Di Fazio Picoso Torpedo

The Di Fazio Picoso Torpedo arrived about 4 weeks ago and it has been resting nicely in my humidor.  As many of you know I like to rest my cigars at least 3 - 4 weeks before performing a review.  This allows the cigar to get properly condition and provide the best flavors possible.

Measurements:
Gauge: 52
Length: 6 1/8"
Strength:  Medium

Construction:
The cigar is constructed very well and was slightly spongy, which I feel provides a nice burn.  The cap was solid and cut very evenly.  The cigar has nice notes.  I saw no noticeable wrapper issues.  The wrapper was tight and had solid vanes running around the body.  

Lighting:
The cigar was easy to light and did not take much to get it started.  The light was even and it not create any bitterness in the first few puffs.  The smoke was thick and white directly after the burn.  Surprisingly it was not has heavy I thought it was going to be.

First 1/3:
The burn was smooth and even.  The first few puffs had a heavier pepper and spice note that soothed into a nice a Cinnamon and cedar overtone.  The cedar was more prominent when exhaling through the nose.  The Cinnamon was the perfect amount of sweet and spicy.  Much like the taste you get when you first open a Cinnamon jar.  The ash was white then grey and finally brown as the cigar reached the 2/3's mark.

 The 2/3:
The Cinnamon continued through the second third of the cigar. The sweetness of the cigar showed itself mellowing out the spice.  The cigar continued to be medium bodied.  Some cigars have a tendency to leave your mouth dry, but the Cinnamon notes helped keep my mouth moist as excitement ran from my teeth to my pallet.  The smoke was still thick and smooth.

The last 1/3:
I am one of those smokers whose weighs heavily on the number of times my cigar ashes.  I never force my cigar to ash as I believe it will do so when it needs too.  This also is a demonstration of the construction.  This cigar ashed once twice.  The first was slightly after the 2/3 mark.  The smoke at this point was very thick and luscious.   The Cinnamon still was discernible and the cedar started to come more to life.  The cigar still continued to be medium body.  The cigar ended after about an hour of smoking and left a nice smile on my face.

Conclusion:
This is must have in your humidor.  Personally I look forward to having my next Di Fazio Torpedo.  It is well constructed and not over powering even with what you may thing are strong flavors like Cinnamon and cedar.  I enjoyed this cigar with a nice IPA beer.  If you are interested in trying one you can click on "Mike's Cigars" at the end of the review for purchasing information.

Pairings:
Wine:  Red Zinfandel or Cabernet
Whiskey/Scotch:  Any woody scotch or whiskey, Woodford Reserve or Highland Park 18
Beer:  Oktoberfest Beers or IPA's

**Photographs - Kenneth Peters Photography ©

Gurkha Park Avenue

Gurkha Park Avenue - Torpedo

Purchased: Stogie Boys

Size: Torpedo 6.2"X52

Wrapper: Connecticut

Filler: Nicaragua & Dominican

Pre-Review Notes

Before all reviews I like to have the cigar sit int he humidor for at least 2 weeks.  This particular cigar sat in my humidor for roughly 3 weeks while recovered from LASIK surgery.  The humidor was set to perfect 70/70 combination.  The first thing to note about this cigar is that you will not find the normal Gurkha cigar label.  This cigar contains a cold foil wrap with "44" in the middle.  

Construction:  8 out of 10

The cap was very tight and well wrapped.  I used a scissor cutter and cutoff about 1/2 inch from the end.  The cigar stayed to together very well with only one fray.  The wrapper is well constructed and did not show any signs of wholes or cracks.  I always rate construction on how well the cigar burns.  This cigar burned steady, did require a relight, and was only ashed 3 times.  I found this impressive.

Flavors:  6 out of 10

This is very mild cigar right out of the gate.  It contains very earthy tones that stay with the cigar through the whole smoke.  Slight hints of cedar and oak existed after the first few puffs.  After the first 1/3 of the cigar the strength increased and this when the spice and pepper hit.  The spice and pepper were not over powering but the hints added a nice compliment to the earthy cedar back-note.  As the cigar entered the final 1/3 of the burn the pepper started to over power the earthy notes and a little more full body was present.

The Burn:  8 out of 10

The draw on the cigar was tight at first and then opened after the first third was finished.  The smoke was thick and white.  The ash started gray and white and turned more brown in the middle and then back to white towards the end.  After lighting the cigar burn was very even with no canoeing present.  This cigar burn was high quality in my book.

In conclusion this is great cigar for the golf course or nice walk. I really enjoyed it but I prefer a slightly stronger smoke and for the price I would choose the Gurkha Master Select over the Park Ave.  If you like milder cigars this one you should try. It is milder in flavor and burns very well.  I purchased this cigar at StogieBoys.  Click on the link below to purchase you own.

Stogie Boys

Cigar Room II

For those of you who live in Western Ma and are cigar smokers there is no doubt you probably heard of the Cigar Room tragedy.  The Cigar Room was store and lounge that was located in West Springfield and burnt down when a fire sparked in a neighboring building.  The owner eager to get back into the cigar business worked out a deal to take possession of Azon Cigars in Agawam, Ma. The new Cigar Room II carries a huge selection of cigars from Gurhka, La Gloria Cubana, CAO, Arturo Fuente, to Rocky Patel.  The atmosphere is not much different than when the place was owned by Azon.  Leather seating, high top chairs, and flat screens provide ample seating and entertainment while you enjoy your cigar.  There are a few notable changes that you may want to know about before heading down to the store.  The first are the hours.  As many of us enjoyed an after dinner cigar at Azon around 8 and 9 PM this is only possible on Thursday's all other days except for Saturday the lounge closes at 7 PM.  The stores closes at 6 PM on Saturday.  The second notable difference is the lack of a membership.  Azon provided a yearly membership which came with a pretty much all access pass to the lounge and humidor and liquor locker.  At the current point Cigar Room II does not have any membership like this.  Bottom line Cigar Room II is a great store with a wide selection of excellent cigars but the humidor needs some tweaking [cigars we enjoyed were too moist and needed constant relighting].  I really hope to see them adjust there hours to allow for a later night cigar and cordial but other than that this will become a staple place for me during the cold months. Great job taking Azon's and ramping it up.

