Graycliff G2 Habano PGXL

Founded by Graycliff Resort owner, Enrico Garzaroli, the Graycliff Cigar Company has achieved fame worldwide for high-end, handcrafted cigars produced in the lush tropical setting of the prestigious Bahamian resort by the same name. The site of the Graycliff Resort was originally a church built in 1666, one of Nassau's first structures and certainly most prominent. Known as the "Pride of the Bahamas," this historic site later served as a fort before becoming home to the 5-star resort it is today. Winston Churchill, Aristotle Onassis, Paul Newman, King Constantine and the Beatles are among the many who have visited over the years.

An enthusiastic cigar aficionado, Garzaroli dreamed of producing truly top-shelf cigars to complement the fine wine and cuisine in his first class restaurants. He partnered with Cuban cigar legend Avelino Lara to create Graycliff Cigar Company. Lara was responsible for Castro's personal smokes, and then the Cohiba line. Graycliffs—initially offered as an amenity for guests at the hotel—are handmade in a small area behind the renowned Nassau resort. With an unyielding devotion to superior quality and consistency, Lara oversaw the production of each cigar until his passing in 2009. Only a few hundred are rolled each day, and they're known for exceptional body and flavor without being overly harsh. Because of their focus on quality, they have thrived in spite of entering the premium cigar business in 1998 at the end of the cigar boom. Demand has mushroomed so much that Graycliff has expanded their manufacturing operations to Nicaragua and Honduras, exporting their exacting standards as well. Consistently ranked among the finest cigars in the world, Graycliff is among the most prestigious brands on the market today.

The Graycliff G2 line has legions of die-hard fans and some of those fans had some requests. Turns out, Graycliff was listening and added a new extension to the G2 cigars; so, without further ado, let us introduce you to the Graycliff G2 Habano. The G2 Habano features the same Dominican and Nicaraguan long-filler insides as its older counterpart, as well as a feisty Nicaraguan binder, but this bad-boy upped the ante by sporting a beautiful and spicy Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. Medium in body, this smoke has spice, pepper, cedar, earth, and cream. Pair this one of a kind luxurious smoke with a Sandeman Porto Tawny 10 Years Old.

The Nicaraguan cigar industry originated when Cuban cigar makers escaped the revolution and re-established their livelihood in Nicaragua with Cuban-seed tobacco. Blessed with dark, rich soil, their new home was ideal for tobacco cultivation and Nicaragua quickly became known for cigars that rivaled Cuban quality. Unfortunately, revolution and war came to Nicaragua in the 1980s and devastated the industry, but it’s rebounded dramatically and is once again producing tobacco considered by many to be the finest in the world.

The Esteli Valley is in many ways the heart of Nicaraguan production and is known for its very powerful and spicy tobacco. The Jalapa Valley produces arguably the finest tobacco in the country: somewhat sweeter and less intense than Esteli, but extremely complex. The tobacco of the Condega Valley is often described as a blend of the other two regions.