Victory Cigar- Great Selection

It is Friday night and I am heading home after a long week at work when my wife calls and tells me that the traffic on 495 is at a stand still. Time to find another way home. I venture south on 126, picking up Route 20, and the traffic appears almost as bad on this route as well. I slowly plod down Route 20 when I notice on the side of the road in Sudbury, MA the sign for Victory Cigar. I decide that I have no other choice but to stop and pick up a little something nice to help me relax when I get home.

The nice little shop and bar has been under the current ownership of Gino Allia (and partners) for the past nine years. Upon approaching the site, the first thing that greets visitors is the wonderful smell of cigars, and a nice outdoor seating area. As you walk through the door, laid out in front of you are comfortable couches, and to the right there is a beautiful walk-in humidor. As I step in to browse the vast selection, one quickly notices that there is no one standing over your shoulder monitoring your progress. Patrons are free to browse, with the staff occasionally popping in to restock the shelves without being intrusive, yet offering advice upon request.

The layout is quite cozy, and very inviting. There are 4 plasma televisions located throughout the location, and a well stocked bar for you pairing pleasure. If you find yourself needing to work, the Wi-Fi is complimentary for the patrons. And you can smoke freely without the glaring looks of those who do not approve.

I select three cigars that are ready to smoke immediately. The prices are in line with most of the shops in the area, with the bonus of being able to smoke them in relative comfort inside (or out on a nice day). The staff quickly checks me out, even though they are just getting rolling for the night. My luck is with me, and there is a discount at the register as they are running a special on the cigars I have chosen.

A great experience at a great location.

Perdomo Lot 23- A Good Daily Smoke

Another great shipment arrived at my door last week, and I am excited to review each of the cigars in this new shipment. The first that I will be tackling is the Perdomo Lot 23 Robusto.

The Perdomo Lot 23 cigar came to me from a sampler purchase made at Famous Smoke Shop that contained a variety of 10 single cigars. The prelight inspection shows a cigar with good color, and a uniformed feel that is consistent through the entire stick. The natural wrapper and Nicaraguan filler hint at a great smoke, and the 5 X 50 Robusto size are becoming common in my humidor.

The cigar lights well, and the burn remains fairly sharp throughout the smoke. The flavors are a bit uncertain at the start, but are strong in spice and wood. This evens out quickly with the wood flavor becoming more dominant, the spice fading well to the background, and a delicious sweetness caressing the pallet. As the second 3rd is consumed, notes of leather begin to appear, and a buttery smoothness blends into the smoke. The final 3rd continues these blended flavors, with the creamy smoothness never relenting.

This is a great daily smoke, and a delightful choice at anytime of the day.

DryMistat Tube- Humidifying the Future

Proper humidity is a key component to preserving cigars. Many humidifiers are sponge like in construction, and can be charged simply using distilled water. But technology improves our lives, and it has not stopped at the humidor. Enter the DryMistat Tube.

Made by DryMistat, Inc, the DryMistat Tube is a patent pending technology that keeps your humidity level at a stable 70%. The system is made up first of crystal that have the capability of soaking up to 100 times there own weight in liquid. According to DryMistat, the charge lasts 4 to 12 weeks. During that time the crystals release moisture and shrink as they lose liquid, giving an excellent visual cue as to when they need a recharge. When you do recharge, they can be recharged with tap water.

Using tap water is generally avoided as the substance for recharging a humidifier, as it can contain minerals that can damage a cigar (distilled water is the base liquid of choice). This is the where the second part of the system comes into play. The tube is the delivery system for the water vapor, and is a special grade of space age clear plastic that has microscopic pores in the wall. These pores allow the water vapor through, but they do not allow water to seep out or the minerals in the water, making it safe to store your cigars directly in contact with the DryMistat Tube. Each DryMistat Tube will humidify approximately 30 to 50 cigars, depending on the environmental conditions of your local, the number of times you open and close your humidor in a day, etc.

I live in Massachusetts and have been using one DryMistat Tube in my 5-stick travel case, which I open about every other day. My cigars have been in perfect preservation when I pull them out for a smoke, and the fact that it is a tube helps it fit perfectly along side the cigars. There has been no damage to the cigars from the contact, which is in line with the specification given by DryMistat, Inc. I will be testing the product in my 40 to 50 count humidor next to see if it can handle the stated cigars.

There are many users of humidors out there that are settled on the traditional method of humidification for there cigars. For those that are looking for technology to aid them in the battle, the DryMistat Tube is just the thing. The company guarantees the product for a full year, a testament to the quality of the product.

Oliva Serie G Robusto

The battery died in my car today, and apparently it is such an uncommon size that only one store in the area can get one, and it will not be in until this afternoon.

Which means I get the day off, and what better way to spend a part of a free day than with a new cigar. Today I grabbed an Oliva Serie G Robusto for an afternoon of smoking.

