REVIEW: Graycliff John Howard Graysmith Buccaneer

[Guest Nekhyludov]

Dimensions: 60 x 7"

Date Released: July 14, 2013

Blend: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras

Binder: Costa Rica

Wrapper: Ecuador

Background: I should start by acknowledging that this review isn't likely to garner much interest from a group of avowed Habanophiles, but whenever I have the opportunity to smoke something rare or unusual, I like to take notes and pictures and work up a review. Especially so in this case, since I've long been a big fan of Graycliff. They've certainly released some obscenely priced garbage over the years, but when Avelino Lara was still rolling Elegantes, there were few non-Cubans better - at any price. I've always had a box of the original Red Label in my humidor.

The story on the John Howard Graysmith is that it's rolled with vintage leaves that date to the founding of the company, and that these cigars are rolled entirely by hand without the use of molds, so each one is unique. They come in two varieties, the Buccaneer (torpedo) and Cannon (parejo). I opted for the Buccaneer since a 60RG parejo is a little too much for me; the tapered head makes the Buccaneer much more approachable. 

Appearance and Aroma: This large, rustic cigar won't win any points for beauty. It's roughly shaped, with an uncut foot and a fine, leathery, chocolate-colored wrapper (the darkest of the three samples, and nearly maduro in appearance). The cold aroma is mild and has a baking spice sweetness. I dropped this one when taking it out of the humidor and cracked the wrapper near the middle (I have got to stop doing that), so I'm unsure of how that will affect it's performance.

I like the idea behind the band on the JHG; it's unique and fitting for the concept. But the execution of that idea is a little lackluster. There's very little embossing and the printing looks slightly cheap. That's disappointing considering how classic and elegant the standard Graycliff bands are. Also, the shape of the skull causes the band to protrude from the tapered head, so the edges keep snagging on things as I move the cigar around in my hand.

I've paired this with a latte made with Kimodo Dragon dark roast whole bean coffee, freshly ground.

First Third: The ragged foot lights easily, and once lit, the early draw is very loose as the burn moves through the open foot, but as the burn line approaches the wrapper it remains perfectly even and produces a flaky white ash; my uneven light corrects itself without intervention. The draw firms up soon afterward. The initial profile is strong and full of pepper and baking spice - clove and nutmeg. The aroma is pungent, but nutty and woody. That early strength really hits the palate hard; the flavors are nice, but heavy.

Second Third: At the beginning of the second third, some of that characteristic Graycliff earthy peat flavor emerges, along with a sweet floral note. This is layered over the peppery base. Subsequently, the flavors meld and mellow, the pepper plateaus, and a pleasant toasted cedar and light floral flavor emerges. The performance has remained very good, despite the cracked wrapper. I'm impressed that this level of construction was accomplished without molds.

Final Third: By the end of the second third/beginning of the final third, the cedar profile rounds out and becomes sweeter, and the baking spice notes from the cold aroma reappear. In the final third, some bitterness emerges, or perhaps it's left over on the palate from the long finish as the flavors lose some heaviness.

Summary: Total smoking time was one hour and 45 minutes.The dark roast latte pairing works perfectly, as the strong earthy profile in each compliments the other. This is a far fuller-bodied cigar than I'm generally used to, and certainly fuller than anything I've had from Graycliff. The peaty notes I usually get from the Costa Rican tobacco are muted here. This is definitely a departure for the marca. It is, however, an impressively well-made and complex smoke. The full body isn't one dimensional, and there's plenty of variety and evolution of flavors and aromas throughout; the middle portion is really remarkable. I'm looking forward to letting the other two rest for a good long time and only pulling them out on special occasions (this will not be a regular smoke at $29 each). Despite the aged tobacco and the four years since release, the spine of the cigar makes me optimistic that a little more age will encourage some consistency in the development of the flavors.

Score: 52.8th percentile