CigarCraig's Blog

by Craig Vanderslice | March 11, 2020 · 8:05 pm

The New Punch Knuckle Buster Cigar

A few weeks ago I posted about the new Punch Chop Suey, as well as the Shop Press, and I included the press release for the new Punch Knuckle Buster. To recap, the Punch Knuckle Buster is a new regular production cigar made at the HATSA factory in Honduras with Habano seed tobaccos from Nicaragua and Honduras. The wrapper is Nicaraguan, the binder Honduran and the filler a blend of the two. The cigars are priced between $5 and $6 before state taxes where applicable, so they are very reasonably priced. I smoked one last night and I actually hadn’t even looked at the pricing before I smoked it, so I had no preconceived notions. First, I’ve enjoyed a lot of Punch cigars over the years. I wrote a post about a controversy which existed in the ’90s about Punch and Hoyo de Monterrey cigars back in 2012 (http://www.cigarcraig.com/punch-vs-hoyo-de-monterrey-a-debate-finally-settled/) dispelling the myth that the two cigars were exactly the same. There have been some hits and misses in the Punch line in recent years to my palate, but otherwise it’s been a solid line. For instance, the Punch Diablo I smoked tonight, made by A.J. Fernandez, is a fantastic cigar to my palate.

The Punch Knuckle Buster I smoked was the 6″ x 50 Toro, it also comes in a 4½” x 52 Robusto and 6¼”x 60 Gordo, I’d happily smoke any of them. It’s a nice looking cigar, the Nicaraguan Habano wrapper is an attractive shade of brown without blemish.The construction on the sample I smoked was perfect, it had the flat ember that I enjoy, no cone, all of the leaves in the blend burning at the same rate. When I first lit it up I wondered where it was going. It started out rather blah, if I had known the price point I wouldn’t have been surprised at that point. After about the first inch, started sweetening up and really got good. It was a medium bodied cigar all the way through, and it was really quite nice. There was a nice, sweet, nutty flavor that I really enjoyed. Now that I see that it’s a very reasonably priced cigar, I’m surprised and quite happy. I thought it was a beautiful cigar, and contemplated smoking another tonight. It seems to me there was a Punch Bare Knuckle some time ago, it might have been a Maier and Dutch exclusive, but it was a strong cigar, this one was not. It was smooth and tasty. Maybe it isn’t the greatest name, as it implies it packs a punch, which it doesn’t, I’d be comfortable sharing this with a novice smoker. It has a load of flavor,

Interestingly, it’s been brought to my attention that the new CigarWorld.com site is having their first official contest, and it happens to involve the Punch brand. You’ll have to register and join the Groups, and go HERE. If you review a Punch cigar on the site this month you’ll be entered to win a Punch Bobblehead. Follow the directions on the post. Thank you to General Cigar Co. for sending the Punch Knuckle Buster samples. That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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by Craig Vanderslice | March 10, 2020 · 5:09 pm

News: Drew Estate Announces Pappy Van Winkle “Tradition” as Pappy & Co. Exclusive

Interesting news about the Pappy Tradition. I guess you could get these at Drew Diplomat shops, but now they are just available direct from Pappy Van Winkle. They are good smokes, oddly I prefer the Barrel Fermented line more.

Drew Estate announces today that the Pappy Van Winkle “Tradition” will now be sold exclusively through Pappy & Company at www.pappyco.com.

Drew Estate is honored to represent the Van Winkle Family with an ultra-premium cigar that reinforces the legacy of a living American icon, Julian Van Winkle. The Pappy Van Winkle “Tradition” features an Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper, Indonesian Binder and aged fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

From Louisville, Kentucky, Carrie Van Winkle Greener, Co-Founder of Pappy & Company, notes, “The recent launch of the Tradition blend in the Pappy & Company cigar portfolio is an exciting new addition. As our customers’ interest and demand grows for more cigar offerings, we are thrilled to bring to market the Tradition blend which will truly complement the rest of our bour

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bon-inspired goods.”

From the Wynwood Safehouse, Jonathan Drew, Founder and President of Drew Estate, adds, “We are thrilled to be providing the daughters of Julian Van Winkle, owners of Pappyco.com, with an exclusive cigar that is deeply aligned with the core of their culture and tradition and that matches the legacy of their brand. The Pappy Van Winkle “Tradition” is an exquisite stick, made for the true connoisseur, bursting with flavor and complexity.”

