The slightly oily 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 draw on 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).
Cigars International describes the Graycliff Blue Label Professionale PGX as "fuller and 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.
The 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).
The Perdomo Reserve 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 was able to remove the label without damaging 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.
This was not, to my taste anyway, a full-bodied or especially strong cigar. I had little or no feeling of light-headedness from it.
I got approximately an hour out of the cigar before having to put it down permanently, something I was unhappy to have to do.
All things considered, I have to rate this cigar as 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).
