The Griffin's Classic Robusto

Brand of Cigar: The Griffin's

Name of Cigar: Griffin's Classic
Vitola: 5X50 Robusto
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Body: Mild
Time of Smoke: 1:15
MSRP: $5-7
Purchase Price: Gift (unknown)
Place of Purchase: Unknown


Intro:
I received this smoke from my brother because I ran into the unusual problem where I did not have a cigar on me. I had heard of "The Griffin's" cigars before, but had never had one in my years of smoking. I thought it looked like a good stick, and since I hadn't had one of these Connecticut sticks before, I figured I'd better do a review on it. I took the stick and smoking utensils out to the back deck and took in the experience of a smoke out in the woods.


Appearance/Construction: 21/25
Although I personally enjoy the appearance of a nice dark maduro cigar, I couldn't help but think this stick was a beautiful specimen. The 5X50 Robusto looked very smooth and upon putting my lips to it, I could sense a nice oily feel to it. There were a couple prominent veins that ran the length of the cigar, but overall it was a very smooth cigar and put together well. I had no problems with the cigar coming unraveled and the cap disconnected from the rest of the stick with ease.

Smoking Experience: 28/30
Upon taking the cigar out of the wrapper I noticed a woody scent with a little touch of sweetness to it. As I mentioned earlier, it was oily to the touch and looked to be a promising cigar. I lit this delight up with a Coors Light on my side and was ready to start enjoying. After lighting this one up, I immediately started getting some earthy tones along with some nutty flavors. It had a nice dense smoke and I know problems with the draw of the cigar. I personally enjoy a more full-bodied cigar, but this one was exceeding my expectations. "The Griffins" Classic definitely didn't take me over with flavor, but it was a very enjoyable smoke. I decided to risk dealing with "cigarbage" and try to keep the ash going on this one. I kept waiting for the long white ash to fall, but it never seemed to happen. Finally the ash fell from the rest of the cigar after about 2.5"....that's half of the cigar! As a firm believer of the "smoke till you can't no more" mentality, I decided to smoke this cigar down to the bitter end. The only thing was, there was no bitter end. I finally put it down, with about half an inch left, and although my fingers were starting to feel the heat, I never experienced any harshness to the cigar. By the end, this cigar had earned my respect.


Value: 18/20
This is by far one of the better mild cigars I can remember. As a gift, the value is great, but even if I had bought it for the $5.00 price tag, I would have to say I got my money's worth. I would definitely purchase this cigar again, and it would be great for the casual smoke. I feel the $5.00 price tag is very reasonable for this particular stick.


Overall Rating: 23/25
Although I am more of a full-bodied smoker, I must say that this mild cigar was a delight. The burn was flawless and although there was not a lot of complexity, the flavors kept me wanting more. I don't know many smoother cigars out there. It's also a plus that I know I can turn to this particular cigar if I am in need of a specimen for a long-ash contest. Overall, this cigar ranks at the top for me in mild cigars.
Rating: 90