The Pappy Van Winkle Tradition is available exclusively on pappyco.com in the following vitolas:

• Robusto Grande (5.5 x 54) MSRP $140.00/10ct Box

• Toro (6 x 50) MSRP $150.00/10ct Box

ABOUT DREW ESTATE

Founded in New York City in 1996, Drew Estate has become one of the fastest growing tobacco companies in the world. Under their mantra “The Rebirth of Cigars”, Drew Estate has led the “Boutique Cigar” movement by innovating new elements to the tobacco industry with their unique tobaccos and blending styles that attract new and traditional cigar enthus

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iasts. In their Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, the Nicaraguan headquarters, Drew Estate produces a variety of brands such as ACID, Herrera Estelí, Herrera Estelí Norteño, Isla del Sol, Kentucky Fired Cured, Liga Privada, MUWAT, Larutan by Drew Estate, Nica Rustica, Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Fermented Cigars, Tabak Especial, Undercrown, Florida Sun Grown, and Java by Drew Estate.

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by Craig Vanderslice | March 8, 2020 · 9:32 am

A Brickhouse Maduro and a Diamond Crown Maduro

I don’t know if I mentioned this before or not, but while I was at the TPE show, I stopped into the J.C. Newman booth and introduced myself to Drew Newman, who’s the fourth generation Newman and General Council with the company. I remembered Drew from the Usenet days when he would post when he was about 16 years old and get a lot of crap for it. He was instrumental in getting the company online in the ’90s when the Cigar Family website and forum was one of the first and biggest out there. Later I was introduced to Drews uncle, Bobby Newman. I was honored to finally meet these gentlemen, as I’m honored to have the support of the company. You can always learn more about the 125 years of history behind the J.C. Newman Cigar Company by clicking the graphic on the right side of this page.

The Brickhouse Maduro has always been a great smoke, a good tasting cigar at a fair price. The folks at J.C. Newman asked me to feature the toro in the first quarter of this year, and since the first quarter is quickly drawing to a close, I figured I had better get smoking! Their toro, like many others, is 6” x 52, and it has a dark, oily Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers. These are made in J.C. Newmans’s PENSA factory in Nicaragua. The two samples I smoked over the course of a couple weeks were very consistent. I love the flavor of the Brickhouse Maduro cigars, it’s smooth, rich dark coffee, and it appeals to me. I’ve had great experiences with the Robusto and Mighty Mighty vitolas, but I think I’m going to have to go out and buy some more of the Toros because the two I smoked both burned funny. Not like a clown, funny, as I was not amused. I had to relight them several times, as if they were not properly humidified, and that wasn’t the case because I checked with the Humidimeter and the two samples were smoked with enough time between them to make a difference. It was disappointing, because the flavor was right, and I really loved smoking the cigars, it was a bit of a struggle keeping them going. Odd, as I’ve always had exceptional construction with Brickhouse cigars. I’ll have to chalk this up to the once in a while inconsistency of a hand made product, but it certainly isn’t going to scare me off of a great brand with great flavor and (generally) great construction.

To prove that my storage conditions were not at fault in the case of the Brickhouse Maduro Toros, I smoked a Diamond Crown Maduro No. 4 which was stored side by side with the above mentioned cigars and it smoked perfectly. The No. 4 is a 5 ½″ x 54 and is made at Tabacalera A. Fuente. The wrapper is Connecticut Broadleaf, it has a Dominican binder and the fillers are a secret concoction of 5 different leaves from the Caribbean and Central America. The Diamond Crown and Brick House cigars couldn’t taste more different. Besides the fact that there’s probably a ten dollar or more price difference, the Diamond Crown has a really nice, smooth, rich flavor akin to a Fuente Añejo. For a moment I considered smoking the two cigars side by side for comparison, but that just seemed like an ostentatious display of excess. It’s easy enough to say that the Diamond Crown stands on it’s own as an exceptional cigar! I very much enjoy the original version as I have for 20 years, but, if you know my palate, this Maduro really appeals to me. I’d choose it over a great many super-premium cigars.

Today starts my favorite time of the year, Daylight Savings Time! I still have a couple of clocks to fix! That’s about all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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by Craig Vanderslice | March 6, 2020 · 9:46 am

News: General Cigar Revamps CigarWorld.com Site

Interestingly, I joined Cigarworld.com on January 17, 2000. Yes, you read that right, 2000, as in 20 years ago. I remember winning two boxes of Macanudos somehow, a box of 25 Prince of Wales Cafe, and a box of ten Prince Philip, which I believe were still made in Jamaica at the time. at that time, getting boxes of these cigars was a very big deal for me, they were way above my pay grade. I re-registered for the new site, I’ll join in the forums where I know I have some regular readers and see how it looks!