The Oliva Serie G Robusto (pronounced "Roh-Boost-Oh") is a 4 1/2 x 50 cigar with rich Nicaraguan filler and an African Cameroon wrapper. It is a box-pressed cigar, meaning that it is square rather than cylindrical, a trait that I found a bit uncomfortable at first. The pre-light inspection shows a nice amount of veins in the wrapper leaf, and a consistent feel to the cigar that is a bit spongy when pressed but bounces right back to shape.

After toasting the foot, the light takes well but with a bit of an uneven burn. This rights itself after a few minutes, and the stick burns well through to the end. The ash is a bit darker than I like to see, giving the impression that there is a bit of uncombusted material left behind. The stick redeems the less-than-appealing ash by producing great amounts of gray smoke obtained through an easy draw.

The flavor is medium, but I would describe it as a full medium. The initial flavors are a bit toasted and buttery, with a light stream of spice running through it. Not the peppery spice, but more of a cinnamon/nutmeg blend that plays on the pallet. The finish is long providing notes of espresso on the cheek and tongue.

As I move through the second and final 3rd of the smoke, I begin to have a bit more comfort with the box press. It is not my personal choice of shapes, but it is something I could get used to in time. The spice begins to build, but never becomes overpowering. One should note that the aroma of this cigar is splendid, providing both the intoxicating smell of good tobacco and a light smell of flowers that brings the memory of spring to the cool fall day.

Overall, this has been an enjoyable smoke. It was quicker than many I have had of late, lasting just under 45 minutes. Good construction, good flavor, and an easy draw make this a good cigar to allocate space to in the humidor.

Romeo y Julieta Cedro Deluxe No. 2- Sweet & Spicey!

Romeo y Julieta (pronounced Rome-ay-o ee Hoo-lee-eh-tah) has been a brand that I have been eager to try for some time now, but one that always seems to miss the short list at the register. This week it made it to the final cut (yes, pun intended), and helped me enjoy the early fall evening in New England.

The cigar comes presented in one of my favorite formats; wrapped in Spanish Cedar. It gives the stick a look of quality and care that I truly admire. The stick has good construction, built from Dominican fillers and binder, and an Indonesian wrapper. The wrapper has a good color and sheen, and the pre-light inspection reveals no noticeable soft spots.

The cigar cuts well, and takes a good light. It starts out subtly sweet, a trait I admire in a cigar, and appears mild but complex. The strength of the cigar quickly grows through the first 3rd, and in addition to the sweetness there appears notes of cedar, coffee, and a peppery spice. The draw is good and the cigar produces impressive amounts of gray smoke, and a tight ash that lasts through the first two 3rds.

As the final 3rd is smoked, the complex flavors begin to build, adding notes of leather, building on the cedar and coffee, with both the sweetness and spice present but understated. A nice bit of chocolate lends itself to the mix, helping the stick to finish nicely.

This is a wonderful cigar. For the new smoker it is far from overpowering and leaves you feeling confident, but it also plays well to the seasoned smoker. The soft silky flavors start at the beginning and carry straight through to the end. At $5 or less per stick (check out Famous Smoke Shop- one of my favorite vendors), this is an affordable addition to the humidor.

La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Tabaqueros

Walking through the humidor at the Victory Cigar Bar, I came upon the La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Tabaqueros.

This is simply a beautiful cigar. The stick has two wrappers; a Connecticut Shade wrapper and an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. This light on top and dark on the bottom looks quite stunning, and upon lighting the cigar the mellow smoke draws superbly. The cigar produces amazing amounts of smoke, and the complex flavors begin to mingle on the pallet. There is a steady amount of caramel sweetness that remains on the lips after each draw, and this blends fantastically with the smooth wood, leather, and mixed coco and coffee threads.

It should also be noted that this is a large stick. Taking my time, I enjoy nearly an hour and a half of pleasant smoke from this cigar. I look forward to my next meeting with this wonderful product.

Xikar Travel Humidors- A Must Have

A few weeks ago I purchased the Xikar travel humidor, 5 count size. The purchase was made at a local tobacco shop, and carried a price tag of $19.99.

The unit is made of strong ABS molded plastic, and has a silicone seal to provide an airtight, and watertight, seal for the protection of your cigars. The urethane foam cushions up to 5 cigars, and keeps them from moving around during travel. The humidor has a small round humidifier built into the top of the unit which should be charged to keep your cigars at a comfortable 65% to 70% humidity. Stainless steel main hinge and latch hinges hold the unit together, and a manufacturer's lifetime guarantee lends the assurance of quality.

The humidor does a good job of keeping 3 to 5 cigars preserved. The humidifier needs to be recharged about once a week to keep the unit stable, but as long as you keep to that faithfully it will keep your cigars in great shape. The manufacturer does recommend that your cigars be properly humidified prior to storing them in the unit.

The unit is a bit large if you are just heading out for a visit with friends, but if you are traveling away from home for more than a night this is a good way to bring along a small stock of your private reserve. The quality of the unit will keep the cigars safe, and you do not have to worry about finding a smoke shop in an unfamiliar location.

If you are in need of a larger travel humidor, check out the Xikar website for larger units with the same solid quality.