Cigars.ie

Christmas Corona Gordas, Day 2: Punch Punch Punch

If Christmas Day is all about the kids, Stephen’s day has to be all about the adults. Winding down from Christmas day madness, with the kids occupied with their new toys, and more football and racing on the television than you can take, Stephen’s day has to be one of the best days of the year. And the best way to start the day is with a nice cigar!

The cigar I have chosen to review today is the Punch Punch. The Punch Punch is one of the many Corona Gordas that Punch has produced over the years, but is the only one still in production. It comes in a variety of packaging options; aluminium tube 3 packs and 10 packs, as well as dress boxes of 25 and cabinets of 50. The Punch Punch is considered to be a cigar that does not require long aging before it is ready to smoke. Saying that, I have had some outstanding ten or so year old Punch Punch, as well as some mediocre young ones. I am unsure what year the one I will be smoking today was made, but it looks to be young-ish.

The Punch Punch is a well constructed cigar, with a light brown wrapper that has a toothy feel and some prominent veins. The bunch is on the softer side and consistent throughout the whole length. Some mild aromas of coffee are present from the foot of the cigar and the prelight draw is good.

The Punch Punch kicks off with the traditional punchy, spicy and woody flavours that you would expect. Some sweetness and leather are also on the background. It smokes very well one the beginning, although it seems to be a little mild, with the body being just about medium.

On the second third the Punch Punch gets sweeter. Chocolaty flavours surpass those of wood and leather, with some mellow earth and grass. The finish is long creamy, with spicy and sweet flavours alternating. The body is still medium and the burn is a little uneven. The ash is light grey, with a good texture and falls off before reaching an inch in length.

On the last third the flavours alter slightly. Wood, spices and earth join the sweetness on the foreground, while a little bitterness appears on the background. The burn is a little iffy and the cigar needs several touchoups to bet going. The body does not change and remains medium until the end.

The Punch Punch is a very pleasant smoke. Although it’s consistent medium body may not suit everyone, it is complex enough too keep your interest. Although this cigar does not taste young, without any ammonia or harsness, I do believe it will improve a lot with age. Five years will help this cigar to acquire a little more kick, which is what it lacks of. But then again, if someone wants a stronger Punch, he can always look for the Royal Selection no.11, which I will be smoking soon. Four stars for the Punch Punch and around 86 points for those who are “metric”!

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