Cut.Light.Connect.

General Cigar establishes itself as a key resource for all things cigar with the launch of the brand new CigarWorld.com.

The newly revamped digital property delivers a tailored experience for cigar smokers from beginners to experts. “Cigar smoking is all about community and camaraderie, this new site brings that experience where we are – on our phones and tablets,” said General Cigar Marketing VP Chris Tarr.

In addition to building a place for cigar smokers to connect, General Cigar is in the process of building one of the largest databases of cigar product information, from frontmarks to tasting notes and drink pairings. “We want to create utility for cigar smokers. We’re building this product database so people can find their perfect cigar. They can read reviews, get recommendations from friends and find retailers that sell that cigar,” said Tarr.

CigarWorld.com will also be a major source for the latest information on cigars, promotions, news and announcements. Users will be able to scroll through the newsfeed and see up-to-the-minute content that’s tailored to their preferences. General Cigar is focusing on creating a one-to-one experience, so users get industry-wide cigar news, promotions and videos based on the cigars they like to smoke, or the brands they follow.

“The relaunch of this site is just the beginning of our digital strategy. We’re building a cohesive eco-system for our brands,” said Tarr, “We’ll be rolling out more updates to the site in the coming months that will lead the way in terms of engagement for cigar smokers.”

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by Craig Vanderslice | March 4, 2020 · 5:20 pm

A Highclere Castle, a Charter Oak and an Alec Bradley Shamrock Cigar

I am late to the game getting around to the Highclere Castle line, Nick Melillo, of Foundation Cigar Co. gave me one of each at the TPE show, and while I still haven’t gotten to the original Connecticut Shade Edwardian blend yet, I did smoke the Victorian this week. We’ve had some nice weather this week, and the Victorian I had

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was the Churchill vitola, and the afternoon seemed right for a Churchill, so I grabbed it and took Macha for a nice walk. This cigar is 7″ x 48, close enough by US standards, and has a dark Ecuador Habano wrapper, although I hesitate to call it maduro. It has the same Mata Fina binder as the Edwardian, but a different blend of Nicaraguan filler. It’s my understanding that this are made in A.J. Fernandez’ Factory. I wouldn’t be surprised considering the construction, which was perfect, nice burn and draw. It was a very nice cigar, it was a medium to full cigar with a nice spice and some leathery flavors. It was well balanced and sophisticated, and was a nice, long smoke. I had no complaints.

Later that evening I had time for another cigar, and I probably should have smoked the Highclere Edwardian, but I had a hankering for some broadleaf, so I opted for a Charter Oak Broadleaf toro that had been in the humidor for a few years. It’s probably not the first time this cigar has appeared on these pages, or maybe it is! Charter Oak is a spectacular line at an even more spectacular price. This toro was $5.50, I think, and worth every penny. This was a 6″ x 52 toro, my favored size, with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Nicaraguan Habano binder and Nicaragua fillers. I don’t know how they make such a great cigar at such a great price. It’s got a great sweetness and espresso flavors. These even come in boxes, not bundles. A bargain at twice the price.

Finally, I broke away from the Foundation Cigar Co. stable and selected a cigar that I had picked up a few weeks ago when I visited Best Cigar Pub. I was going to save this for March 17, but I figured that would be cliché and everyone else would be smoking it or something similar, and it was begging to be smoked. Of course, the cigar was the Alec Bradley Filthy Hooligan Shamrock. I’ve enjoyed the Filthy Hooligan releases over the years, from the plain candelas, to the barber pole versions. The triple wrapper Shamrock looked intriguing and I wanted to smoke it. This one has a tri-colored wrapper: candela, Habano maduro, and Habano seco with undisclosed fillers, although it’s under the Black Market line, so one must assume there’s some relationship. I really enjoyed this cigar. It has a crisp, clean flavor, the balance of the three wrappers really worked for me. My guess is that the candela provided the base, as the refreshing chlorophyl sort of sensation was dominant. I though it was a good smoke, and it burned well, which is sometimes a concern with barber-pole style cigars. I’ll stash the other one away with the couple other Filthy Hooligans I have from years past I suppose, and find another green cigar for St. Patrick’s Day (I have a good idea what that will be).