Review – Griffin’s Short Robusto
As a fan of the murkier wrapper shades, I tend to lose interest when I hear that a cigar has a Connecticut wrapper. Words like “mellow,” “creamy,” and “light” are pretty off-putting to me. However, given Davidoff’s very good standing as a company, I decided to give the Griffin’s Short Robusto a try, because hell, it was a free cigar!
The construction of this little stogie was excellent—the few veins in the wrapper were small, and there were no detectable soft spots. I clipped the cap with my Xikar Xi2 and took a few dry puffs—the pre-light draw was solid but not difficult with a slight earthy, nutty taste.
The first third had a very mellow feel with not too much smoke. It was a breezy day and the smoke that blew into my eyes was not as harsh as I anticipated. The only word I can think of to describe the main undertone of this cigar is leafy—the smoke had a certain light freshness to it as opposed to a funky aged taste. Mellow notes of cedar and black pepper flowed through in the smoke, only intensifying as the cigar approached the next third.
The draw stayed consistently manageable and the taste did not become overpowering. Spice lingered on the palate for a little longer after each draw, and the fresh, leafy taste began to creep towards the forefront. The burn on this stick was perfect—the cigar never canoed or went out, even though I had set it down to rest for a few minutes while getting ready for dinner.
Around the last third of the smoke, the spiciness fell behind a billowing creaminess. The taste of butter became very prominent, with the black pepper gently hanging on. I usually take the band as a suggested stopping point, but I wanted to see what happened to this smoke, so off it came. Nutty flavors began to jump out a bit, with a bit more pepper and a bit less butter. The smoke got too hot for me and I put it out at the ¾ inch mark.
Like I said, light wrappers are generally not my bag, but this stogie surprised me. The construction of the stick was perfect—the ash held on for a good inch at a time before diving off, luckily not onto my jeans. Though I wouldn’t recommend it as a night cap or dessert cigar, I recommend the Griffin’s Short Robusto as an appetizer. This wasn’t my favorite cigar by any means, and I wouldn’t say that it shattered my perceptions of Connecticut wrappers, but maybe I’ll open the door for a lighter smoke every once in a while.
