Tag Archives: punch

by | October 17, 2021 · 11:11 am

Punch Aniversario, La Gloria Criollo de Oro and Reinado Grand Apex Cigars

It’s been an odd week, another reason I don’t like this time of year. It was cloudy most of the week, but the temps were fairly warm. Then yesterday it was sunny most of the day and nearly 80 degrees and then it stormed and dropped 20 degrees. Of course, this is the perfect set up for a migraine. Anyway, once I got the grass cut (hopefully for the last time), I saw able to smoke a cigar. But let’s back up a bit. I had a choice on Friday evening to either watch the Drew Estate Freestyle Live event, or the Flyers season opener, of course I chose the Flyers. Freestyle Live I can watch the replay, the Flyers not so much. It turns out that I missed our friend CigarProp/TrashPanda Kevin winning the Harley, which was exciting, but I did catch it the next day. I’m happy to have hockey back and have sports to watch again! I lit up a Punch Aniversario, which commemorates the 180th anniversary of the brand. I published the press release back in July, and I take issue with them saying this was an hourlong smoke. It’s a 7¼”x 54 corona doble (same size as a Horo Excalibur No. 1, by the way), certainly a two hour smoke. For a cigar that has a Broadleaf wrapper and binder, I didn’t find that is tasted heavily like a broadleaf cigar! I thought it was fairly medium bodied and not real bold in the flavor department. It certainly was a decent companion while I watched my first real hockey game of the season! The couple more I have will rest for a while and I’ll revisit them later.

 

Yesterday after finishing chores I sat down with the new La Gloria Cubana Criollo de Oro toro. As with the Punch, this was a sample provided by General/Forged/STG. I’ve had a long association with them and they’ve always been great about providing samples. As I think about it, it’s coming up on the ten year anniversary of the blogger trip to the factory. It’s about time for a  reunion, isn’t it? 😉  Full disclosure,I’m traditionally not a fan of Criollo tobacco, so I’m not sure how I’m going to take to this Criollo/Pelo de Oro hybrid. Criollo is one of the few tobaccos I actually kind of find off putting. I’ll avoid it if I can help it. Of course, there are exceptions I suppose, but generally I find this to be the case. On the other hand, I generally like La Gloria Cubanas, but one can’t like every cigar in a given brand, right? This was the first one I tried, and they just came in last week, so I’ll be giving them more of a chance, but the initial thoughts weren’t off-putting but weren’t mindblowing either. There are several of their more recent releases that I like a lot more, but, as I said, this is an initial impression. It certainly worked well. I can’t believe it’s been a decade since I toured the factory! 

 

Last night I smoked a Reinado Grand Apex. I had previously smoked a sample that Antonio had given me, this one was a banded version that I purchased (along with a T-shirt that I happened to have been wearing). I need to buy some more. The Grand Apex is made at Aganorsa, and has a Mexican San Andrés wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and fillers. This is a bold cigar with bold flavors. It’s heavy on the espresso and earth, with significant spice. If I had a cigar of the week feature, this one would be it. Maybe I should do that, but it seems like a lot of work. Maybe I’ll just bring it up when a worthy candidate presents itself, much like this one. Reinado Grand Apex: CigarCraig.com’s Cigar of the week for October 17, 2021! Maybe that will make the Reinado webpage. Should I make up a badge? I kid, I never troll for recognition, it’s a great cigar, and I might need to talk to some of my local PA (ahem, Son’s) retailers to carry it! 

 

That’s about all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig 

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by | July 29, 2021 · 1:13 pm

News: Punch Aniversario Set For September Launch

More news from General Cigar, or Forged, I can’t keep up with which company has which brands. Either way, Punch was one of the first cigars I bought in quantity, of course it was Punch Rothschilds, probably in maduro.  I would probably get five or six for the cost of a single one of these new Aniversarios, but that was 25 years ago. This sounds like a tasty cigar, I’m looking forward to it! 

 

Since its humble beginnings in 1840 as a cigar created for export to the United Kingdom, Punch has been a stalwart brand that has weathered many storms and withstood the test of time. It has captured the palates and hearts of generations of cigar enthusiasts, most notably discerning American smokers who continually turn to Punch for its expert craftsmanship, indulgent flavor and confident branding.

