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Feature: Graycliff Cigar Factory at Graycliff Hotel, A “Cigar Oasis”

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Graycliff Cigar Factory

Last month I had the pleasure of taking a day trip to Nassau Bahamas. My one and only plan was to visit the Graycliff Hotel to learn about their cigar making process, techniques and the quality that’s synonymous with the Graycliff brand. Graycliff Hotel was purchased by the Garzaroli family in 1973 and is the premier five star hotel and restaurant on the island as well as housing the largest wine cellar in the Caribbean. The historic mansion and its property boasts  a welcoming reception area, opening air dining and Himalayan salt pool, all of which  cater to the cigar enthusiast.

Upon entering the hotel you can smell the sweet aroma of a cigar in the lounge. With antique leather chairs, showcases of spirits, paintings and a piano you quickly envision a sense of calm and quiet reflection that guests enjoy puffing away on any given day.  Within a few minutes I was greeted by a lovely woman who guided us to the Graycliff Cigar Factory.  I could have easily wiled away the afternoon enjoying cigars and spirits right there however I needed to visit the factory where they make the cigars I’ve enjoyed for the past sixteen years.

As I made my way through the old stone walkway palm trees adorned the property along with statues and an elegant pool that truly gave you a sense of the sophisticated history of the hotel.  Just before I approached the factory I was taken back by the largest Cigar Divan I have ever seen. The Divan had a large ceiling with fans, lounge chairs, couches, wrought iron tables and a free standing humidor.  This is the perfect respite to grab a cigar from the factory and sit with a smoke enjoying the scenery. I’m sure it was no coincidence that the divan is right by the entrance to the cigar factory.

Cigar Divan:

The steps that lead to the Graycliff Cigar Factory:

Graycliff Cigar Factory

Upon entering the factory there is a lounge and bar offering espresso and spirits. Alongside is a cabinet humidor containing six lines of the Graycliff portfolio. The represented cigars where: Graycliff Originale, Graycliff Professionale, Graycliff Emerald, Graycliff Crystal and Graycliff Espresso. I was met by Adam Collins the General Manager for Graycliff. Adam is a very personable individual who greeted me warmly. As I shook hands I was given a Graycliff Professionale PG and lit it up immediately. The sweet and earthy flavors of the Professionale made it the perfect first smoke of the day. As I entered the epicenter of the factory which is their boutique rolling room I observed several rollers meticulously rolling vitolas for various Graycliff lines. Graycliff prides itself on perfectly rolled cigars and seeing firsthand you appreciate the dedication to the craft. Adam oversees the day to day operations as well as maintains the quality control and works on blends. In speaking with Adam you can see the passion in his eyes and the excitement he gets from working on a blend and speaking about the factory.

One particular roller that caught my eye was a gentleman rolling what appeared to be a free-form cigar or a cigar without a mold. This is extremely difficult to do as keeping a cigar’s measurements and consistency takes a keen eye and skilled hand. The individual in question was Master Roller Miguel A. Lavadie Duconger who is one of the last free form cigar rollers in the world.  As it turns out he was rolling the John Howard Graysmith line which is the ONLY commercial line of cigars dedicated to the free hand cigar rolling style. Miquel makes the cigar using the “Entubado” method which takes the individual filler leaves and rolls them into scroll-like tubes placing them next to each other in the bunch. This method although more time consuming creates more airflow and a better draw and burn making it a more satisfying cigar of very high quality. Watching Mr. Lavadie Duconger work was observing a master at his craft.  I’ve visited cigar factories before, seen rollers at their respective tables and even watched rollers attempt free hand cigars but NOTHING like the quality and consistently I saw at the Graycliff Cigar Factory.

Master Roller Miguel A. Lavadie Duconger rolling “Free Form”

The John Howard Graysmith which Miguel is responsible for has two vitolas:  “Cannon” a  60 x 7 Parejo and “Buccaneer” a  60 x 7 Piramide. Both cigars have uncut or “shag” feet.  The JHG line pays homage to the original way cigars were rolled as well as a nod to the famous pirate John Howard Graysmith whose exploits were legendary and who built the Graycliff Mansion.

John Howard Graysmith Buccanner and Cannon Cigars:

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As impressive as the rolling room was Adam took me to the aging room where cigars are stored, bundled and readied for future shipping. Adam oversees fermentation and processing which is a testament to his hands on style of management and adherence to complete quality control. Returning to the rolling room I was able to light up a Graycliff Espresso Pirate which is my personal favorite of the line.  The Espresso pirate yielded rich notes of mocha, leather and a bit of spice.  The cigar was wonderfully balanced in the medium to full bodied range.

