Graycliff Chateau Grand Crus

Graycliffs. A cigar I will never forget. Not my first, but my first favorite. 5 Vegas Golds are good cigars, but there is something unique about the Grand Cru. Don't get it in anything but the Presidente length and shape.

I had just gotten to the main hub of Iraq, the Green Zone, I had a briefing to give. About ten miles away, through a very "calm" strip of road was Baghdad International Airport or BIAP as it was commonly known, and the associated base, Camp Victory.

To get from one place to another you traveled along route Irish, the daily shuttle was something called a Rhino.

While not the exact one I rode in, they were all generally the same. Traveling to and from was simple, show up at the Rhino stop, wait to see if they had room, then hop on and go.

Why did I travel any more than necessary, risking IEDs, small arm attacks and suicide bombers?
It was simple, my friends were located on BIAP and I hadn't seem then in several months.

After arriving to BIAP I located a couple friends, Weston and Bowser. We sat in the night and smoked Gran Crus, watching the enemy rockets fly over head. The smoke trails from the cigars and the bubbles from the sodas soon dissipated but we spent hours catching up and savoring the moment of simply being alive and having a great conversation.

Every time I smoke a Gran Cru, and at about $25 a pop its not too often, I remember those days and the friendships I had.