 

To commemorate the momentous occasion of the brand’s 180th anniversary, Punch is proud to release its most limited offering to date with “Aniversario,” a spectacular cigar befitting the Punch legacy.

 

Ed Lahmann, senior brand manager of Punch said, “Perhaps more than any other handmade cigar brand that has graced a tobacconist’s humidor, Punch has been symbolic of a trailblazer, a maverick and one who is unapologetically self-assured in their choices. Today, we celebrate Punch as the first name in Honduran-crafted cigars with this special release. We look forward to upholding the brand’s legacy for today’s Punch loyalists and the next generation of Punch enthusiasts.”

 

The Punch blending team at the HATSA factory in Danli, Honduras developed the cigar to offer an indulgent, hourlong smoking experience, giving the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper additional cedar aging to enhance the tobacco and create a deeper, richer profile. The blend features proprietary, hand-selected leaves from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras and a Connecticut Broadleaf binder to create a dimensional, earthy cigar that is equally as indulgent as it is satisfying.

 

Punch Aniversario will be released exclusively to select brick and mortar retailers in early September and only 3,400 boxes of this commemorative blend have been produced. The cigars are presented in ten-count wooden boxes, handsomely accented with navy and gold.

 

Punch Aniversario Double Corona (7.25 x 54); SRP per cigar $14.99

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by | July 21, 2021 · 10:07 pm

The CigarMedics 3-in-1 Torch Lighter and the Contest Winner

I’ve been testing out some items from CigarMedics, the folks that make the Humidimeter, which is a great device that checks the internal moisture content of your cigars and lets you know that they are ready to smoke.  The genius of this device is that it takes the absolute moisture reading and translates it to a relative humidity number that makes sense to us in relation to the RH of out humidor. For instance, instead of a reading of 12% absolute moisture content, it’ll read 63% RH, read at the foot of the cigar. The RH number seems to make more sense than the absolute moisture number. It’s a cool device which has saved me from smoking cigars that were too wet to smoke, and I really hate smoking wet cigars! CigarMedics has been making some other cigar devises, which I’ve been testing, a cigar cutter, and a couple draw enhancement tools, one of which Luigi made just for me after some discussion. These have a serrated piercer, which is akin to a spiral saw bit. They work very well at opening up those cigars that are sometimes packed a little too tight at the head, or have a twist in the bunch. But nevermind all that, I wanted to talk about the triple flame torch lighter that they offer. I recently came into possession of one of these lighters and have been using it exclusively for the last couple months. 

 

The CigarMedics 3-in-1 Torch Lighter is a hefty triple jet torch with a punch in the bottom and a cigar rest on the top.  You have to manually flip the lid open, which is fine, less mechanism to fail, in my opinion, and the trigger is nice and large. It has a nice fuel window so you can see when it’s running low, and I’ve had no issues with it not lighting when I needed it to. The flames are strong and even, some people think three jets are overkill, I have torch lighters from single to four and really don’t notice too much difference to be honest. I always have my cigar well above the flame anyway. Since I am in the habit of purging my lighters when I fill them, I never have a problem with lighters either (get CigarProp’s purge tool, you won’t be sorry). As far as the punch goes, I haven’t had opportunity to use it yet, it’s small, maybe 7mm, if I use a punch I have an Adorini punch that has 9 and 13mm punches. As with most lighters with built in punches, it’s handy to have in an emergency. The way this one is made it would easily eject the waste when it retracts into the lighter, which is nice. It also securely locks, making ugly pocket accidents unlikely. As far as the size, it’s large, but not bulky, so it fits nicely in the pocket. It’s also reasonably priced, which is a good thing. I like it a lot, and it continues to me my primary lighter, and I have a lot of lighters. 

 

Contest

 

Once again, I consulted the Google Random Number Generator, and Duane Holmes was selected as the winner of the 90+ Rated All-Star Sampler and cutter. I know Duane said he ordered one, but his number came up, so how he’ll have two. I kinda got the impression that many of you ordered them, for which I am appreciative. When people react to my advertisers, it helps me out! Thank you! It also sounds like Duane has a birthday coming up, so Happy Birthday! I know he’s a long time reader, so there might just be a little something extra in the box! 

