We can all remember the time we had our first cigar. For my it was in Brooklyn, NY and that cigar was a Macanudo Robust. It wasn’t long before I would venture out and find my first go to cigar in the Padron 2000, but along the way one of the cigars that I would smoke was The Griffin’s. Let’s face it, the majority of us start mild.
Cigar Review: The Griffin’s
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Tabadom (Davidoff)
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Length: 6.5
Ring Gauge: 44
Vitola: No. 300 (Lonsdale)
The Look: Looking at The Griffin’s in the box it is easy to see that these cigars are made by Davidoff. The wooden cabinet style boxes, the white bands, gold and black accents it all points the premier manufacturer in the Dominican Republic. As far as the cigar, there are a few prominent veins that slightly detracts from the golden shade wrapper. In the hand the cigar has no soft spots with a well packed foot and a hefty weight.
The Notes: The cold draw of The Griffin’s No. 300 was as expected with notes of hay and earth. Yes I am guilty of profiling my cigar based on where it was made. There are also subtle butter like notes present. Off the foot the aroma sees more of the buttery notes although they are a bit more dominant with hay and earth in the background.
Once the cigar is lit I am instantly impressed with how incredibly smooth The Griffin’s No. 300 is with subtle notes of tostado cubano (Cuban toast) complete with the butter like nuances. There is a touch of nuts and cedar that become more dominant with the addition of a retrohale.
As we transition into the center portion of this Lonsdale, the notes of nuts becomes dominant with hints of honey, raisins and cedar. The moderate finish has hints of salted cashews while the retrohale of enhances the nutty goodness with nuances of earth.
The experience concludes down the same path laid out in the first two-thirds. There are notes of butter, honey, raisins and cashews. Cedar is abundant on the aroma and the retrohale with just enough earth to provide contrast to the sweetness.
The Burn: The Griffin’s has one of the thinnest combustion lines I have seen on a Connecticut Shade wrapper. The cigar has a nice subtle resistance on the draw which is the way I like it and the firm light ash holds on strong. The stick burned to perfection and remained lit from start to finish.
The Finish: Are you a fan of the Davidoff Classic series? If so, the The Griffin’s might be right in your wheelhouse. The notes are similar and while the cigar is mild, it might be just a notch stronger than the Classic. But most importantly, it is easier on the wallet. This is a cigar that I haven’t picked up in a while, but I can’t get over the complexity which makes me realize that I need to start visiting this on a regular basis.
Score: 91
Price: $9.69 / $205.99 (Box of 25)
The Griffin’s No. 300
The Griffin’s No. 300 Burn
