Di Fazio Maduro Torpedo

The triple torpedo line-up from Di Fazio cigars.  From left to right is the Connecticut, Picoso, and Maduro.  I have previously reviewed the Picoso and it can be found here.  The following review is on the Di Fazio Maduro, or like to call it the Tuxedo.  I gave it this nickname because the maduro wrapper is almost black the bright white and gold label provide the black tie elegance you can only achieve with a tuxedo.  One other note before I get into the review.  I have been smoking cigars for more than decade and I have never really settled on a particular type of cigar.  After sampling the trifecta from Di Fazio I can say I enjoy smoking torpedo's.  The are easy to cut, adjust the draw, and are a nice length and gauge.  OK enough about that, lets get into the cigar.

Wrapper:
The first you will notice is the color, it is almost a double maduro.  The wrapper is dark dark brown, almost black.  The wrapper was bit tacky to the touch and smelled woody and full.  Two sensations that would carry through the whole smoke. The wrapper was also seemless I found ti difficult to determine where one leave ended and the next one started.

Construction:
Top notch construction.  If this was a tuxedo it must have been an Italian custom.  The cap was solid and cut very evenly with no fraying. There were noticeable defects in the wrapper or the cap.

Ash and Smoke:
The ash remained light grey through the whole smoke and the smoke was thick and white.  There was plenty of smoke throughout the whole cigar which could be contributed to perfect draw I experienced.  As always I rate cigars on how many times it ashes by itself.  A cigar of this length should ash no more than twice before extinguishing. This cigar lived up to that expectation.  This can be contributed to the excellent construction.

Flavors:
Through out the whole cigar the flavors stay constant except for the prominence.  In the first 1/3 you will get a strong Pepper on the pallet and that fades in the 2/3 and is only noticeable on the tip of the tongue in the last 3rd.  The cigar has hints of Cinnamon and Clove, the hints are slightly noticeable in the 1/3 but really come life in the last 2/3 of the cigar.  The mixture provided a slight sweetness that kept my mouth from getting dry.  The wood note of the cigar was cedar.  The hint of cedar complimented the Pepper, Cinnamon, and Clove.  The cedar was just enough to make this full body smoke enjoyable, without it the spice would have been a little over powering. 

Strength:
The first 1/3 of the cigar was the mildest part.  As the cigar burned the strength increased with out the heat, which was nice.  The cedar note really helped this cigar stay stable.  Full body cigar are quite tough to get right and this combination worked very well together.

Overall:
The Picoso and the Maduro have similar tastes and constructions.  The Maduro is fuller bodied and the flavors are much more in your face than the Picoso.  If a full body cigar is to your liking then you must try this cigar.  I was very pleased with Maduro.  I am looking forward to trying the Connecticut.

Comments:
As always this cigar was placed in my humidor for at least 4 weeks to rest before smoking.  The picture above was provided by Kenneth Peters Photography.

LASIK: One Month Followup

So it has been 1 month since I had the life altering procedure called LASIK.  One thing I want to note is that results very from person to person so my experiences may not be the same experiences you will have.  For the past month I have been ritualistic in my medications and eye protection.  I used the antibiotic drops for 1 week following the surgery and the steroids for two weeks following the surgery, as prescribed.  The lubricating drops continued 4 times a day both eyes for until my 1 month check up on Friday.  I also continued to wear the eye protection at night and avoided rubbing my eyes although at my follow up I guess I could have stopped that two weeks ago.  During the month I also continued to be cautious when washing my face as to avoid direct water in my eyes. I want to make sure it is very important for you to follow these directions as closely as possible as it will help you heal as well as increase your chances of limiting side effects like halos and blurred vision.  So now that 1 month is over here are my results.

First I no longer need to use any drops or protection during the day, unless I feel it is needed.  I also can not rub my eyes and wash my face regularly.  At the appointment the doctor said the healing went fantastic and I am ready to go.  At this point these is a very minimal chance that I could damage my eyes unless I was completely careless and even then I would have more worries than damaging my LASIK.  My vision is 20/15 in both eye and almost 20/10 together.  That means I can read one bar lower at 40 feet than a person with perfect vision.  Depending on the light I can ready 2 bars lower than perfect vision at 40 feet.  My vision is clear and I have very minimal side effects.  Night driving is fine except for the occasional headlights that star.  My light sensitivity is good, but wearing sun glasses outside is preferred. Other than that I have no issues

I have many people ask me about the experience and all I can tell them is that it life altering.  For decades I was limited with glasses.  I had to constantly keep them clean, switch when in sun, and worry about breaking them.  If I counted up all of the money I spend on glasses, contacts, and sun glasses over the years it would go over if not double the amount LASIK costs.  As for Dr. Balin and her staff, simply amazing.  I owe my success to them.  I now see the world better than I ever have and it is because of their attention to detail, counseling, and follow through.  Thank You Dr. Balin.

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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Golf Gear

It is not always about cigars, but sometimes life is about other things like golf.  Now cigars and golf go hand and hand so I figured it was time I share with you my secret weapon.  Many people go out and spend thousands of dollars on Nike, Callaway, TaylorMade, etc. thinking that the club is going to improve their game.  Well I can tell you if you shoot between a 90 - 100 no club is going to help your game, only you are.  But that does not mean you don't get to use nice clubs, or customized ones.  You can.  About 5 years ago I ran across this company called PineMeadow golf.  They make clubs similar in technology to the more expensive ones and they will make them custom for you. This means you can put a Nike driver for a fraction of the cost at the length you need, the shaft you want, and the grip you desire. My whole bag is from PineMeadow golf and I can tell you I could not be happier.  So if you are looking for a new club and do not want to spend hundreds or even thousands try PineMeadow.  You will not be disappointed.

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.