Victory Cigar Bar

Cigar bars in Massachusetts are too rare. My brother Matt and I have been searching for one near us for quite some time. There are a few in downtown Boston but parking and prices in the city have been holding us back. We just wanted a place nearby where we could go to have a smoke and a drink without being sent outside in the cold. Well the other night, we stumbled across Victory Cigar Bar in Sudbury and quickly decided we would be becoming regulars.

The setting when you first walk in is welcoming. Many cigar stores have a lounging area but it's almost always in the back of the room with a bunch of chairs angled away from everything so that you wouldn't really feel comfortable grabbing a seat unless you're well known in the group. Sometimes the lounge settings are even a little intimidating like the Sopranos sitting around the table outside the coffee shop. Victory obviously makes an attempt to bring in newcomers. The owners themselves casually greet you at the door, and no one tries to push anything on you. In fact, Matt and I wandered around exploring the layout for a good 5 minutes before we even went to the humidor. The floor layout is pretty good with big leather couches and coffee tables placed throughout. A half dozen plasma screen TVs hang on the walls at a variety of angles so every seat gets you a perfect view of the game. The TVs are kept at a reasonable volume, there is no loud music, and everyone there seems to respect the fact that people come to Victory to just relax. I was even surprised by this considering the fact that the crowd was much younger than we had anticipated. I had imagined Matt and I being somewhat out of place in a room filled with men in their late 50's. On the contrary, the average age there that night was probably about 30. There were enough people there to fill all the seats, but it wasn't crowded. All in all, it was a setting a new guy would feel comfortable walking in to.

The walk in humidor, while missing any Camacho sticks (one of my all time favorites), still has a pretty impressive selection. The variety ranges from $4.00 Don Diegos all the way up to $35.00 Davidoff Milleniums. Matt and I decided to overindulge on our first visit so we each grabbed 2 cigars. I took a Cusano Corojo and an Olivia while Matt went for 2 different varieties of Rocky Patel. The employees hanging around outside the humidor don't bother you unless they are asked but also have plenty of knowledge to share about all their cigars. My one complaint was that for the evening, a representative from Pedoro was visiting and pushing his cigars on anyone who stepped foot into the humidor. His aggressiveness was nothing short of a used car salesmen and he even acted a little insulted and condescending when Matt picked out a cigar he wasn't selling. I made sure to ask him how often he comes to Victory and was pleased to find out that this was actually his annual trip for the year. We won't have to deal with him again.

We took our cigars and settled on one of the couches in front of the Celtics playoff game. There are cutters, matches, and huge ceramic ashtrays placed at every table. We lit up and I was pleased to find that the cigars here are kept pretty well. Everything we had that night smoked very well. We got our cigars going and then decided to see what the bar had to offer. Their drink menu is simply superb. They have over a dozen brands of scotch, both single malt and blended, several types of cognac, some nice bourbons, a few wine selections, and even some good Belgian Ales and Oatmeal stouts. They'll make any drink you'd like and will even pander to the idiots who insist on pairing their smoke with a bottled Bud Lite. We started to stand up when we found out that getting out of your comfortable seat and walking to the bar is practically unheard of. The staff there is attentive to the point where you actually feel guilty. We watched one employee that night tend the bar as well deal with about 15-20 other people seated throughout the room. They aren't annoying but always seem to be right there as soon as your glass is empty. I know they're just trying to drive up revenue, but there is also something to be said for the fact that they seem to appreciate what makes a good smoking experience, namely sitting down, zoning out, and not moving. Once again, Matt and I decided to go a little crazy for our first visit. He drank Johnny Walk Gold Label while I sipped on some very nice Macallan single malt aged 18 years.

We ended up spending quite a bit of money that night. 4 cigars + 4 top shelf scotches will do that, but we decided that finding this place was completely worth it. Sure, we went a little crazy this time around, but we could also have gotten 1 cigar along with a reasonably priced cognac, spent far less, and enjoyed the setting just as much. This is a great place to go whether we're celebrating something and going overboard, or just had a lousy week and need to unwind. As the owners describe it, this place is a haven for guys who are thrown out of the house because their wives or girlfriends won't allow them to smoke inside. It is exactly the type of place I needed. Overall, Victory Cigar bar was a definitive victory for us (sorry about the pun). We plan on going back often.

Camacho Coyolar Puro

This one is known as their powerhouse blend and since I'm a big fan of Camacho and their full bodied smokes, I have been looking forward to this one. As is usual for the Camacho brand, the wrapper, binder, and filler are all made from Jamastran Valley Honduran tobaccos. I bought a super toro for $7.50. Length is 6 inches, ring is size 52.

