My name is Agent 8. My mission was to review the Graycliff 1666. As an asset of The Cigar Spy agency, I promise to respect the A.S.H.E.S. code of honor. The information below is my debrief.

Target Name:

Graycliff 1666

Target Vitals:

Wrapper: Jaltapec Maduro
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Mix of Brazilian, Columbian, Mexican and Peruvian Tobacco
Vitola: Presidente (Churchill 7×48)
Strength: Medium Bodied
Average Price: Around $100-140 for a bundle of 20

Background Info:

Enrico Garzazoli, owner of Graycliff Cigars, brought aboard Avelino Lara to complement his five-star restaurant (1st in the Caribbean) and second largest wine collection. Avelino Lara is better known as the former personal cigar roller to Fidel Castro and the man responsible for the creation of the Cuban Cohiba brand.

This cigar was named in honor of the first building located where the restaurant and wine collection are located today. It is estimated that this first building was one of the first structures developed for the city of Nassau.

Mission Debrief:

I found this cigar by simple accident and chance, rummaging through my secondary humidor containing a large cache of various cigars purchased from a family member. Buried somewhere near the bottom is where I came upon the Graycliff 1666. Not having had the opportunity to smoke any of these cigars in the past, I felt this would be a nice candidate for immediate interrogation.

Appearance-wise for this cigar, I found a couple of small chips in the veiny, maduro wrapper. Nothing else of fault. I felt that the copper and blue hued band, while nothing elaborate or elegant, completed the overall look of the cigar. No overly packed or soft spots were detected in the length of the cigar as well.

Moving away from my punch and using my favorite Xikar cutter and a butane lighter, I gave the cigar a couple of firm draws and took in the flavors presented to me. This is one of those Maduros that looks worse than it is, as it’s a bit milder than you would think. The persistent flavors I found were a dark coffee/espresso and a touch of spice and earthiness. Nothing overpowering here but pleasant to the palette. I did find in the last third of the cigar that I felt it was burning a bit hot, as the flavors pushed towards a harsher, side.

Expect a nice, even burn overall. I did have to relight the cigar a couple of times throughout the two hours and change smoke time. In the last third of the cigar, the wrapper was starting to unravel a bit from the cigar. I think this is because of the status of my secondary humidor and not necessarily from the cigar. The finish for this cigar was slightly longer, most likely because of the maduro wrapper but it is nothing out of the ordinary.

Recommendations:

This is a enjoyable, medium bodied maduro. It has a nice complement of flavors, won’t bog you down in terms of strength and the price point is agreeable to most. While it didn’t have the “wow factor” from the La Traviata in my last review, the Graycliff 1666 is certainly one I’ll be looking for in the future.

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