As I toured with Adam he took me down a hallway which I would call the “Cigar Education Wing”. Part tobacco education part museum this area sports framed cigar posters such as tobacco leaf classifications in which primings of each leaf are listed, cultivation methods, manufacturing, and the history of cigar making. Walking the hall and reading the informative descriptions gives a cigar enthusiast quite a lesson on how a cigar goes from the field to your hand. This is the first of its kind I’ve seen and shows how the company wants their consumers to understand the process as well as enjoy their cigars.

Cigar Education wing:

It was at this point I met up Paolo Garzaroli president of Graycliff Cigar Company. I’ve met Paolo on several occasions and I can say he has a true passion for quality, tremendous vison and is a gentleman who believes in family and building relationships with people.  Paolo directed me to the display cases that showed cigar memorabilia such as presses, molds and cutters. On the adjacent wall there were photos of celebrities enjoying Graycliff cigars and even such luminaries as Nelson Mandela. The impact Graycliff has had on the industry and consumers is demonstrative in these photographs.

Showcase of cigar memorabilia:

Celebrites and Heads of State enjoying Graycliff Cigars:

Much to my dismay I had to leave all too early as I had a ship to return to. Visiting Graycliff was a priority as well as the highlight of my trip. I thanked Adam and Paolo profusely for the cigars, tour and hospitality. If you visit the Bahamas you NEED to visit Graycliff or do one better and stay on the property. You will be educated, satiated, and puffing away in paradise. I will return as a guest and spend more time at Graycliff which I now call the “Cigar Oasis”.

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The Nat Sherman Townhouse: A Temple of Tradition

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Nat Sherman Townhouse
12 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, Btwn 5th Ave and Madison

The Nat Sherman Townhouse stands as a calm safe haven of history and tradition in the perpetually fast-paced, tourist-infested, modern flurry that is Midtown Manhattan. It’s subtle and unassuming on the outside; a little two-story, three floor townhouse with a classic facade, sandwiched in between two behemoth modern skyscrapers, a bit like the Little’s house in the Stuart Little movies. However, much like the Doctor’s T.A.R.D.I.S., the Townhouse is bigger on the inside than it would seem to the passer-by. Upon entering through the double glass doors around noon, I find myself in a spacious, ornately decorated lounge, the golden ceiling high up above my head. All I can hear is “Your Song” by Elton John playing on the radio.

Cliff Gold
From left: Cliff Gold, Charlie Freeman

Before I can pick my jaw back up off the floor, a gentleman comes up to me and cheerfully greets me. He has no name tag, but he dons a tailored blazer with a US Army lapel pin and a pocket square, and sports a meticulously trimmed whitish grey beard. His name is Cliff, and he addresses me by name, remembering me from my sporadic previous visits. He gently escorts me towards the back of the Townhouse, where the walk-in humidor is.

I’m greeted inside by Barry, a humble longtime veteran of the cigar industry whose sole display of pride is a subtle lapel pin indicating his official certification in all things tobacco. He remembers me too, greeting me by name; he asks me about how Fine Tobacco NYC’s latest event with Hiram Solomon went, and mentions seeing me in some the event photos. He immediately escorts me towards the Pan Americana shelf, where he knows one of my all-time favorite Sherman cigars reside. Barry professionally stands in the corner, allowing his many customers to take all the time they need in choosing their cigars, all the while exchanging jokes and tidbits of stories with them without losing a beat. I grab my Pan Americana and purchase it with Ryan, one of the younger members of the crew. As he compliments me on my bow tie, I can’t help but notice his suit is tailored to perfection, giving me, and even the older guys a run for our money.

I initially have to stand, due to there being only about a dozen places to sit. No worries though; it gives me ample opportunity to converse with the amiable metalheads coming in from out of town for the first time to catch Black Sabbath at the Garden later tonight. Standing up also lets me admire up close the many ornately decorated humidors, signature cigar accessories, and framed pictures and autographed memorabilia by celebrities like Frank Sinatra up close while the radio plays John Lennon’s “Watching the Wheels.” The crowd is mainly a healthy mix of young and old men, with very few women to be found; not surprising, since the decor gives off more of a turn-of-the-century man cave vibe than anything else.

The Pan Americana cigar I’m smoking is what you’d get if you took the Townhouse itself and tried to make a flavor out of it based on its vibes, aesthetics, and feel. It’s thick and well-drawn, and its flavor is about as richly earthy as you can get. Brilliant, to put it in one word.

