Popcorn, Popcorn, Did Somebody Say Popcorn?

Cigar Reviewed: Graycliff Gray Cuban Corona

Smoked at: Indianapolis

pre-light-nose, I get hints of barnyard, a little bit of hay, and an underlying tone of chocolate. On the foot of the cigar I get a little bit of sweet tobacco and that's about it.

During the first few minutes of burning the Graycliff Gray I was hit with a tingling black pepper on the palate. As the ember settled a bit the pepper reduced and became a little more mellow. During the first 3rd there was a very strong lemon peel note on the retrohale. It took me completely by surprise. Sometimes I can detect a little citrus in cigars but it typically (in my experience) leans more toward orange and grapefruity notes. Not this time though! It was distinctly lemon. There was a nice oak wood and a very mild pepper followed by a faint coffee note on the palate.

Once I got into the 2nd 3rd, things changed drastically. On the retrohale I started getting a slight buttery note. A few more puffs in and that buttery note transformed into a full blown buttery popcorn! A couple more puffs as I enjoyed it more, another sweet note started to come out it was a combination of the buttery popcorn mixed with a new caramel popcorn note. I was totally surprised by this. On top of the awesome retrohale experience so far, the flavors on the palate have roughly stayed the same. Coffee notes mixed with oak wood. The pepper is so mild you really have to search for it.

On the final third it transitioned into a nice woody warm tobacco note. The retro gave whisps of wood, black tea and pure tobacco. As for the palate, everything was the same as before except toward the very end it started to get a little medicinal. I pretty much nubbed it before it turned acrid.

Definitely would like to smoke another one of these it was extremely surprising. I haven't seen much about this one out there either. Definitely worth a try!