Author: danielhonigman

(Note: This review originally appeared on CigarJack.)

Brand: Graycliff
Line: Professionale
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)

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 Professionale 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 Professionale 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.

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 wtih Mike Salisbury, who thinks it tastes like his Perdomo Reserve Cuban Cafe Series, so I’ll go with that…for now)

(Note: This review originally appeared on CigarJack.)

This is my first review for CigarJack, so I wanted to introduce myself to you, our loyal readers.

I was born and raised in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, but I didn’t start writing until I moved to Buffalo for college. And while I enjoyed the occasional cigar in high school, I became a more frequent smoker in college. After I graduated, I moved to Chicago to pursue a graduate degree.

A year and a half later, I’m still here. Go figure.

As far as my cigar tastes, here’s my philosophy: Give me something tasty and cheap. I generally like my cigars dark and oily, but I’ve enjoyed some lighter cigars recently. If I’m smoking a more expensive cigar, it had better be unique. And worth writing about.

Brand: La Aroma de Cuba (Ashton)
Line: N/A (La Aroma de Cuba?)
Vitola: Robusto
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Cuban seed Honduran
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Cuban seed Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos
Body: Medium
Strength: Medium
Box Price: (Don’t know what you use as a standard. Feel free to fill it in.)

Now for the review: I picked up a couple Aroma de Cuba robusto cigars during my last trip to Binny’s. I heard they were decent cigars, but I won’t lie — I liked the band. It’s pretty damn cool-looking.

Aroma de Cuba, the choice brand of Winston Churchill, was taken over by the Ashton Cigar Co. in 2002, so it’s decent, at least. I’ve also heard and read good things from fellow enthusiasts.

The cigars I purchased looked and felt good, but once I lit them up, I found that both were actually quite difficult to draw, which surprised me a bit. (I used a punch for one and my cutter for the other.) Also, I found the cigars burned a bit unevenly, which normally wouldn’t bother me, but it made the cigars a bit unstable.

Aroma de Cuba had a warm, nutty aroma and flavor. It may have been just me, but the Aroma de Cuba blend is seemed to taste like pistachios. Go figure. It wasn’t a bad thing, per se — just, well, unexpected.

Anyway, when I got down to the second half of the cigar, it opened up, giving me a nice spicy taste.

Verdict: La Aroma de Cuba has a good reputation for being a tasty, well-rounded cigar. I’m thinking maybe I got a bit of bad luck with the two sticks I bought.

Similar cigars: Punch Rare Corojo