Brand: Graycliff
Line: Profesionale
Vitola: Pirate (Torpedo) 6 x 52
Origin: Bahamas
Wrapper: Indonesian (Java)
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Brazilian, Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos
Body: Medium-to-full
Strength: Medium-to-full
Box Price: $374.99 (Box of 25)
Description: The nice folks over at Graycliff sent me a couple of cigars for a piece I’m currently working on, but I figured I’d share my reviews with you first!
Graycliff, a resort in Nassau, started making cigars to compliment its luxury brand. They enlisted the help of Avelino Lara, creator of the original Cuban Cohiba, and he, in turn, has turned Graycliff into one of the cigar biz’s premium brands.
I’m not lying when I say this: The Graycliff Profesionale is unlike any cigar I’ve ever smoked. It’s solidly constructed, burns evenly and has a good draw.
It’s also pretty damn tasty. The first half of the Profesionale was sweet and creamy; almost mocha-flavored. The second half added a touch of spice, making it taste — to me, anyway — like a friggin’ mocha latte. (Call me crazy, I know. But it was pretty damn good.) The end was even spicier, but it didn’t hit me in the head.
Verdict: When I was finished, I thought, “So this is what a $20 cigar tastes like.” And it tastes goooood.
Similar cigars: I’ll have to agree with Mike Salisbury, who thinks it tastes like his Perdomo Reserve Cuban Cafe Series. (I’ll go with that — for now.)
Popularity: 17% [?]
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, a that cigar looks and sounds amazing. I think after I get paid I’m going to have to take a hard look at a couple of these!
I’ve been meaning to try a few more of the Graycliff’s but so far I myself have only smoked the Red Label which I found very similar to the AVO 787.
I agree with your assessment of the Graycliff “Blue” Pirate to the T. True, these cigars (not unlike some other luxury brands), border on outrageous in terms of price/box, but having been fortunate enough to have sampled practically all the Graycliff colors, the Blue seems to be the one that does it for me. I picked up on that mocha-latte flavor, too. For that “hey I know it’s expensive, but ya’ got’a try at least one” cigar, I would say the Profesionale’s the way to go. Good review.
Thanks a lot, Gary! I recently tried the Graycliff Chateau Gran Cru and the Crystal, so I’ll let you know how those are soon.
Are you guys trying to force me to pick up some of these cigars tonight?
Yes! Do you want the link? ;^)
G~
I just blew my cigar budget on some Perdomo Lot 23′s I need to review, along with a couple San Cristobals.
MMMmmm. Lot 23′s! Excellent choice. Hope you got ‘em in the Maduro. Nice and sweet. From my “enjoyment” POV, I’d say you can wait on the Graycliffs. Lot 23′s rock.
Actually no I’m doing the Natural at the moment. The flavor profile reminds me of a cheaper AVO 787. Not as smooth or refined and definitely not as complex but some of the basic flavors are the same. I’ll have to grab the maduros next.
I’ll have to check out the Lot 23s.
A few years ago, I had some bad experiences with Perdomo cigars. My favorite B&M actually stopped carrying them because they were getting so many complaints. Now they are bringing them back, as they believe Perdomo has corrected many of the issues people were complaining about. Until I had these Lot 23′s I hadn’t had a Perdomo in probably 3 or 4 years.
Having recently been to their factory in Esteli, I can tell you Perdomo’s quality control standards are par excelance. They’ve done a great job with the Lot 23 and I’m even more impressed with the new Habano series. The problems you may have had a few years ago could have been due, in part, that they weren’t growing most of their tobacco at the time. Now they do.
I get to try the Habano at a big event next week. I’m amazed how these cigar tastings our local B&M have keep growing. I think we had over 200 people there last night.
We had a Perdomo event @Famous last Saturday that was gangbusters. You’ll probably get to meet Arthur Kemper, their VP. He was involved in the packaging for the Habano, and he’s a great guy, too; incredibly knowledgeable. I can almost guarantee you’ll walk out of the store with a box of Perdomo “something” under your arm. Tell him I said “hello.”
I don’t know if they got him or not, but I know they were trying to get Nick to come down for the event also.
I actually had a bad experience with them, press-wise. I spoke with someone there–Arthur, I think–several times, and then, all of a sudden, they stopped returning my calls.
Now, when it comes to making a press inquiry, I’m quite professional, so I don’t know what their deal was. Are they generally press- and blogger-friendly?
Perdomo? I don’t know. I’ve never actually talked with them. I typically don’t send them emails until after I review one something.
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