BACKGROUND: The original Grand Marnier liqueur was created in 1880 by Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle. Grand Marnier is a delicate blend of fine cognacs and distilled essence of tropical oranges. Slow aging in French oak casks, gives Grand Marnier its incomparable roundness and subtlety, which has made it a favorite for generations. Still owned by the Marnier Lapostolle family, the acclaimed liqueur possesses a luxurious taste and uses the same timeless recipe.

One thing that goes great with Grand Marnier is a fine cigar. In fact, Grand Marnier and port are featured prominently in cigar dinners around the world.

With that thought in mind, Ted’s Cigars and Marnier-Lapostolle launched their new Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge seasoned cigar at the 2010 annual IPCPR Trade show just in time for the holiday season.

Through the use of Ted’s Cigars proprietary seasoning process, where the cigar never comes in direct contact with the liqueur, the company has been successful in subtly imparting the luxurious aroma and flavor of Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge to enhance the experience of enjoying this premium handmade Dominican Republic cigar.

Aromatically seasoned with Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge, a vibrant blend of Cognac and Orange liqueur, this cigar is an experience worthy of the legend of Grand Marnier.

These cigars come individually packaged in glass tubes and in one size: the 6-inch by 52 ring gauge Torpedo.

TASTING NOTES: The first thing I noted was this cigar was very light in body. For those of you who enjoy full-bodied cigars, this offering may be a bit too light for your taste. On the other hand, those who are just getting started with cigars would have no problem accessing this smoke.

This cigar sports herbal characters with notes of fresh hay and the tannins from raw nuts. At the one-third mark, I started to note the character of the cognac seasoning.

The draw and burn of this stick were impeccable. This torpedo had a smooth and silky draw and cast a medium gray ash that was firm and pellet-like when tapped into my ashtray. I couldn't ask for better performance.

As to being a flavor infused cigar, if I didn't know this cigar was flavor-infused, I wouldn't have guessed it from the taste.

The Grand Marnier cigar would make the perfect stocking stuffer for your newbie friends, acquaintances and family members. This aromatically seasoned cigar is manufactured in the same way as any premium handmade cigar. Using a Corojo wrapper from Brazil, an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and a filler blend from the Dominican Republic, this cigar is hand-constructed with long-filler premium tobacco. The difference between this stick and other premium cigars is the special process for infusing flavor, in this case of Grand Marnier, into the tobacco to give the finished cigar the nuances of this famous liqueur.

This stick is light to medium in flavor and light in body and strength. The flavor suggests nuances of herbs, grasses and raw nuts. Also among these nuances is the delicate flavor of Grand Marnier, with its cognac and orange petal fragrance.

I recommend this cigar for the new cigar smoker or those who are unfamiliar with premium cigars as an entry into the art of fine smoking. I also recommend that you try this cigar in the morning with your favorite cup of coffee or in the afternoon or evening with your favorite liqueur. In fact, make it a Grand Marnier. These two go together like peanut butter and pickles and will have you singing "Vive le Grand Marnier!"

~Doc