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Cigar Review: Emilio Cigars Grimalkin Toro

20 Sep 2011

If you’re a recurring visitor to cigar websites and forums, you’ve probably already heard about Grimalkin, a blend made by Gary Griffith’s Emilio Cigars. This cigar has been written about and reviewed many times since it debuted in February.

If you haven’t heard of Grimalkin yet, the first question you’re probably asking yourself is: “What’s with the name?” Well, a grimalkin is defined as an old or sinister-looking female cat—which explains the interesting band. Wikipedia cites that “Scottish legend makes reference to the grimalkin as a fairy cat which dwells in the highlands.”

Name and band aside, I’m guessing you’re more interested in this cigar’s makeup and how it smokes. So on to the review. Grimalkin is crafted in Estelí from a proprietary blend of “carefully selected tobaccos.” Some have speculated that it is made by Don Pepin Garcia at the famed My Father Cigars Factory.

Three traditional sizes are available: Robusto, Torpedo, and Toro. The latter measures 6 inches long with a ring gauge of 50 and an MSRP of $8.30. My Toro sample has an oily, reddish wrapper that’s mostly smooth, though not without one prominent vein that runs the length of the stick. It has a sweet hazelnut aroma at the foot and a nice triple cap.

The opening profile is of roasted almond, cocoa, creamy caramel, and cedar spice. Medium in body, the flavor is devoid of harshness or unwelcome heat yet assertive enough maintain a long finish on the palate. Its balance and syrupy texture stand out as the most memorable characteristics of the smoke, imparting a uniqueness that’s lacking from other cigars that take on a more predictable profile.

Fortunately, the Toro’s outstanding physical properties enable you to focus entirely on the taste at hand. The burn is nearly perfect, the white ash solid and stable, and the draw has just the right amount of resistance.

Grimalkin is, without a doubt, a most welcome addition to the premium cigar marketplace. Woe is the cigar enthusiast who passes up trying this blend because the name is a little funny or because the band is a little nontraditional or because Emilio Cigars are little hard to find. I think $8.30 is a very fair price for the Toro, a tasty treat that’s definitely worthy of four and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

5 Responses to “Cigar Review: Emilio Cigars Grimalkin Toro”

  1. Antonio Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 10:21 am #

    Sounds delicious. Will have to give this a try at such a high rating.

  2. Joey B Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 11:03 am #

    Patrick- Where did you get yours from? I've never seen this in any of the shops near me (in the DC area.

  3. George E. Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 10:41 pm #

    It also looks like all the Davidus shops in Maryland carry Emilio Cigars as well.