Michael Duch speaks to us about Cigars

At our club meetings we have a wide variety of topics covered.  Many of them are related to the charitable work that we do and others are of more general interest.

 Today we were happy to welcome Micheal Duch, the manager of Aldo Cascio's new Cigar shop that is opening this evening in Wyckoff across the road from the Brick House.

Michael had a wide variety of interesting samples with him that demonstrated the variety in cigar types and the benefits of each type of cigar.  He had samples all the way from a 'double claro' to an 'ocuro'  (from light to very dark).  He explained the difference that comes from the length and the width of the cigars and also the wrappers around them.  He noted that the wrapper can even come from Connecticut nowadays, though the filling and rolling may take place in a South American country.  He also compared the experience of enjoying cigars being similar to how we talk about and savor a good wine before we actually drink it.   The flavors and tastes are very varied.  

He debunked the theory that Cuban cigars are still the best in the world.  While this may have been true in the past, the increasing demand for Cuban cigars and the need for mass production has led to a deterioration in the quality.  Meanwhile, other countries were learning from the Cuban tradition and replicating its methods with a great attention to detail and quality.  They have at a minimum caught up if not surpassed the Cuban standard.

The talk was interesting to both our cigar aficionados and the neophites among us. 

We wish Michael and Aldo well in their new adventure.

Michael and Aldo are welcomed by club President, Tom Madigan:

Michael with his cigar collection: