Mission Zero
Large ring-gauge cigars may still be trending, but here at Klaro, we have found that a lot of people have begun to migrate toward slimmer vitolas and shorter smokes. Blame it on the extreme heat, biting cold, or the average smoker's desire to taste more of that wrapper instead of just long filler, but slim smokes have been quite the hot commodity as of late.
However, there are certain cigars that just taste and perform better with a whole ton of tobacco stuffed inside, with the GRD3 660 from Raíces Cubanas being one of these blends. While other cigar makers will roll out a line of different vitolas ranging from skinny to substantial, this blend is only produced in 60 ring-gauge sizes and above.
Apparently, the cigar manufacturer found that this particular combination of tobacco strains burned far cooler and tasted way better in larger format, so they made this smoke their dedicated "fat boy blend." All-Honduran from foot to cap and everywhere underneath, this medium-powered stick is intended to provide a dark natural smoking session that sits square in the center of the smoking spectrum.
A tempting offering for those looking for large amounts of tobacco at an appealing price point, but without all of the strength or bold flavor of a darker or stronger smoke. Consider it the nut brown ale of cigars. Easy-going, easily consumable, and served in a 1-liter mug for value and impact, it's the session smoke that you turn toward when light or dark aren't striking your fancy.
Unlit Impressions
In true "gordo" vitola fashion, this bulky parejo has all of the weight and wieldiness of a claymore great sword on the battlefield. Get around that gargantuan band, which I personally find to be cheaply made and unattractive, and you will see a dark natural wrapper that mimics the pub ale we are comparing it to today. Chestnut brown and showing a single sharp vein with very little mottle, it's a straightforward affair when it comes to appearances.
Smells of mid-grade baking spices, nut brown ale, sweet chocolate cake, and a mellow, creamy underbelly are tempting, but not very moving either. The foot has more of a molasses cookie and spice cake scent, candied ginger and spiced gumdrops being the big standouts. Bready, balanced, with a touch of cardboard toward the end, this too is nice, but not very exciting.
Dark bread, yeast starter, rye grain, and a pinch of brown sugar are all that I can detect from a cold pull. So not a very exciting initial impression, but nothing spicy or off-center either.
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Initial Smoke
But oh, how this cigar turns things around the second it is set ablaze. Tastes of nut brown ale, with the creamy, malty, hazelnut sweetness that makes the adult beverage so satisfying, sending the taste buds into a tizzy. Mild-medium in every way, with not a touch of spiciness or heat to be tasted or felt, ignition slowly leads you toward a mixture of hearty wholegrain bread and a lightly spiced sweet finish that is built upon a bed of Honduran soil.
1st Half
Those sweet spices soon cover every area of the smoke, with the mid-grade soil at the center of each exhale providing some grounding. Consistently creamy and nutty, the cigar stays true to those hazelnut brown ale attributes, before unloading a level serving of roasted chicory root and herb tea on the tongue. Retrohales are far more malty and spice-focused, with little sign of pepper spice to distract your smell receptors from the medium-powered mixture of the previously mentioned tasting notes.
Although there isn't much in the way of a transition from first to second third, the cigar does manage to make you taste more of everything in a more concentrated, creamier dosage. So there's a bit of a build-up here, where the body achieves medium status, and the blend focuses on solidifying what's already on the tasting wheel instead of giving it a spin.
2nd Half
Baking spices eventually do grow a bit more prominent, with the center of the cigar showcasing some additional earthiness to counter these pops of flavor. It's a grab-bag of nutmeg, clove, ginger, and cinnamon, and it falls neatly underneath that malty mixture of brown ale and nutty overtones.
Once the final third is reached, a transition toward black licorice, craft cola, and a saltier finish forms a medicinal motion that ebbs and flows smoothly over the tongue. Thanks to the herbal roastiness of the chicory and those secondary soil and wholegrain bread notes, the blend manages to pull away from the more malt-forward flavors from earlier.
Parting Puffs
All of the resins, sugars, and oils found within that large serving of filler tobacco eventually turn the taste of nut brown ale into a porter, or perhaps even a dry stout flavor profile. The wholegrain bread aftertaste is 100% on point and deserves mentioning, as it provides enough presence to absorb and complement the fainter hints of salt, pepper, and jalapeño. Retrohales may be the same as before, but at least there isn't any harshness, spiciness, or overbearing heat to be detected.
Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw
Even though there were two ash drops along the way, which surprised me considering the girthy ring-gauge of the cigar, and a correction in parting puffs, this gordo burned pretty damn well. As advertised, the cigar also stayed cool the entire time, even up into parting puffs, with a boatload of smoke flowing from each pull. The ash was also a tidy affair, with very little to zero flaking to be found.
Final Thoughts
In many ways, the GRD3 660 delivers as promised. It's a smooth, centered, medium-every-which-way large cigar that is clean and controlled. The blend may take liberties with the whole nut brown ale aspect, but that isn't something to bitch about when flavors and aromas are this well put-together.
The issue is that, unlike other cigars from Raíces Cubanas, this blend doesn't evolve very much, with very little beyond some additional secondary tastes in the final third forming a mid-grade movement across the palate. Instead, you get a series of creamy, nutty, malty, earthy, medium-strength Honduran puro puffs for 90% of the time that stay rooted in reliability and approachability.
This leaves you with a cigar that is consistent in burn, flavor, and strength, with cool smoke flow and smoothness being its top selling points. The blend may not be unique or prolific in its approach, but that isn't what it was built for. It's the humble pour from the tap down at the local pub that isn't trying to be something it is not, which is perfectly fine for those of us looking for a zero-distraction sort of smoke to accompany that frothy pint.
Stogie Specs
| Cigar | Raices Cubanas "GRD3 660" |
| Wrapper | Honduras |
| Binder | Honduras |
| Filler | Honduras |
| Factory | Honduras |
| Size | 6″ x 60 (Gordo) |
| Strength | Medium |
| Pairing Drink | Vanilla Chamomile Iced tea |
| Rating | 4.1/5 |
- Wrapper
- Honduras
- Binder
- Honduras
- Filler
- Honduras
- Origin
- Honduras
Larger ring gauge cigars have surged in popularity over the years, so Raices Cubanas created a line that caters to this trend. Known as the "GRanD3" or "GRD3" for short, this medium-powered line focuses on three large sizes that feature an all-Honduran tobacco blend.
Featuring a more heavily aged, hazelnut brown natural wrapper from the Trojes growing region, and internals that hail from some of Honduras' top farming areas. While these big boys may look beefy, they are far more of a medium smoke than a strong one, with creamy cashew, milk cocoa, toasted toffee, and that traditional Honduran soil note all being primary players. A must-try for anyone wanting a larger cigar without all of the heavy-hitting intensity or strong aftertastes.
