Review: NY Pipe Club August Meeting

The author at the March meeting smoking a Peterson Sitter 

Hi all, just got a free moment to bring you some wonderful news from the NY Pipe Club's August meeting.  We met at Florio's in Little Italy for a wonderful Italian meal and another fun night of pipe smoking.  This night was unlike any other night that I've had the pleasure to attend.  We had a special guest.  Russ Ouellette from Habana Premium Pipe and Cigar Shop, in Albany New York, was our special guest for the evening.  He brought six different pipe tobacco blends three of which will become the official NY Pipe Club blends.

I had the pleasure of trying two of the blend, being the Virginia / Oriental / Perique  blend and the Burley #1 blend.  These two blends were interesting blends that smoked very well in the two pipes I loaded them into.  The Burley blend is one that I would recommend to any pipe smoker who wants a blend that they can smoke all day without getting tired of them.

This coming Saturday we'll be attending the second annual club picnic where we'll be able to try all the blends.  Also those members that were unable to attend the monthly meeting will be able to try the blends as well.  I will be trying the aromatics as well as the the Straight Virginia blend plus the other burley blend.

Once we've all had our chance to try these six blends we will, as a club, decide on the three blends that will go into official production as the NY Pipe Club blends. The chosen blends will be tinned by Cornell and Dehil and will be available for sale to the general public which a portion of each sale going to the NY Pipe Club.

Looking forward to the picnic as this is my first one and will report back from the picnic with pictures and a detailed review of the blends that we're reviewing to become the Club blends.

The cigar ash has told me that Barclay Rex, Broad Street Store in NYC, will be hosting a Drew Estates cigar event on the 25th of August.  I will try to attend the event as I haven't smoke a Drew Estate cigar and will be looking forward to sampling this cigar and report back to my readers.

Review: La Flor Dominicana DL-700 Maduro

La Flor DL700 Maduro before smoking

Hi all, at long last on a nice and balmy NYC August evening I had the time to really enjoy the  DL700 Maduro and with a clear head which allowed me to compose, finally, my review of this wonderful cigar.  The cigar comprises of a Dominican binder and filler with an Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper.

PRE-BURN

Upon inspecting the cigar I found it to be well constructed.  The wrapper was dark in appearance, thanks to the Sun Grown Ecuadorian wrapper, with noticeable veins present.  In feeling the cigar it was firm to the touch with no soft sport present.  In putting the cigar to the nose I detected a hint of sweetness(cocoa) with an earthiness (hay and leather) as well.  Cutting the cigar with my trusty V-cutter and tasting it before lighting it gave me the aforementioned flavors plus a hint of chili pepper.  I was excited to see what flavors would emerge once I put flame to the cigar,

BURN

Upon putting flame to the cigar and taking the first puff I was greeted by a smoothness and the sweetness noted on the pre-burn was present as well.  This lasted thru approx an inch or so when the spiciness reasserted itself and hung on till I got to the second third.

The second third allowed the sweetness and the earthiness to shine thru while the spiciness disappeared.   The smoke produced was voluminous and hung around the face till the breeze blew it away.  The ash hung on for a good inch until gravity, a cigar smokers worst enemy, took over and it fell to the ground.  The cigar required frequent touch ups but that did not detract from the cigar in anyway.

The final third had the reappearance of the spiciness which was noticeable but not as pronounced as the Oscuro line.  Also the full body flavor of this smoke came thru on the final third which, for this reviewer, was welcomed.  As I smoked this down to the nub and beyond the hint of spiciness was welcomed and has become a hallmark of Lito's stronger smoke.


My hat's off to Lito and his wonderful team for creating yet another wonderful cigar which is a welcomed addition to the line of fine cigars.  Overall this is one smoke along with the non Maduro DL700 will become staples in my smoking arsenal.

One caveat: THIS is not a cigar for the novice or those who do not like a strong smoke.  Experienced smokers will enjoy the complex flavors this cigar has to offer.  A word of warning: This is a smoke, like the Patel Bros cigar reviewed earlier, that one should not smoke on an empty stomach as you may be overwhelmed and not be able to properly enjoy this smoke.

Until the next pipe club meeting which is just a week away, I bid you all good safe smoking.  As always I have my ear to the Cigar Ash to see if events, besides the ones that have surfaced, come to the surface.