Punch Champion Perfecto - Cigar Review

The holidays are over and Golden Girls re-runs are back on the Hallmark Channel. I'll be panty, gentlepersons. I mean brief. Boxers. Sure.

NOTES:
A Perfecto which hits a 60 ring gauge at its fat-spot, yet burns vastly even from gate-to-wire. Nice. No re-lights and only a single re-touch coming into the taper leave me plenty of time (as burn pace is languid) and room to wander toward thoughts of the 1930s cartoon tough-guys this vitola represents to me. Fun. Grows thick, dense, long ash. Smooth draw with an even medium+ tension to the pull. Seams hold. No hard/soft spots and no egregious softening via burn. Stays cool in mitt and mouf right down to the nub.

Black and red pepper front which settles but too a new cayenne tongue emerges. Then smoked paprika and cinnamon. Excellent pepper-spice piquancy and always gentlepersonly-so. Wine cask makes for nice stiffly sour contributions and spurns out a separate secondary wood note which toasts nicely. Another sour lilt happens after mid-point when mulling spice comes in on the back of an orange rind. Richly bitter on the backs of espresso and cocoa lilt. Dark grains toast alongside some thick leather, triggering a decent umami savoriness. Not a sweet offering, per se, there is, however, a driving under-belly of compost and topsoil sweetened with dark chocolate shavings, root beer, and trace molasses.

Heavy notes, delivered smoothly 'nuff and quite well balanced. Nuances build into richness but fall shy of complex as a whole.

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Sumatra
BINDER: Connecticut Broadleaf
FILLER: Dominican, Honduran, Nicaraguan

STRENGTH: Medium-Full
FORMAT: Perfecto 4.5x60
ORIGIN: Honduras

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

Perchance to purchase this Punch Champion (Perfecto) over at Cigars City?

Report a typo, win a No-prize.

"Selling the Dolls" Kaplowitz Radio: January 3, 2018

Punch Gran Puro Nicaragua - Cigar Review

Punch Gran Puro Nicaragua 7 1/2 x 54 Double Corona

NOTES:

Some loosened seams which tighten on heating. A big vein runs most of its length. Tight-ish draw loosens after the opening third, but remains somewhat sluggish. Helter-Skelter smoke out-put. Cap/shoulder dilapidated a tick. Texture is smooth with straight-forward notes of wood beginning unkindly, then settling. Brownie, black pepper, chili powder, grains, compost. Nicely balanced sans transitioning. Goodly nuances once woods settle.

FINAL GRADE: B

A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

WRAPPER: Connecticut Broadleaf

BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

STRENGTH: Medium
ORIGIN: STG Danli Factory (HATSA) Honduras

IN ADDITION:

"Although the word "puro" is in the name, Punch Gran Puro Nicaragua cigars are not puros by definition. While the high-priming binder and filler tobacco is from Nicaragua, the cigars are enveloped in a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper." Cigar Aficionado.

Thank-you bigly-so, to Cigars City for this Punch Gran Puro Nicaragua offering.

I smoked and talked about it (and more) ... 

Punch Signature Torpedo - Cigar Review

Punch Signature
Torpedo 5 3/4 x 52 Figurado

NOTES:
I
A somewhat hesitant draw out-of-the-gate; double/triple puffs required. Serves to heat the char a tick much and cause a wobble in need a' re-touch, then a slight runner-threat... all in the opening stanza. Flowering ash. Notes: black pepper and bittersweet chocolate with carob-seed honey lilt. Pumpernickel. Toasted leather-wood-earth under-belly.

II
Smoke-smoke out-put dials back meow, thus cooling burn and allowing mascara to even lo not perfectly-so. A toasting of profile happens. Bread grows in yeastiness. Leather softens to an oil. Wood hides. Earth becomes nigh compost. Settling and slowing. Queasy like a Sunday morning, as nicotine rises. Ash aerates dryly.

III
A coffee note enters, finishes in a tick flinty manner. Bit a' scorching on immediate draw gives tongue zetz. Flavors subdue further and sorta huddle to-gether, over-lapping. Draw restricts a bit; purging aids in relieving that and scorching. Line evens further. Slight hibiscus vibe. Pack softens, draw and seams hold.

FINAL GRADE: B
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Corojo
BINDER: Connecticut Habano
FILLER: Nicaraguan, Dominican

ORIGIN: STG Danli, Honduras
SRENGTH: Medium-Full

IN ADDITION:
Cigar Aficionado rated the Punch Signature in Torpedo an 89, stating "At first charry and acidic, the cigar settles down to show an earthy, bready smoke with plenty of woody notes and a touch of nuts. Some charriness persists on the finish."

From the Punch website, aka the horse's mouth: "The cigar features a specially cultivated Ecuadoran Corojo wrapper, grown explicitly for this cigar. The wrapper harkens [sic] back to Punch’s historical use of both Ecuadoran and Corojo tobaccos but evolves the brand by giving consumers a fuller bodied, more flavorful, more complex smoke."

Gentlepersons, ya just can't buy the Punch Signature (Torpedo) at either above and lovely site -- but ya can at Cigars City.