A space eventually opens up, and I take a seat in one of the four chairs centered around a grand ashtray, right next to the register. I’m immediately drawn into a conversation between a construction worker named Roland and a Romanian American gentleman about the GOP primaries. The conversation is soft-spoken and enjoyable, despite the touchy subject, and it transitions seamlessly into Roland telling us about the time he unknowingly ended up offering a puff of his cigar to Paul McCartney on the street.

I go up to Leonor, the lovely female staff member, if I’m permitted to break out a cigar I brought from home. She smiles and approves, asking me if there’s anything else I need. I ask if I can take a picture with her. She again says yes, and after a few well-placed one liners, Cliff gladly plays photographer. Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman” is playing by this point, seemingly on cue. I'm even lucky enough to catch sight of Yakub, one of the Townhouse’s managers. His wool and silk blazer, vest and bow tie combination alone, also meticulously tailored, indicate his rank; again, no need for a name tag. He greets me on his way downstairs and agrees to pose for a quick photo with Adam, another longtime staff member. It's a temporary reprieve from the great responsibility that comes with managing one of the City’s most iconic cigar lounges, but as the photo shows, Yakub joyfully carries a heavy weight on his shoulders.

Cigars are smoked, more stories are told, jokes are exchanged, wisdom is passed down, good times are had by all. Next thing I know, it’s 4:30. As I prepare to leave, the staff and my smoke mates bid me farewell one by one. It certainly wasn’t my first time smoking at the Nat Sherman Townhouse, and it certainly won’t be my last, if I have anything to say about it.

But that doesn't make it any harder to leave.

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Cigar Review: Hiram Solomon Entered Apprentice Gran Toro

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Hiram and Solomon Cigars gained considerable ground this passed year; Cigars & Spirits magazine recently featured them in their Top Ten Boutique Cigars of 2015, they had their first of what will hopefully be many events with us this month of March, and they recently released their first Connecticut wrapper cigar, and the star of today’s review; the most-fittingly-titled the Entered Apprentice! Is this new initiate worthy to run in the same pack as the Master Mason? Only time, about an hour and a half, to be exact, and a smoke-filled trial will procure the answer…

Form and Substance

  • Vitola: Gran Toro
  • Wrapper: Shadez Connecticut
  • Binder: Dominican
  • Filler: Dominican
  • Dimensions: 5 ½” x 56’
  • Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Aesthetics, Construction and Feel

The Entered Apprentice is much like any new initiate into any organization; it’s exterior is fresh and inexperienced (not aged very long) and its construction is solid. The wrapper has little to no ruggedness, and it exudes no veins, the only exception being the larger central veins of the leaf, which are themselves close to invisible. There are also no loose seams to be found on the wrapper; the seams blend in with the wrapper effortlessly from the foot to the flawlessly constructed cap. There are a few soft spots on the body, but other than that, the Entered Apprentice appears to be more than up to the challenge of honoring the label it wears.

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Smoke and Flavor

First Third: Don’t let the Connecticut wrapper fool you; this cigar ain’t no lightweight. The first third of the Entered Apprentice is a packed house, with a rush of heavy earth and spice on every puff. The draw is rather tight, as would be expected from such a heavily armored stogie, but the smoke clouds get nice and dense after some mildly laborious continuous puffing. The ash holds tight and boasts a whitish grey coloring that contrasts well with the wrapper and label. The burn eventually begins to canoe due to the soft spots, but the ash still holds firm. A touch of bitter cedar provides a smooth transition into the second third.

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Second Third: The second third begins with a good omen as the burn begins to even itself out, albeit slowly. The original heavy earth and spice flavors continue dominating both the foreground and the background, with the occasional small outburst of cinnamon in the background. The retrohale is particularly strong, especially for a Connecticut; a heavily concentrated mixture of basic spice for punch and nutmeg for flavor catch me off balance in a big way. Meanwhile, the cinnamon outbursts that season the background cease, replaced by a solid and permanent hint of sweet barbecue.

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Final Third: The events and flavors of the second third have converged and coalesced by the time we segue into the final third. The burn has by now completely evened itself out. The heavy earth and spice in the foreground remain strong, mixing with the barbecue in the background and becoming both more delicious and intense. The retrohale too intensifies as the nub is neared, culminating in a bang of a finish.

