The Graycliff Cigar Company was founded by Enrico Garzaroli.  Garzaroli, owner of the world famous Graycliff Hotel in Nassau, Bahamas, wanted to add to his hotel’s reputation for fine dining by adding its own line of cigars.  He decided to call on Avelino Lara, the creator of Cohiba cigars, to help him launch his idea.  Using Lara’s expertise, Garzaroli finally realized his dream in 1997 when the company began producing its own line of high-end, limited production cigars.   

Graycliff Red Label Original Blend Pirate

If you are intuitive, you will be able to tell from its name that the Red Label Original Blend is in fact the manufacturer’s original cigar.  The Red Label kicked off Graycliff’s introduction to the cigar industry in 1997, and it paved the way for further releases from the brand.

The Red Label Original Blend Pirate (cool name choice huh?) measures 6x52 in its pyramid vitola.  You can find the Red Label in over ten other sizes, ranging from its largest, the 14x50 Big Bamboo, all the way down to its smallest offering, the 4.5x44 Taco.  The Red Label Pirate has a filler blend of tobaccos from Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua.  It has a binder and wrapper that are both from Indonesia.  The cigar is labeled as being medium-bodied in flavor. 

At first glance, the Red Label Pirate looks great.  The wrapper has a pleasant light brown color with the slightest bit of oily sheen.  You can see a few prominent veins running throughout the body, and giving it a pat down reveals that it is a firmly packed cigar.  The single shiny band near the head is very attractive and eye-catching.  The large band is red and gold in color and shows the Graycliff name along with a large letter G and Avelino Lara’s name below it as sort of a stamp of approval.  On the sides of the band you have the word handmade and Nassau, Bahamas, in print.  Prior to lighting the cigar has an earthy scent and taste with a slight touch of sweetnes.