I recently smoked the General Grant Corona, the best bad cigar I’ve ever had. I have provided my full review below. This content uses referral links.
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Some time ago, I purchased a box of General Grant Corona cigars. They were incredibly cheap, and they had some decent reviews online as an everyday smoke. So, I decided to give them a try.
General Grant Corona
A Dominican cigar made with central American tobacco and a Sumatran wrapper, there was nothing special about this cigar, but it’s appropriately priced for its so-so quality. It’s perfect for a relatively quick smoke while engaging in other activities.
In my grading system and review below, I have adopted the Cigar Journal: For the Discerning Aficionado method. It provides an excellent system for keeping track of my favorite smokes, and I recommend it to any cigar smoker.
Time of the Smoke
It took me about forty minutes to smoke through this cigar, but I was taking my time. I anticipate its typically taking twenty to thirty minutes.
Look of the Label
The cigar had no label. As its intent is to call to mind the image of General Grant smoking cigars from pictures taken during the Civil War, this was entirely appropriate.
3/3 points
General Grant Corona’s Condition
The General Grant Corona came in a condition fitting its price. It was a bit of a wrinkled mess, but, again, this appears intentional as a throwback to nineteenth-century smokes. However, it also began to unwrap a bit during the smoke.
4/7 points
Feel of the Cigar
This cigar was just a spongy mess. There was no consistency at all, and it felt like the wrap was a bit haphazard.
1/3 points
Aroma of the Wrapper
The pre-lit cigar smelled of earth, tobacco, and perhaps a hint of cream. It wasn’t bad.
2/3 points
The Cut
The cut was kind of a mess. It was hard to tell where the cap ended to find the right place to cut it. Still, the cut went off surprisingly well, particularly for this type of cigar.
1/1 point
Lighting the General Grant Corona
The General Grant Corona lit up quite easily. Given its small size, that was to be expected. It almost felt like lighting a cigarette.
1/1 point
The Draw
The draw was way too loose, exacerbated by air escaping through holes in the wrapper. The draw was so loose, in fact, that it almost felt like I was smoking nothing at all.
2/5 points
Retrohale
On the retrohale, the General Grant Corona was almost tasteless. I barely picked up hints of pepper and cream, but the flavors were so weak I can’t be sure.
1/9 points
General Grant Corona’s Flavor
The General Grant Corona was almost tasteless. Maybe there were hints of cream. It was tough to detect much of anything. The one thing I can say is that it wasn’t bad, which is a meaningful statement about a cigar like this.
12/21 points
Aroma of the Smoke
After the initial light, the cigar’s smoke smelled a bit earthy and almost sweet.
5/7 points
The Burn
The burn was fine. There was just some minimal unevenness during the smoke, but it didn’t cause a problem.
2/2 points
The Ash
The ash, too, was fine. It was nothing impressive, but it also didn’t cause any trouble.
1/1 point
Effect of the Smoke
I know that this is a bit of an odd category to consider. As the author of The Cigar Journal: For the Discerning Aficionado notes, however, if the best-tasting cigar in the world makes you sick, it’s not a great cigar for you.
This area is, therefore, very personal. Some low-quality cigars will make most people sick. Still, when you’re talking about premium cigars, different people will react differently to different cigars.
I would anticipate a cigar like this to make me sick, but, surprisingly, it had no physiological effect on me at all. This suggests that, for all its messiness, it was actually made with quality tobacco.
30/30 points
General Grant Corona’s Tobacco
For all its fraying, this cigar actually showed itself to be well-made here. No flakes of tobacco found their way into my mouth at any point during the smoke.
7/7 points
General Grant Corona Final Grade
Overall, this was a good cigar for what it was. It wasn’t a premium cigar, but it’s actually the best bad cigar I’ve ever smoked. At $1.08 per stick, the price is hard to beat. I probably won’t be buying another box anytime soon, but I may reconsider if I ever take up golf again.
Final Grade: 74 / C
Cigar of the Month Club
As always, even though I didn’t get this cigar—or any cigar like this— from it, I still recommend Monthly Clubs’ Cigar of the Month Club. I’ve been a member for years, and I love it. If you join, you’ll get five premium cigars delivered right to your door every month for just $32.95, including shipping.
(There’s also a slightly more expensive Rare Cigar Club available, for those who are interested.)
The opportunity to try a variety of high-quality cigars and to learn more about cigars in general through the accompanying tasting notes has been an invaluable experience for me. I have enjoyed being a member, and I recommend giving it a try.
If you’re interested and would like to use my referral link, I would appreciate it. Just click here. If you do, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
If you’d prefer not to use my link, however, I still recommend the Club. Just go to Monthly Clubs’ Cigar of the Month website to explore Monthly Clubs’ offerings.
Join Cigar of the Month Club Today>>
1 Comment
Joe · September 12, 2021 at 4:14 am
Great review of a little cigar!