The wrapper feels somewhat dry but the stick still looks like it's in good condition. The cut is a little hard but it doesn't leave any frayed edges so I'm at least not worried about the cigar holding together.

The foot toasts surprisingly well releasing a nice tobacco odor and lights just as easily. However, within the first few puffs, I immediately identify the biggest downfall of this cigar. The draw. It's loose. Really loose. Frankly, I'm not even puffing on this thing. I'm just holding it to my lips and breathing. At the same time though, the smoke is still very full. I'm getting mouthfuls of thick smoke, not air, despite the unusually loose draw. But I'm still not sure I like it.

The stick needs a little help to burn evenly, but after a few minutes, its settles down and burns well for the rest of the smoke. The ash also stays on well, not falling off until at least 2 inches are still on.

As for the taste, one word describes this cigar: Overpowering. Right from the first puff of smoke, the only way I can describe the boldness of this cigar is by comparing it to getting repeatedly punched in the face. The flavors are very dark, very bitter, and even have a strong tar like taste. The nicotine also makes itself well known in this cigar. After smoking for a mere 5 minutes, I'm already feeling a bit lightheaded.

After a while, the nicotine presence backs off a little, giving me time to focus on the flavors. The problem is that the intensity of the smoke is making it difficult to distinguish between different tastes. Everything just tastes burnt. I think I can pick up on some coffee, but it's more like espresso that was left on the burner too long.

Time to suggest a drink pairing with this cigar. I think the only logical choice would be a straight shot of Bacardi 151.

As I get into the second half of the stick, things seem to calm down a little. Either that, or I'm just getting used to the boldness. I'm able to pick up on some nicer flavors, particularly roasted coffee and leather. I actually enjoy the rest of the smoke with these two primary tastes working together until the cigar finishes with a predictably intense ending.

I had some mixed feelings on how to rate this one. On the one hand, the draw was ridiculously loose. On the other hand, the smoke was still thick and full. On the one hand, everything was too bold even for my taste (I typically lean more towards the full bodied cigars). On the other hand, while the flavors were overpowering and a little burnt, they weren't exactly bad. This wasn't a poorly made cigar. I think it was exactly what the rollers had in mind and they figured there must be people out there who enjoy such an intense smoke. Would I smoke it again? Probably not. But would I encourage others to give it a try? Yes.

Overall Rating: 72

Arganese

One of the regulars at my cigar shop claimed this one to be a new up and coming brand. It's the next big thing. And after he pulled it off the shelf and handed it to me, I still bought it against my better judgement.

The Arganese Chairman double wrap, in my opinion, looks like something that would be more appropriately hung on a Christmas tree. I mean, look at it. I get it, there is a combinations of 2 wrappers here. But.....I mean......look at it. I bought this cigar for no reason other than curiosity. But we'll see if it surprises me.

This "double wrapper" is a twisting combination of Brazilian Maduros and Connecticut Shade. The filler and binder are both made of tobacco from the Dominican Republic. The double wrapper only comes in the Churchill size. 7 inch length, 50 ring. Priced at $6.80 a stick.

Putting aside the ridiculous looking candy cane design, at least the wrappers look smooth and free of any imperfections. However, the stick is a little too spongy which might create some problems while smoking.

My first few impressions of this cigar is that it is a pain to light, it burns unevenly at first, and the draw is mediocre at best being on the tight side. I don't get nearly as full of a smoke as I would like either. It's not awful by any means. The cigar is perfectly smokable. The smoking experience is just sort of........eh.

The flavors start out mild. They also seem to change with each puff of the cigar. For the first minute, I'm getting a nice wood taste, then it suddenly gets very bitter, then it's back to wood notes, then aburptly to dark chocolate. The flavors themselves are decent, but the cigar is all over the place with no real transitions. I'm also a little confused as to who decided to pair these two contrasting tastes.

After smoking for a while, things start to settle down. The burn fixes itself and is now nice and even, although the ash does keep falling off rather early. The smoke gets a little thicker and fuller. The tastes also seem to calm down a little. I'm now getting a nice spicy smoke although I would still categorize this cigar as mild, not really the medium bodied they claimed it was. Again, everything is just sort of.............eh.

The smoke ends on a nice spicy and bitter mixture. A stronger nicotine presence also emerges during the last part of the cigar but nothing too overpowering. All in all, other than the ridiculous looking stick itself, this cigar was perfectly average.

Overall rating: 75