Smooth, gentle and crisp. Not bad, especially if you’re new to cigars, or the exact opposite, a loyal veteran that refuses to try something new. I find that a lot from those that smoke old brands like these...Don Diego, Henry Clay, Hoyo de Monterrey etc. Come on fellas, variety is the spice of life! But I digress. The chestnut-brown Connecticut shade wrapper is incredibly smooth, and lends a straight burn from first spark up, while the Dominican and Brazilian long-fillers turn to a solid pale-grey ash. The aroma remains pleasant, and will surely please any crowd. The flavor, that’s another story. These days, I find this cigar doesn’t have enough character to please my palate, which is growing more critical by the hour. The flavor is pleasant, and mellow. Offering the slightest hint of cedar. No bells, no whistles, just a crisp tobacco flavor that diminishes hastily after each puff. If I smoked 1 cigar every few days, Don Diego might stand a chance, but I’m up to 2-3 a day lately. That kind of rotation calls for something with a little more substance. There’s nothing wrong with mellow, as long as there’s some complexity to add a little excitement. Sorry Don Diego, things just aren’t going to work out.

a·nom·a·ly, n., deviation or departure from the normal or common order, form, or rule.

Let me get it out of the way 'geez Gonz, back to back 5 Vegas reviews???' Well, after my incredible string of good fortune in furthering the supremacy of 5 Vegas (in my mind at least) with my last review of 5 Vegas Gold, I couldn't resist picking up the recently released Series 'A'. I ripped open a bundle as soon as they came off the dock (at the time of this writing, the boxes aren't even ready yet). I was so anxious that I even picked up a size I'm least likely to smoke...a 4.5 x 44 petite corona called Anomaly.

It's a sporty looking, dark maduro wrapped cigar individually dressed in cedar from below the band down to the foot. Peel back the cedar to find an impeccably rolled firm cigar with one of the finest maduro wrappers I've ever seen. Kinda like Homer Simpson's infatuation with the rare gummi Venus de Milo, the front of my shirt was soon covered in drool as I nervously fumbled for a cutter and lighter, as I began grunting softly "must light 5 Vegas 'A'....must light 5 Vegas 'A'" I soon fell into a trance-like state. Heart-racing, taste buds singing, I couldn't light this cigar fast enough.

Holy cow, a leathery burst of intoxicating deep body quickly lights up your senses. Call this the 5 Vegas 'Wild Side" b/c even on the small size I picked up, the raw full-bodied richness starts with the initial draw and finishes strong with a lingering note of black pepper. Whoa, is it hot in here or is it just me? The surprisingly cool burn of this impressively stuffed cigar proves this is no fly-by-night, I just need a quick cigar fix, cigar. While it'll satisfy any crave and then some, I'm finding myself wanting to enjoy and analyze every puff. Featuring a Costa Rican maduro wrapper that leaves off the occasional sweetness you often get from a Broadleaf Maduro, yet the fullness of body won't overwhelm. I didn't find one speckle of flat flavor here, and in case I haven't hinted at this already, this borders on powerhouse in my book, but thanks to a smooth character that keeps me puffing for more, I've smoked two back-to-back and can still stand up straight in my chair. A beautiful chalky-white ash holds firm and furthers the perfect construction. An inch or so in, the flavor levels and then picks up again about midway through.

So back to my definition at the top - the true anomaly is that even this petite corona (code-named Anomaly) I'm smoking feels more like a 50-ring toro than 44 ring petite. After smoking a 1/2 dozen of these, I'm afraid to smoke anything else for my palate has been tainted toward the wild-side, and dammit, I like the wild side. The 5 Vegas Trio is complete in my book - Original, Gold, and 'A'. The 'A' very well could be the best one that was saved for last. Doh, almost forgot to mention that they start at about $2.50 per stick, you betcha, that's no joke.

Light'em up.

Don't get me wrong, the people involved in the making of Macanudo cigars are first class, and the factory that makes them cranks out some of the best blends in the market. To me though, Macanudo is the Coors Light of cigars: they taste the exact same every time, they'll work in a pinch, and they're so gentle to the point of being forgettable. Sure, I'd gladly quaffe a dozen at a cookout or throw a bunch back on a canoe trip, maybe even brush my teeth with it. But they're just not in my rotation. Taste of course is subjective and there's a time and place for all manner of blends. After all, Macanudo didn't get to be the biggest-selling handmade cigar in America by accident!