Punch Bareknuckle - Cigar Review

Punch Bareknuckle

5 x 50 Belicoso

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: n/a
FILLER: Honduran, Nicaraguan

ORIGIN: Honduran
STRENGTH: Full

NOTES: A cigar that handles like a sports car. Somewhat of a singular bittersweet note melange of peppery citrus and cocoa beans with toasted wood accompaniment.

FINAL GRADE: B+

A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F 0-59

Get 'em HERE from my chums at Cigars City.

Punch After Dinner EMS - Cigar Review

THE CIGAR

Punch After Dinner EMS

7 1/4 x 46 Lonsdale Grande

w. Ecuadorian Sumatra
b. Connecticut Broadleaf
f. Dominican, Honduran, Nicaraguan

m. General Cigar, Honduras

10 FACTS about

the PUNCH AFTER DINNER EMS

1. Construction herein presents in a bit of a spongy manner and gets more-so, sans soft(er)/hard spots. Veiny. Un-tight though even seams which doth tighten as heated. Draw is a fairly open-side a' medium tension'd. A toothy maduro complexion of espresso bean marbling. Lumpy shaft, which is just a horrible nickname. My grade-school bus driver was named Lumpy. Lumpy had a goiter.

2. Flavors consist of a hickory/mesquite wooden tandem and earthen espresso delivered quite piquantly so. Middlings under them primaries are somewhat tar and charcoal-laced-to-distraction baking chocolate and black walnut with leathery attachment. Under-belly is quite high and taking up much of the medium-full profile in a compost manner with tick a' barnyard and similar in size tick of dark fruit syrup and slighter anise hint. There is a fleeting final act look at a neat pairing of soy sauce and molasses savory sweetness.

3. Transitions/consistency is 'interesting' here -- this Punch is not a transitional smoke, but too, ain't consistent. The flavor delivery seems to wobble in an un-orchestrated manner; ne'er settling 'nuff to build nuances.

4. Combustion is rather heated and on a wobbling line which quickly as it burns, self-corrects. Read: fast pace char. Wide mascara line. Ash ain't a builder and is a fine medium grey hue'd talc consistency. The bit it doth build shows some crackings and flowerings. Wrapper/binder/filler burns out of sync fairly often. Verily smoky to the point of distraction -- curiously though -- not to the point of any room-note more than a light pipe tobacco sorta thing. Smoke heats up in the final stanza, particularly. Nub is hot to the fingering.

5. Body is a rather thin mild-medium and offers a fleeting piquant bitter-sweetness. Ends less than cleanly with them charcoal and tar derived distractions. Some dryness of palate.

6. Pepper spices in this Punch offering consist of black and red pepper. A rather intense and interesting smoked paprika that trails off after the opening stanza. Some clove, but only at mid-point and only for a blink.

7. I've cited a lack of nuances in this After Dinner from Punch. Humsoever, there are some complexities in again an unsettled and oft nigh confusing helter-skelter fashion.

8. Strength is more-so than body and that's a big me no likey, gentlepersons. It does stay predominantly in the head, avoiding chest and challah-basket -- a bit of a wine-drunkeness. All told, a brawny and ill-behaved medium, a bit off-putting in the profile's context.

9. This member of the Punch Classics is one of the first cigar brands to have been developed in Honduras.

10. Balance is overall OK, but them intermittent wobblings in profile are at times a real go-figure of off-kilter. Too, I already griped re: more strength than body.

FINAL GRADE

****B****

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BOXING | | CIGARS

Punch Double Corona - Cigar Review

B"H

THE CIGAR

Punch 

6 3/4 x 48 Double Corona

w. Ecuadorian Sumatra

b. Connecticut Broadleaf

f. Dominican (Piloto Cubano), Honduran, & Nicaraguan
General Cigars, Honduras

K A P L O W I T Z SCALE

Construction.
k a p l o W i t z

Verily a nice pre-light presentation. Invisible seams and quite minimal veins. Well affixed cap. An non-egregious lump or three. Softens some whenst lit, but within a medium+ pinch'd density. No soft/hard spots. Medium+ tension to smooth and even draw with a tick up in resistance at the end of pull. Nub heats half a tick as band doth approach, but holds fast its shoulder and seams.

Combustion.
k a p l o W i t z

Smoke sits heavily 'bout me with a distinct greenish tint to it. Burn-line needs no re-touchin' aid, but doth curve a tick in the 2/3, fixes on its own accord. Burnt offerings are densely oiled tight ladder-rungs of a heather grey with slight darker marblings. Burns in a slight conical manner. Shaft remains quite cool all the way up to and including its char -- till the aforementioned nub.

