GR Specials Red Label

GR Specials Red Label robusto
$2.95, Size: 6", Ring: 54
Nicaraguan Habano '99 wrapper, Colombian binder, Nicaraguan and Costa Rican fillers.

Rolled at Gran Habano's facilities in Honduras, this hefty GR Specials Red Label robusto is big enough to give other robustos an inferiority complex. I found a couple of boxes of these at my local B&M, so I bought one Red Label, and one Black Label, and went on my merry way.

It was hard to tell if this is supposed to be a maduro or not. The wrapper was a glossy, light chocolate color, with moderate veins, and not much aroma from wrapper.

I wet the cap a bit, and proceeded with the punch. I discovered an easy draw with an odd taste. You may think me crazy, but the cap and cold draw tasted like canned spinach. I thought I should drink a V-8 with this cigar. As smoldering got underway, the burn was wobbly and left a spotty, pigeon-grey ash.

There was not much flavor to start, then a toasted white bread flavor sluggishly built after the first inch. After two inches, I decided that I had better things to do, and let the cigar go out (by throwing it into a snow bank behind the garage).

For the brand's sake, I hope this cigar was an anomaly and not the norm for the Red Label. Even so, I don't feel particularly motivated to smoke another to find out. I want my 20 minutes back...