 

That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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by | June 17, 2020 · 10:24 pm

A Visit to Best Cigar Pub and Best Cigar Prices Exclusive Rare Select Cigars

Pic from PCB’s website

Yesterday my wife and I took a drive to Scranton to pick up a cool cigar lamp that she won in an auction, so on the way back we stopped in to Best Cigar Pub in Drums, PA for lunch. I had visited here briefly over the winter and gotten a tour and had a cigar (you can read about it here), today we enjoyed a meal at the pub. They had just re-opened last Thursday, and were observing all of the precautions we need to become accustomed to. Fortunately it was a beautiful spring day, and they had copious outdoor seating, even extending into the parking lot. My first stop was into the retail shop, masks required, with only three patrons allowed in a a time and no handling the product. Charlie was very helpful, recognizing me behind my cigar mask (which coordinated with my shirt, I’m a dork). I picked up some of their exclusive 601 Pennsylvania Toros and joined my wife outside. The Pub has an excellent menu of fresh food, My wife had a Cuban sandwich, and I had a Short Rib with Provolone sandwich and both were delicious served with potato chips made there. I enjoyed one of the 601 Pennsylvanias while we enjoyed the views. Kyle was our server and did an excellent job, everyone there was very friendly and accomodating, although I am having trouble getting used to hearing people speaking through masks. I have enough trouble hearing as it is. I really like the 601 PA Edition, by the way, but it was a bit breezy and I had trouble with the burn, leading to a bit of a tunnel. Best Cigar Pub is a destination, I can imagine when restrictions are lifted it will be a great place for events, or just to hang out and have a nice meal. 

 

Papier-mâché cigar lamp

By the way, here is the cool lamp we picked up. While we were eating, Charlie from the humidor came out and very kindly handed me a bag with one each of their Rare Select series from General Cigar. I selected the  CAO Rare Select when I got home for my evening walk. After spending the day in the car I needed to stretch my legs.  The CAO Rare Select was a 6″ x 50 toro with a Sun Grown Honduran wrapper, Honduran binder and Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers. I’ll preface this by saying there are some CAO cigars I like, and some I don’t, and the ones I don’t are typically the Criollo and Gold series. this cigar performed very well, and was not a bad cigar by any stretch of the imagination. It was a medium bodied cigar, with flavors on the leathery side, not a lot of sweetness. It was a good smoke, and I enjoyed it, and I think if you like cigars that fall more on the floral/leathery side, this is a cigar you’ll like. 

 

Today I selected the Macanudo Rare Select. I was surprised by a Macanudo with a Sumatra wrapper as opposed to a shade wrapper. I wonder about the through process here, I see that green Macanudo band and I expect a Connecticut Shade Wrapper over a Mexican Binder. In this case, we have an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder with fillers from the DR, Nicaragua and Jamaica. I was also expecting a milder cigar than I got, this was a medium bodied cigar with some interesting flavors. Again, the construction was right, the burn and draw were perfect. The Jamaican tobacco adds a little something interesting to the blend. I’ve had a Macanudo in the past couple years with Jamaican tobacco, one of the Estate Reserves I think, but prior to that I have to go back to the 90s when I had a box of Price Philips from Jamaica. Considering those had the Connecticut wrapper, there’s no way to make a comparison, not sure why I mentioned it. This was a pretty good smoke! 

 

Tonight I smoked the Punch Rare Select. Looking at this, I knew I was in for a treat. The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper was dark and oily. It has a Nicaraguan binder, and, get this, fillers from Brazil, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic! I didn’t have to light it and the flavor on the lips made me happy. It had a nice, chocolaty taste, and when I lit it those flavors intensified. This is a hearty cigar, loads of flavor and good to the last drop. All those great tobaccos combined to make for a delicious cigar, and the whole Rare Select series is very reasonable priced, making these a great bargain. Punch is another brand that I’ve enjoyed for a long time, almost always in the darker expressions. I can’t tell you how many maduro and double maduro Rothschilds smoked in the 90s. This one competes favorably, and it’s a cigar I’ll smoke again. I smoked it to a finger-burning nub and was sad when it was finished. Thanks to Charlie at Best Cigar Prices shop for sharing these three cigars with me! 

 

That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig 

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by | 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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