The Final Verdict

Hiram definitely surprised me with this one! As unassuming a Connecticut as it was in appearance, the Entered Apprentice definitely had something to prove. The flavor was strong, solid, and consistent, and the retrohale was a flavorful one-two knockout punch, making it a complete and utter positive shock to the system. Despite the inconsistencies in the burn, the ash performed surprisingly well, only falling off about halfway through the smoke. So while a bit inexperienced, the Entered Apprentice has definitely earned the right to run with the other big boys in the Hiram Solomon lineup.

Final Grade: B+

Total Smoking Time: 01:37:24

 

Tips for a Perfect Smoke Experience

  • Be careful with the retrohale; it’s just as powerful as it is flavorful. Don’t go into it under hydrated; have a good strong drink on hand to keep both the flavor and the power in check. A darker Macallan comes particularly highly recommended.

Soho Cigar Bar: A Modern Period Piece

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Lee Ringleheim re-opened Circa Tabac as SoHo Cigar Bar with the goal of melding the best of the old with the best of the new. He succeeded. A few weeks ago, my dad and I made our way downtown to SoHo Cigar Bar for a special father/son smoke and dram. The cigar bar is nestled on Watts St, near the Holland Tunnel and under the shadow of the Freedom Tower.

SoHo Cigar Bar boasts a luminous facade where you can see a Mercedes or Maserati parked on the curb front at any given time. As I pass by a black Towncar, I half expect to see Carlo Gambino emerge from the passenger door. He doesn’t, fortunately (but we are in SoHo).

My old man and I open the door and enter into a cozy, dimly lit Art Deco-styled grand room with matching tables and booths, and period-piece artwork, which includes a Warhol-esque rendition of Alfred Hitchcock smoking a churchill-sized stick that’s perched upon by a bird. The patrons are all ages dressed in business casual attire. I take immediate notice of one particular patron because he looks exactly like The Most Interesting Man in the World, which makes me wonder if I’ve accidentally stepped into a Dos Equis commercial. I’m only half ashamed to say I snapped a photo.

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The drone of the air purifiers is quelled by the sound system, which consistently churns out the best hits of the 60s through the 80s. Simon and Garfunkel, U2, the Stones, Queen, Modern English, Jimi Hendrix, Billy Idol and, no less than three times, the Beatles, are all heard within the first hour. Perfection.

Immediately to the left of the front door is a brilliant Deco-style bar that proudly displays nearly every whiskey known to man (really, an impressive collection). From Ardbeg and Glenfiddich to rarer Japanese and American whiskies, even the most veteran of whiskey aficionados will find something satisfactory here.

The cigar selection is equally impressive. In addition to having the greatest hits of all the household names (Padròn, Fuente, Rocky Patel, and even the occasional flavored cigar for beginners), SoHo has their very own house blend of premium cigars, one of which yours truly had the privilege of reviewing last year. There is even a small cigarette selection available to those who aren’t quite ready to commit to a cigar. Again, Lee Ringleheim has made sure there’s is something for everyone at SoHo Cigar Bar.

By far the most impressive thing about the menu here is the pre-arranged pairings. One page offers drink pairings (such as the Flight Over Scotland, consisting solely of three different Scottish whiskeys). An adjoining page offers a cigar and drink pairing, combining various cigars on the menu with selected rums and scotches. Sold.

A young lady named Fern is our hostess (one of the many lovely young ladies on staff). She gets right down to business and presents us with the menu, which, in addition to a pages long whiskey and wine selection and the aforementioned All-Star cigar selection, boasts a cast old Ringleheim family recipes for appetizers, tapas and desserts.

She is attentively non-invasive and gracefully to the point, happy to answer any questions about the menu and quick with both her pen and her jokes. She was also game for a photo!

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After enjoying a savory three-cheese dip with chips, a gourmet flatbread pizza, and a divine chocolate soufflé (I know. I may or may not have skipped dinner for this…), I’m ready to finish things off with the Eclipse (SoHo’s Sol D’Oro house cigar paired with Flor de Cana 25-year rum). Just as I had hoped, my old friend the Sol d’Oro is just as fantastic now as it was last year; the salty graham cracker-dominated flavor profile goes very well with the rum’s bitter cherry essence.

After finishing up the Sol, I ask Fern if I can break out my own pipe and pipe tobacco for my old man to try. “No problem!” she says; the cherry is now firmly on top. One shared pipe and a million commemorative photographs later, my old man and I pick up the check and adjourn to the A train, our hearts weighed down by reluctance to leave.

