Graycliff Professionale Blue Label PGX Cigar Review
I’ve heard of Graycliff cigars for a while now. They began
as a “house brand” for the Graycliff resort in the Bahamas, a
special treat for guests of the hotel. Their reputation grew from
there, and soon people who had never been to the resort began looking
for the cigars. Graycliff introduced them to world, and they’ve
become a very well-known, well-respected, treasured brand name.
Selling for $16 and up each and $400+ a box, they’re not likely to be
the “everyday cigar” of many people. As part of a
sampler on the Cigarbid.com web site, I received a Blue Label PGX and 3
Red Label cigars. I haven’t tried the Red Labels yet, but this
review discusses my experience with the Graycliff Professionale Blue Label PGX Cigar.
Graycliff cigars are
made by Avelino Lara, the creator of the famous Cuban brand
“Cohiba”. With a pedigree like that, you know these cigars are
going to be at least “better than
average”.
The slightly oily The draw on Cigars International describes the Graycliff Blue Label Professionale PGX as “fuller and The The Perdomo Reserve I was able to remove the label without damaging the cigar This was not, to my taste anyway, I got approximately an hour out of the All things considered, I have to rate this cigar as
Indonesian wrapper is very smooth and slightly darker than a typical
Connecticut shade, more of a Colorado – having a touch of redness to it.
The filler of the Graycliff Blue Label
PGX Professionale is reported to be a mix of tobacco from Brazil,
Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. At 6.0″ x 50 ring gauge,
they feel comfortably large in your hand. The construction is very firm
from head to foot, and there was little or no unwrapping of the shoulder
around the punch hole I put in the end. The bouquet was rich and smooth
before the cigar was lit. Below is a pre-lit picture of the
cigar:
the cigar I tested was slightly tighter than most other cigars I’ve had,
but it was by no means a difficult draw. The cigar lit easily with my
torch lighter and burned evenly up to the point that it began burning my
fingers near the end (that’s a hint as to what I thought of
it).
more potent than the Original, and offers complexity combined with some
spiciness on the palate.” I haven’t had an Original to compare with
the Profesionale, but I can’t argue that there was a bit of complexity
to it and a very slight spiciness to it. The spiciness is far less than
a CAO Black, but a good deal more than the Perdomo Reserve.
ash, as you can see in the photo below, is a light gray on the outside
and a very dark gray on the inside. It remains connected to the
cigar until and unless you choose to remove it (which I did after it
exceeded about an inch in length).
Cuban Cafe Series is the closest comparison I can provide to this
cigar. I found the smoke to be very mild. Even an accidental inhale
didn’t upset my lungs too much. The smoke was mild enough that when I
first lit it I wasn’t sure I’d succeeded until I exhaled and saw the
smoke coming out. After about the first inch, that mildness gave way to
a sort of earthy spiciness that continued through the middle of the
cigar.
(I don’t care to smoke the bands) and continue to enjoy it right up to
the nub. In that last 2 inches or so, the burn was pretty hot, and I
ended up putting the cigar down more because it was burning my fingers
than because I had had enough of it. The Graycliff PGX Blue Label Professionale is definitely one
cigar you won’t put down easily.
a full-bodied or especially strong cigar. I had little or no feeling of
light-headedness from it.
cigar before having to put it down permanently, something I was unhappy
to have to do.
being every bit as good as my (so far) personal favorite, the Perdomo Reserve
Cuban Cafe Series. On a 1-10 scale, with 10 being excellent, the
Graycliff Blue Label PGX
Professionale cigar rates an 8.9 (a scant 0.1 behind the Perdomo,
which feel is just a touch better).