Antonio y Cleopatra Grenadier Cigar Review
I wanted to go back to my cigar smoking roots so I could do an Antonio y Cleopatra Grenadier cigar review, and no- I’m not talking about my college days at Groovy UV. Antonio y Cleopatra cigars have a certain… let’s say stigma about them. If you were ever rebellious or live in Colorado or Washington State, you know what I’m talking about. For those that don’t (most likely my mom and dad), don’t worry about it. But what’s terrible about this stigma is that we break away from how popular these cigars really are and what they offer.
Most of you probably closed out of my review and wrote me off from thinking I’m a legit cigar smoker. To those of you that stayed, you probably think of these more as “gas station” cigars that are dried out and terrible. Well, if you bought one of these at a gas station, they’re not properly taken care of! Have you ever seen these in the gas station’s walk-in humidor? If they have a humidor, I dare you to show me where the humidifier is inside of it. I can throw an Opus X in a gas station but when you buy it, it will taste terrible because it wouldn’t have gotten the proper attention it deserves. It’s common sense to be honest.
So yes, my Antonio y Cleopatra Grenadier cigar review is real. You can get like 350 for like $7 or something like that. Okay, not really, but this is the quintessential dollar stick and by far my personal favorite “gas station” cigar, as all you haters call it. I love smoking an ultra-premium as much as the next guy, but if I could teach every cigar smoker just one thing, it’d be that there is a time and place for any cigar. If you’re too snobby to smoke anything but Padron Anniversaries and Liga Privadas then I think you’re missing out.
Antonio y Cleopatra Grenadier Cigar Review
Appearance/Burn/Draw
I’m actually quite relieved I get to smoke a Grenadier because it’s a small ring gauge cigar at 6 ¼ x 33. We’ve smoked a lot of heifers lately and it’s good to get a small one going for once. The appearance of the cigar is pretty good looking with a dark Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper so I expect some spicy sweetness. There are no protruding veins or discoloration, meaning the wrapper is of a fairly high quality which is to be expected from one of the most popular cigars in the nation.
The cold draw is pretty one dimensional. It tastes like straight tobacco with nothing else really thrown into the mix, meaning it’s going to be pretty consistent throughout. I was expecting a little more to be honest, due to the wrapper, but such is life. When I sparked it up, the draw was easy and smooth. Perfect for what you would want in a cigar. Easy with a slight pull. The burn was consistent all the way through the cigar which is to be expected with a small ring gauge cigar. Usually large cigars give you a lot of burn issues while smaller cigars give you an even burn, so it’s nice not needing to have my lighter handy just in case.
Aroma
The aroma of the cigar is rather sweet with hints of mild tobacco. It’s actually quite nice not to be overpowered by a million scents that assault you throughout the smoke, nor will it really offend non-smokers around you if you are not puffing away in a cigar lounge. That’s how light the aroma is. Still very enjoyable.
Taste
The taste is pretty consistent with the aroma, which is odd. The aroma is typically, in my experience, an added element that complements the overall flavor of the smoke, not something that is the same as the taste. Having said that, the flavor is constant throughout: sweet tobacco taste from the Maduro wrapper, with crispness to it. I know it sounds odd saying it tasted crisp. It seems like my review should be part of an orange juice commercial, but you’ll find out what I’m talking about in my final notes.
I’m pleasantly surprised with the flavor of the Antonio y Cleopatra Grenadier all the way through. I typically worry about smaller cigars since they tend to burn hot towards the end, leaving a bitter taste that burns the taste buds something awful, but I did not experience this at all. Although I’m impressed at the flavor, it’s rather one dimensional. No hints of any other flavor. It’s constant throughout- overall it’s nothing to write home about, but I get it. It’s not meant to knock your socks off in terms of flavor. It never will be and it never was. It’s simply a small cigar to provide you with a decent flavor for about 20 minutes to a half hour, and it did its job remarkably well.
Final Thoughts
As I finish up my Antonio y Cleopatra Grenadier cigar review, a few thoughts come to mind to help round out what I’m trying to say. First off, this is not my favorite cigar considering I like full-bodied stogies. That’s just who I am as a cigar smoker. But at the end of the day, when you want something light with a crisp, sweet, tobacco flavor, these are perfect. Heck, these cigars are so light, you can grab a handful of them and suck them down like pixie sticks. A lot of people reach for cigarillos that are cheap and pretty… bad. But the Antonio y Cleopatra is a step above and delivers what you want in a short smoke. I would be interested to find out what this cigar would taste like if they made a Robusto or Toro size. However, if you’re looking to save yourself a couple bucks, or are in the mood for a short, flavorful cigar you can smoke all day long, then give Antonio y Cleopatra cigars a try – you might like them more than you’d expect!