So what is SoHo Cigar Bar? My experience indicates that it is the embodiment of reconciliation between New York City’s golden age and modern resurgence. The aesthetics, though, is just the start: amazing selection and service make this one of New York City’s finest cigar bars.

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Cigar Review: Rocky Patel 20th Anniversary

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Rakesh “Rocky” Patel sold his Hollywood legal practice in the early 1990s, the dawn of the Cigar Boom, and moved to Honduras to learn the art of cigar production. Patel strove for one simple thing: Perfection. His company, initially dubbed Indian Tabac, was launched in 1995. Twenty years later, Patel and his company (renamed Rocky Patel Premium Cigars in 2002) have not only survived the malaise and inevitable fallout of the Boom (a claim very few can make), they have established a empire that competes with fellow tobacco giants Arturo Fuente and Padròn in the world-wide tobacco world. In accordance with his tradition of creating cigars to commemorate key points in his company’s history, Rocky Patel proudly released a special 20th Anniversary cigar to celebrate 20 years in the industry. Today, I’ll be reviewing the Rosthchild vitola; I’d be lying through my teeth if I said I wasn’t particularly excited about this boxed pressed little beauty!

Form and Substance

  • Vitola: Rothschild
  • Wrapper: Honduran
  • Binder: Trade Secret (Rocky Patel’s website’s words, not mine)
  • Filler: Nicaraguan (Estelí, Jalapa) & Honduran (Jamastran)
  • Dimensions: 4 ½” x 50’ Boxed Press
  • Country of Origin: Honduras

Aesthetics, Construction and Feel

The Twentieth Anniversary has a great aesthetic appeal to it, even by Rocky Patel standards. This is an impressive feat that must be noted, given Rocky’s chosen method of making cigars that are aesthetically eye-catching. The stick’s box pressing is nearly perfect; the dark Honduran wrapper looks smooth and sultry, the veins are subtle and the seams are practically invisible, sealed absolutely perfectly with no openings to be seen; the only soft spot I can feel is barely even a soft spot; similarly, the nub boasts a perfectly sealed double cap that shows no breaches once cut. The wrapper is silky smooth to the touch, as well, boasting rich earthy notes. The foot reveals a subtle coffee essence, as well as chocolate. In conclusion, let’s quite stalling and get on with the smoke!

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Smoke and Flavor

First Third: The 20th Anniversary gets right on down to business with a perfect draw that will ultimately last from the first puff to the last. The first finely drawn puffs yield a strong, raw coffee essence, tempered somewhat by an undertone of chocolate. The retrohale is dominated by an even more raw (and therefore more rich) dark wood flavor. The burn is slightly uneven, a slight chink in the armor that sadly persists throughout the first third and into the second, the stick waging an uphill struggle to even itself out. The ash is a very dark grey; though it bends and fractures some, it holds surprisingly well. After the foot is cleared the puffs develop an unusually thick and dark chocolatey texture and aftertaste that coats the palate. Not a bad start!

Second Third: The second third begins on the heals of a slight charcoal undertone entering the background alongside the chocolate. Meanwhile in the foreground, the coffee intensifies the smoke when it metastasizes into a dark wood flavor. The rertrohale’s dark wood is concurrently enhanced by a note of sugar. Halfway through, the burn finally evens out while the ash continues to hold firm. Then, right out of left field, an independent raw coffee note returns to the foreground and vies for control with the dark wood.

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Final Third: Here, after the ash finally falls for the first time, everything comes full circle in a fantastically unique way. The dark wood and raw coffee draw a truce and combine with each other, creating a rich and earthy hybrid note in the foreground. The coffee in the background stays as is, providing support for the foreground. This harmonic convergence of flavors and textures marks the 20th’s final delicious puffs.

The Final Verdict

Now that’s quite a lot going on for such a small stick! Every puff was, in one form or another, a fistful of powerfully rich and earthy essences that constitute both the 20th’s greatest strength and greatest weakness: every puff skirted the line of overpowering the palate, which, when counted with the occasional troubles with the burn, ultimately keeps the 20th from getting an A+ in my view. At the same time, it should also be noted that the draw did not fluctuate even once; as any experienced blender will tell you, this can be a might difficult feat to accomplish. As such, the 20th Anniversary Rothschild not only upholds the Rocky Patel legacy, it takes it to new heights!

Final Grade: A

Total Smoking Time: 01:12:24

Tips for a Perfect Smoke Experience

  • As mentioned, this stick can overpower its smoker at any given moment, always take this little powerhouse with a sugar-enhanced cuff of coffee at your side. Dark chocolate also helps.
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