Flavors.
k a p l o w I t z

Onset is latte, heavy on the milk -- dairy, yes, w/maybe a bit being of the almond varietal. Though that's not really milk, as nuts ain't got nipples. if you like this sorta thing, welcome to kaplowitz.xyz, yer home on the www for this sorta thing. Almond separates, gets a pecan addition, pastes. Very earthy in a sunny sweet dirt manner, richly. Nice bit a' leather, fustily done and an aspect of the earth notes. Pepper white/black 80/20 on draw and 60/40 on retro-hale. Hardwoods, seasoned and with a subtle nutmeg lead. Fustiness bleeds outta leathers to whisper throughout the background with a bit more tanginess there. A grapefruit rind. Milk chocolate gains traction at the first inch and expands in the toasting cream throughout. A sweet alfalfa laces under-belly throughout, alongside some joining toasted grains past the half.

Transitions come via smoothly added complexities, not drastic shifts -- par for the course in a verily and superbly balanced delivery. Even-keeled and vastly consistent sans boredom.

Body.
k a p l o W i t z

Even and rather thick oily-nigh greasy/creamy smoke-hole satiation, tho not heavily per se. Bittersweet natural tobacco earthy finish featuring robust then complexly delicate legs. Ends clean as a whistle. Moisture-level is an occasionally erring toward arid mediumness.

Strength.
k a p l o W i t z
Excellently enforced back-bone. neat-o nic-zetz in the 3/3. Subtlety did, but did it be.

Get it HERE at Cigars City! Such a deal, epis!

FINAL GRADE

****B+****

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Punch Imported Seleccion - Cigar Review

First, I'd like to take the time to thank the helpful bend-over-backward staff over at GJ's Smoke Shop for their above and beyond detective work in A-ing my Qs.

Now we'll jump on into the deep dark abyss of this Punch offering. Too, we'll keep it light -- all in keeping with

The Cigar:
Punch Imported (Honduras for General Cigar Company) Seleccion
Maduro wrapper
Honduran filler/binder
Corona size

Punch, it's worthy of note, is the name of two (2) cigar brands. One of which is courtesy of the Cuban State owned Habanos SA -- the other -- this particular offering, is by way of the Honduran General Cigar Company.

Pre-light:
Not greasy, no, but rich to the feel. Smooth but robust. The wrap itself seems adequate, but to also vary in tension throughout -- although the pack itself is firm and even. The stogie ain't entirely straight. I don't mean that it gives very feminine men a queer look, I mean the thing is as crooked as the straightest banana you could imagine. Then a little straighter.

To the nose, There ain't much more than a dark tobacco, perhaps a hint at future cedar. I bite the cap and a cold pull offers more dark notes, the tobacco yes, but almost some dark sweet spices, as well. This stogie seems dark, but not in an abyss of despair.

Light:
I'd say the practiced hand this stick takes upon lighting is on par with the full-bodied experience of its tobacco. In short, after giving it to you long, not much here indicates a good fit for the nascent smoker.

I say this as not a knock to either stick nor newb, I say this only in thanks that my Cigar Reserve Cedar Spills were ready at my side. Being they were thoughtfully personalized, who else's side might they be by?

Nevertheless, my practiced hand rewards my smoke-hole with voluminous output. All of it dark tobacco that mixes heavy sweet spices with a near bitter espresso. The juxtaposition of sweet and sour doesn't divide on my palate, it instead mingles and dances -- taking a turn each at prominence. Through the nose is the same twirling dance, but with more bite. Once more through the nose and it brings a dark fruitiness to my pallet. I swish the next inhale and it's reminiscent of a fortified wine fruitiness -- port, cognac, or Mad Dog 20/20.

1/3:
The burn is slow and responds well to often corrections as per its evenness. The ash is thick and greasy as lunch's fried chicken left out on a plate till supper. It is all one quite lovely continuance from light and first third.

A dark tobacco with a fruity undertone. Sweet spices and espresso take turns on my palate. I'm very alright with this development. Hold my calls, and I shall see thou and thou and possibly even thou, in the

2/3:
The pack and burn each hold true, as does the taste. I've actually not much to add insofar as developments, so I'll tells ya some jokes:

The midget fortune teller who kills his customers is a small medium at large.

So this guy with a premature ejaculation problem comes out of nowhere.

If you're struggling to think of what to get someone for Christmas, 

get them a fridge and watch their face light up when they open it.

One thing I should note is that this stogie gives off more than an expected amount of smoke. Given your environment, it might too be more than accepted. It's a heavy smoke, but its sharpness hits the schnoz clean.

If consistency is the mark of excellence, this is that. In spades. Too, there is a very, very decent chew setting in.

3/3:
Not a lot more to report. A wire-to-wire victory a la Triple Crown misspelled champion extraordinaire American Pharoah' Belmont run. Strong, certain, and sans surprise.

Here, listen to Leadbelly address and dress down Hitler:


Pairings: A Red Eye or Shot in the Dark, depending on your geographic tendencies, as the coffee I sipped tasted watery in comparison. Espresso, natch. Port would be nice. A Nubian princess would also work well here. I'm sorry, I was pointing to my lap when I said "Here."

Not so much as a pairing, but I am thankful for that plate of fried potatoes I ate beforehand. This is quite the full-bodied affair, best met full-bellied.

Thoughts: Beautifully balanced. Not a kiddie nor a too serious a smoke be.

Final Grade: B++ 
(An A for a more even burn.)