PS.  Cigar Room II is a sponsor of the 2011 Big Smoke at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, Ma on 9/28/2011.

Here is the link to their website.
Cigar Room II


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Buying Cigars

I have seen many people commenting on the condition of cigar when they purchase from an online retailer.  I wanted to share my two cents and whether you should purchase from the Internet for purchase from a local store and what should be expected from each method.  I am huge advocate for purchasing local as it supports local businesses, however it has been my experience that the markup on local cigars is not worth it, but they do have their time and place.  As for Internet shopping the prices are great and depending on the supplier shipping is quite quick. So which one should you use?

Local retailers are great when you are in the mood for a cigar and you don't have it in your humidor.  Head on down to your local store and purchase it.  The second time I recommend using you local dealer is if they have a lounge.  Nothing is more unacceptable in my mind than to bring your own cigars to a cigar lounge.  If you are going to simply smoke your own cigars you should at least buy one, because if it was not for the business you would not have the lounge in the first place to smoke.  When selecting a local retailer ask them about their humidor, no it is not rude to do so.  Also ask about their turnover of inventory.  You want to purchase from a retailer that has less than a 30 day turn over, this means you are getting fresh cigars.  I prefer retailers who have walk in humidors.  This allows me to sample the air, is it humid enough, is the wood dark enough to note that there is enough humidity in the air.  Walk ins, in my opinion, have better regulated temperature.  You also want to make that when the door closes you hear it seal, almost like the door on your refrigeration.  This tells you that room is tightly sealed.  If you are comfortable with the conditions of the humidor then purchase from the retailer. Lastly make sure they carry your favorites, if not ask them too but if you are going to be this bold make sure you become a repeat customer in order to keep the stock rotated.

Internet shopping.  This is tricky one.  First do not have high expectations.  Do not expect your cigars to come in smoking condition, if they do consider yourself lucky.  I recommend leaving all Internet purchased cigars in you humidor for at least 2 weeks before smoking them.  If you expect your cigars to come smoke ready, then go to your local dealer.  Think about it.  Stores like Thompson, Famous Smoke, and Cigar International provide great pricing because they buy in bulk and sell in large quantities.  Understanding supply chain makes me realize it is very difficult for these companies to properly humidify the cigars.  They do their best and it should be noted.  As for selection hands down this is the way to go if you can wait a week or two for the cigars to sit in your humidor.  I have also heard many people complain about shipping.  Again, if you want a cigar ASAP go to your local vendor, if you stocking up your humidor but from the Internet.  I have also heard many people complain about customer service.  Personally I purchase everything over the Internet so I have little need to chat with customer service.  Discussing shipping, I personally have never had an issue with the major Internet retailers.  To be honest my cigars arrive within three days and they go right into my humidor.  

The bottom line here is, shop local for immediate smokes and lounge usage.  Shop the Internet if you are stocking up your humidor.  Don't have high expectation from the Internet retailers, you will need keep those purchased cigars in the humidor for at least 2 weeks.  Support your local dealer and lounge as much as possible so you continue to have a place to go enjoy stogie. So there it is my cigar shopping logic.
If you are looking for an Internet Retailer, Thompson Cigar is one of my favorites.  Check them out.

First Nica Libre 1990

I have been waiting to try the Nica Libre 1990 cigar since I heard they where comparable to the Padron Anniversary Series cigars. I decided I would treat myself and my team for golf tournament to them.
I purchased the 15 sample flight from CI for about $40 plus shipping. The cigars arrived 5 per bunch and where sealed quite well.
I put the presidente in the humidor for 5 days before smoking it. The cap was uniform and led to a sharp even cut, sorry not a punch fan. The wrapper is very earthy put smooth. The cigar lit well burned very evenly after lighting.





The first few puffs created a very nice thick smoke and a mild taste. Notes of pepper and spice hit the back of your throat. The ash is very solid as the cigar continues to burn.






The cigar really came into it's own at 1/2 point. This is the first time I can see the comparison to the Padron. Flavors are very prominent and the spice is solid. The burn is still very even.

The last 1/4 is putting a smile on my face. The smoke is very thick and the spice is still smooth. After only three ashes the cigar is still burning quite while and given the length it is not hot. Enjoyable smoke.









While after a good 1 1/2 hours the cigar is finished.  How did it stand up to the Padron, surprisingly well.  Because of the length of the cigar 8", it took a while for the flavors to develop but once they did it was a great smoke.  The cigar burned very well and very evenly.  For a cigar that 10's of dollars less than the Padron it is worth it.  They are great everyday smoke and one your humidor needs.  Padron's are like a 18 or 25 year old scotch, they are great but a treat.  The Nica is like an 12 or 15 year old scotch.  Very enjoyable and has many of the flavors of the older ones but just slightly under sophisticated. 

You can find the Nica Libre Diplomatica at Stogie Boys for $3.69/stick. Click Below.


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