Cigar Weekly

moki · 05-07-2004, 11:27 AM

picture: http://people.ambrosiasw.com/~andrew...sso_pirate.jpg

The Espresso line is the latest from Graycliff, a Bahamas-based cigar company that's blended a cornucopia of tobacco from Honduras, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Ecuador into these dark beauties. With the help of a certain vewy generous phishy, I was able to obtain a few of these sticks almost as soon as they were released, and immediately tore open the package and sparked up a belicoso (6 x 52, called a "Pirate" in Graycliff parlance).

Other than the tobacco differences, the only distinguishing difference between the various Graycliff lines is the color of the band: the espressos are black, and have the word "espresso" on the sides of the band.

This is a deep, dark, rich, oily cigar; it almost looked like a brownie rolled up into a cigar, and it has a wonderful pre-light aroma of roasted dark chocolate, cocoa, and spice. Definitely a harbinger of things to come.

Have you ever smoked a cigar that after each drag, you take the cigar out of your mouth, stare at it idiotically (like it'll somehow speak to you), and say to yourself "damn, what _was_that? That was gooooood!" This is one of those cigars.

At first taste, I perked up and took notice. This tastes about as close to an Opus X Maduro as anything else I've tasted. It lacks that unique Opus flavor, but the maduro wrapper leaves the same deep roasted cocoa/chocolate taste in your mouth. It's also a heck of a lot easier to obtain than an Opus X Maduro.

Alas, my zeal to smoke this cigar meant I was essentially smoking it right off of the assembly line (minus any aging Graycliff may do in their warehouses), and it showed to an extent. The cigar is indeed a rich one, with deep roasted cocoa flavors, overtones of semi-sweet chocolate, and a roasted campfire mustiness that was just wonderful.

However, this cigar is still a bit young. There is greatness within, but I had to not smoke it too quickly, or it road the fine line from spiciness into bitterness a bit too eagerly. It reminded me of a number of young Cuban cigars I've smoked, in the sense that you could taste utter greatness within, but it was clear it needed some time to rest in order to temper its rambunctious nature.

Despite this slight inclination to ride the razor's edge from spicy to slightly bitter -- with a taste akin to a cup of black coffee -- I enjoyed the cigar quite a bit. I have a clear vision of how this cigar will taste after 6 months or so of aging, and suffice it to say that it will be stunning once the edge is dulled slightly. I intend to pick up a box and deep-freeze them for a bit.

Make no mistake, this is a full-bodied smoke; if you like Macanudos, or other milder smokes, the Espresso is not for you. It also may not be for you as anything except a special occasion cigar: all of the Graycliff lines are intentionally price quite high. I managed to obtain these sticks for about $19 a pop, and I consider that to be a low price for these cigars. Expect to pay $20+.

Is it worth the price? Like anything in that price range (Cohiba Siglo VIs, Cohiba Esplendidos, Padrón 1926s, etc.), that really depends. It certainly isn't twice as good as many $10 smokes; it is however a wonderful special occasion cigar. I will have a hard time being patient and letting these babies age, but I am confident it will be infinitely worth it.

(sidenote: despite the name of this cigar line, it is not flavored in any way -- just good old deep, rich, wonderful tobacco)

05-07-2004, 11:27 AM	#1
moki Club Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 1,470	Graycliff Espresso Pirate review picture: http://people.ambrosiasw.com/~andrew...sso_pirate.jpg The Espresso line is the latest from Graycliff, a Bahamas-based cigar company that's blended a cornucopia of tobacco from Honduras, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Ecuador into these dark beauties. With the help of a certain vewy generous phishy, I was able to obtain a few of these sticks almost as soon as they were released, and immediately tore open the package and sparked up a belicoso (6 x 52, called a "Pirate" in Graycliff parlance). Other than the tobacco differences, the only distinguishing difference between the various Graycliff lines is the color of the band: the espressos are black, and have the word "espresso" on the sides of the band. This is a deep, dark, rich, oily cigar; it almost looked like a brownie rolled up into a cigar, and it has a wonderful pre-light aroma of roasted dark chocolate, cocoa, and spice. Definitely a harbinger of things to come. Have you ever smoked a cigar that after each drag, you take the cigar out of your mouth, stare at it idiotically (like it'll somehow speak to you), and say to yourself "damn, what _was_that? That was gooooood!" This is one of those cigars. At first taste, I perked up and took notice. This tastes about as close to an Opus X Maduro as anything else I've tasted. It lacks that unique Opus flavor, but the maduro wrapper leaves the same deep roasted cocoa/chocolate taste in your mouth. It's also a heck of a lot easier to obtain than an Opus X Maduro. Alas, my zeal to smoke this cigar meant I was essentially smoking it right off of the assembly line (minus any aging Graycliff may do in their warehouses), and it showed to an extent. The cigar is indeed a rich one, with deep roasted cocoa flavors, overtones of semi-sweet chocolate, and a roasted campfire mustiness that was just wonderful. However, this cigar is still a bit young. There is greatness within, but I had to not smoke it too quickly, or it road the fine line from spiciness into bitterness a bit too eagerly. It reminded me of a number of young Cuban cigars I've smoked, in the sense that you could taste utter greatness within, but it was clear it needed some time to rest in order to temper its rambunctious nature. Despite this slight inclination to ride the razor's edge from spicy to slightly bitter -- with a taste akin to a cup of black coffee -- I enjoyed the cigar quite a bit. I have a clear vision of how this cigar will taste after 6 months or so of aging, and suffice it to say that it will be stunning once the edge is dulled slightly. I intend to pick up a box and deep-freeze them for a bit. Make no mistake, this is a full-bodied smoke; if you like Macanudos, or other milder smokes, the Espresso is not for you. It also may not be for you as anything except a special occasion cigar: all of the Graycliff lines are intentionally price quite high. I managed to obtain these sticks for about $19 a pop, and I consider that to be a low price for these cigars. Expect to pay $20+. Is it worth the price? Like anything in that price range (Cohiba Siglo VIs, Cohiba Esplendidos, Padrón 1926s, etc.), that really depends. It certainly isn't twice as good as many $10 smokes; it is however a wonderful special occasion cigar. I will have a hard time being patient and letting these babies age, but I am confident it will be infinitely worth it. (sidenote: despite the name of this cigar line, it is not flavored in any way -- just good old deep, rich, wonderful tobacco)