Graycliff Chateau Gran Cru PG (Robusto)
After an Irish Lamb Stew that my wife and I made when visiting my parents, I decided to break out a Graycliff Chateau Gran Cru PG. To this point my only experience with Graycliff was with their Double Espresso, which I had enjoyed at the time. Outside of that, I had not read or heard much about them either. Some brief research into the brand showed that the Graycliff runs a resort, restaurant, cigar company combination out of Nassau in the Bahamas. As my first attempt with this smoke did not prove positive and general reviews seemed to contradict this, I set out to give it another chance to determine if the issues were across both cigars or just isolated to the first.
Of the two samples I smoked for this review, one has similar “Tiger Markings” to the Fuente Short Story I reviewed previously. As indicated in that review, it appeared as though water damage or some other issue had occurred prior to receiving them. The first one smoked was in great condition, having a beautiful appearance. A very evenly hazelnut colored wrapper showed only one prominent vein. With the addition of a gold and purple band, its overall look is enhanced. Inspection of the head and foot revealed a securely placed cap and consistently channeled filler.
Cutting the caps of both cigars produced a clean line but in the two sticks the prelight draw caused the caps to begin detaching. This was despite using two different cutters (a Xikar and Palio). In the second, the cap completely detached from the head despite removing only about twenty-five percent of it. This created several occasions of worrying that the stick would eventually unravel but fortunately, it did not. Upon lighting the first cigar, it maintained a relatively even burn and solid ash that was able to hold on for over an inch at a time. The second cigar was not as fortunate and the ash failed to last for more than an inch at any given time. Removal of the first cigar’s bands left behind a significant amount of glue residue on the wrapper. In fact, the large band had made a hole, which exposed the binder. The small band left a distinct ring of glue around the entire stick. This occurred despite waiting until well into the smoke to allow the adhesive ample time to soften. The second did not have any issues with the glue.
During the course of the initial smoke, the flavor hinted at greatness but never quite made it. Earthy notes prelight, sweet tones initially, and some pepper during the first inch and a half that if continued, could have yielded a rewarding experience. Unfortunately, during the majority of the cigar these pleasantries were offset and overshadowed by bitterness, sourness, and something akin to a decomposing leaf pile. The original flavors still managed to peek through once in a while but only served to remind that this once had potential. Add to that an overly dry mouthfeel and you can understand why I put the first one down with 1/3 of the cigar left. A second attempt did provide an adjusted flavor profile. The sweetness, only hinted at before, was able to be developed and picked up as vanilla. Cedar also made itself known and coupled with a toasty tone it reminded me of roasted marshmallow. The bitterness noted in the first stick did make its way through periodically. While not with as great of force or resulting abandonment of the stick, it did still crop up at various points and detract from the experience.
This is not a cigar that I will try again in the future. The underwhelming flavor and twice failing cap makes this cigar undeserving of its $14 price tag,
Appearances can be deceiving and the Gran Cru is a shining example of that. While it seemed well made and promising the outcome was unimpressive. An imbalanced flavor profile that brought to light all of its shortcomings, coupled with a lack of attention to quality control forced an early end to one session and an unimpressive experience in the other. Personally I plan on saving my time and dime by passing on the Graycliff Gran Cru in the future.
After an Irish Lamb Stew that my wife and I made when visiting my parents, I decided to break out a Graycliff Chateau Gran Cru PG. To this point my only experience with Graycliff was with their Double Espresso, which I had enjoyed at the time. Outside of that, I had not read or heard much about them either. Some brief research into the brand showed that the Graycliff runs a resort, restaurant, cigar company combination out of Nassau in the Bahamas. As my first attempt with this smoke did not prove positive and general reviews seemed to contradict this, I set out to give it another chance to determine if the issues were across both cigars or just isolated to the first.
Of the two samples I smoked for this review, one has similar “Tiger Markings” to the Fuente Short Story I reviewed previously. As indicated in that review, it appeared as though water damage or some other issue had occurred prior to receiving them. The first one smoked was in great condition, having a beautiful appearance. A very evenly hazelnut colored wrapper showed only one prominent vein. With the addition of a gold and purple band, its overall look is enhanced. Inspection of the head and foot revealed a securely placed cap and consistently channeled filler.
Cutting the caps of both cigars produced a clean line but in the two sticks the prelight draw caused the caps to begin detaching. This was despite using two different cutters (a Xikar and Palio). In the second, the cap completely detached from the head despite removing only about twenty-five percent of it. This created several occasions of worrying that the stick would eventually unravel but fortunately, it did not. Upon lighting the first cigar, it maintained a relatively even burn and solid ash that was able to hold on for over an inch at a time. The second cigar was not as fortunate and the ash failed to last for more than an inch at any given time. Removal of the first cigar’s bands left behind a significant amount of glue residue on the wrapper. In fact, the large band had made a hole, which exposed the binder. The small band left a distinct ring of glue around the entire stick. This occurred despite waiting until well into the smoke to allow the adhesive ample time to soften. The second did not have any issues with the glue.
During the course of the initial smoke, the flavor hinted at greatness but never quite made it. Earthy notes prelight, sweet tones initially, and some pepper during the first inch and a half that if continued, could have yielded a rewarding experience. Unfortunately, during the majority of the cigar these pleasantries were offset and overshadowed by bitterness, sourness, and something akin to a decomposing leaf pile. The original flavors still managed to peek through once in a while but only served to remind that this once had potential. Add to that an overly dry mouthfeel and you can understand why I put the first one down with 1/3 of the cigar left. A second attempt did provide an adjusted flavor profile. The sweetness, only hinted at before, was able to be developed and picked up as vanilla. Cedar also made itself known and coupled with a toasty tone it reminded me of roasted marshmallow. The bitterness noted in the first stick did make its way through periodically. While not with as great of force or resulting abandonment of the stick, it did still crop up at various points and detract from the experience.
This is not a cigar that I will try again in the future. The underwhelming flavor and twice failing cap makes this cigar undeserving of its $14 price tag,
Appearances can be deceiving and the Gran Cru is a shining example of that. While it seemed well made and promising the outcome was unimpressive. An imbalanced flavor profile that brought to light all of its shortcomings, coupled with a lack of attention to quality control forced an early end to one session and an unimpressive experience in the other. Personally I plan on saving my time and dime by passing on the Graycliff Gran Cru in the future.
