Emilio Cigars Grimalkin Toro

[jsnake]

I was recently contacted by Gary Griffith and he said he had a couple cigars he wanted me to try out. Ummmm, yeah! Now I don't know Gary very well but following him on Twitter he seems to be one heck of a good guy with a strong passion for cigars. Around this same time I had a trade worked out with a buddy on a cigar forum. He sends me an Emilio Cigars AF1 and AF2 and says they are incredible and he wants me to give them a try. All of the sudden I am hearing a lot about Emilio Cigars and my curiosity is peaked. I get a package from Gary Griffith the next day that contains a Grimalkin, AF1, and AF2 in the toro size.

So what in the world is a Grimalkin and why does this cigar's band feature a set of cat eyes? "A grimalkin (also called a greymalkin) is an old or evil-looking female cat. The term stems from "grey" (the color) plus "malkin", an archaic term for a cat. Scottish legend makes reference to the grimalkin as a faery cat which dwells in the highlands." There you have it right from the Emilio Cigars website.

The Emilio Cigars Grimalkin is available in three sizes: Robusto, Toro, and Torpedo. As far as the details of the cigar there seems to be a mystery surrounding it and no one is talking. This cigar will be limited in quantity and comes out of Esteli, Nicaragua. There are no details on the blend and I had to call around for pricing which was $9.50 for the Toro.

When I first saw this cigar my initial reaction was what a great looking stick. The unique name and cigar band stick out and kind of add to the mystery of this cigar. Putting this cigar in the humidor to give it a little rest was really hard. I wanted to smoke it right away. This cigar just feels great in my hand and it is packed full of tobacco which is evident looking at the foot. The wrapper has a hint of oil and a nice medium brown color. A fine toothiness can be seen with a few tiny veins on the wrapper. The triple cap is applied perfectly and I just can't find any visual flaws in this cigar. There is a floral and cinnamon aroma on the wrapper while the foot has the aroma of wood and spice added to the floral. The pre-light draw was sweet and spicy.

Toasting the foot of this cigar brings out some wonderful aromas and I am anxious for the first puff. Initially I am hit with spice and pepper followed quickly by a leathery finish. This cigar produces a lot of nice white smoke and the draw is perfect. It is burning evenly and remained perfect to the end. The ash is a beautiful bright white and it holds well. Getting a little further into the cigar there is a cedar flavor and hints of cinnamon. The half way mark brings a citrus flavor I would say reminds me of an orange peel. Mix in some more cedar, coffee, and cocoa towards the end. On the retrohale I experienced cinnamon and spice that was very unique. What a wonderfully balanced medium cigar. All the flavors compliment one another and the strength is just right for me.

Now I have finished this cigar and I sit here alone reflecting on it. Gary Griffith has a definite winner here. I am almost reluctant to spread the word because if this is limited production it might become hard to get more. Boutique cigars are a passion of mine. I really enjoy finding those amazing cigars that aren't well known to the cigar masses. Everyone knows about the big names out there but there are little companies making cigars that sometimes run circles around the big guys. This is definitely one of the best cigars I have smoked this year. I do not use a rating system but I would say it is in the top 3 for the year so far.

I highly recommend this cigar and think it is worthy of a box purchase. Notice I didn't hesitate to offer that opinion. The price point on this cigar seems just right to me for the experience I had. You get a complex and well balanced medium cigar that is beautifully constructed. After smoking this I can't wait to get to the Emilio AF1 and AF2. I have heard nothing but good about those as well. I will be reviewing those very soon. Make sure you follow Gary on Twitter and visit the Emilio Cigars website to find a retailer.

See the pictures here:http://cigarcatadore.blogspot.com/20...lkin-toro.html

[chand]

Gary runs my local. Good guy.

[scoot]

If you're near Northern Delaware, definitely make it a point to stop by the People's Plaza location and talk to Gary a bit. He's a great guy and has great connections within the industry. The humidor is very well stocked, especially if you're looking for hard to find viaje stuff.

As for the cigars he makes, the AF1 and AF2 are both made by A.J. Fernandez. I've yet to smoke the AF 2, but the AF1 has a great San Andres maduro wrapper on it. The Grimalkin is made by a certain cigar maker in Esteli. I don't want to say for sure who because Gary might kill me.

[irratebass]

Nice dark looking cigar, thanks for the review.

[BeerAdvocate]

Jake, Does the Outlaw carry these, or any B&M in KC?

That ash is one of the prettiest i've EVER SEEN!

Need more light on those photos.

Nice looking cigar, and good review!