Punch Short de Punch

July 24th, 2022

This is an almost 5 x 50 robusto (4.75"). It is full bodied, smooth with developing strength.

Appearance and Construction: A mottled, medium dark wrapper which is thin enough to see the binder below, giving a slightly rough appearance.

First Puff: reveals a smooth, full bodied Cuban flavour.

Draw and Burn: Excellent throughout

Flavour and Complexity: Very rich and complex, yet not a hint of bitterness at any point. It was remarkable how the cigar hit the full flavour mark without veering into bitterness, as is the case with many Nicaraguans: the Oliva Serie V and the Tatuaje Fausto are two that come to mind.

Body: Full throughout 

Strength: Tolerable, not overwhelming, but building towards the end.

Finish and Aftertaste: long and smooth, no unpleasant residue

Aroma: rich

Ash: light and fell off easily

Balance and Consistency: One of the most balanced and consistently delicious full bodied Cubans I've tasted for a while; similar to the R&J Wide Churchill. 

Time smoke: 80 minutes

Overall: An excellent cigar full bodied robusto, clearly showing a quality that exceeds many of the similar Nicaraguan rivals in my collection. Very satisfying. 

Full body, smooth, balanced, consistent, no bitterness: very satisfying 80 minute robusto

January 26th, 2023: Draw was slightly difficult in the first half. By the second half of the cigar draw opened up. Body was medium to medium plus. First half of the cigar was pleasant but the second half was quite tasty. Aroma was modest. Quite satisfying. 75 minutes.  

July 11th, 2023: Heavy in the hand and a slightly sweet pre-light. Draw was a little tight in the first half, as with the previous cigar, however it opened up in the second half to provide plentiful plumes. Flavour was quite refined and balanced, albeit subtle and restrained: herbs and spices, mint, nutmeg, all subdued but pleasingly complex. This was a cigar that merited a slow and considered pace. Aroma came and went but was delicious, rich and complex when it was there, as it was in the second half. Body medium. Spice became peppery towards the end. 60 minutes and quite satisfying.

March 14th, 2024: A pleasant morsel with medium to full body and excellent aroma. Draw was a bit tight and flavour in the second half lost complexity, reminding me a bit of the dried fruit flavour of the Joya de Nicaragua Antano Churchill. Quite satisfying at 60 minutes.

June 13th: Another pleasant, medium body cigar with a fine, yeasty, aroma but complex and with good aroma. Quite a good example of the blend. 60 minutes. Satisfying. 

H. Upmann Connossieur no. 2

July 16, 2022: This is a 5.25 x 51 robusto. It resembles the Vegueros Centrofino in almost all respects (flavour, aromoa, body), except the purported ring gauge, which is 50 in the case of the Centrofino and supposedly 51 in the case of the Upmann. I doubt that a ring gauge of one, 1/64", can be measured with any accuracy, so I'm content to assume that these cigars come from the same source.

Another curiosity is the spelling of the 'Connossieur', which is a misspelling of the French 'connoisseur'. Yet, the name of the cigar is clearly seen on the band. 

Appearance and Construction: A very smooth, light brown wrapper. The cigar was not particularly heavy in the hand. But draw was resistant in the first two thirds. A one centimetre piece of leaf vein popped out towards the end of the cigar. 

First Puff: Difficult to obtain a first puff, but it was smooth and mild.

Draw and Burn: The cigar was slightly plugged. It wasn't too tightly wrapped as it was not heavy in the hand. Burn was fine. In the final third the cigar opened up and revealed its potential.

Flavour and Complexity: Once I managed to draw a sufficient plume the flavour was rich, and complex, resembling the Pinar del Rio flavour of the Centrofino. Occasionally, there were moments of a deeper richness.

Body: Body never passed medium. It was quite a light smoke.

Strength: None to speak of

Finish and Aftertaste: Long finish and very clean aftertaste.

Aroma: Delicious, rich, Cuban aroma

Ash: held on for 20 minutes or so.

Balance and Consistency: A very balanced, smooth, mellow, medium bodied Cuban.

Time smoke: around 65 minutes

Overall: Flavour and aroma were excellent; however the draw was a detraction until the final third. In terms of comparison with Centrofino, the cigar was almost identical. It will be interesting to try a few more Connosieurs and see whether the resemblance continues. If it does, the Centrofino is the preferred option as it's around 30% less expensive. 

Flavour, body, aroma and construction resemble the Vegeuros Centrofino.

July 22nd, 2022: I was keen to try another from the box to see whether there was a vast difference between it and the Centrofino, as I mentioned above. There wasn't. It was again very similar to that budget Cuban robusto; which is not to say that it's a cheap smoke. The aroma and flavour are excellent, but also similar to a good Nicaraguan Connecticut wrapper cigar. This cigar wasn't plugged and draw was easy. It lasted around 70 minutes. Quite satisfying. 

December 23rd: This cigar started with a difficult draw and mild, modest flavour at best. But the second half opened up, draw became easy and body moved to medium. Flavour improved in complexity immeasurably. I smoked it as far as I could get. 85 minutes. Very satisfying.

January 24th, 2023: Pleasant at best. The cigar was way too tightly packed. It wasn't plugged, but draw was uncomfortably tight. Unlike the previous cigar, it didn't quite open up until around the last inch and a half. Flavour was minimal, even in the final inch. A friend shared one and had the same opinion. 70 minutes. Pleasant at best. 

March 21st, 2024: I smoked this one in my cigar room and with the smoke lingering, it was more rich and complex. Flavour was quite pleasant, albeit mild throughout. Quite pleasant at 70 minutes.

Leaf by Oscar Toro

These cigars range from mild to medium bodied. They are very well made. Draw is always perfect. The mild cigars are not quite satisfying. I prefer the one with more body and a little strength. 

July 9th, 2022, Naxos: This is a 6x52 maduro toro. It comes wrapped in a tobacco leaf which is a bit of a gimmick. Nonetheless, the cigar was excellent.

Appearance and Construction: Dark brown, veiny cigar with smooth construction. 6 x 52, according to Neptune, made in Honduras with Nicaraguan wrapper and Honduran binder and filler.

First Puff: Very smooth, mellow.

Draw and Burn: Excellent draw with perfect burn.

Flavour and Complexity: Deliciously smooth, complex, rich and balanced maduro flavour.

Body: medium

Strength: medium, no head spinning.

Finish and Aftertaste: good long finish with smooth, clean after taste

Aroma: Deep rich aroma, present throughout.

Ash: 20 minute chunks about an inch per ashing.

Balance and Consistency: superb. Excellent balance and consistency. 

Time smoke: around 85-90 minutes

Overall: Very satisfying. Reminds me of the better versions of the Liga no. 9, although not as dark as that cigar. 

Slightly wavy burn but draw was excellent

Good to the nub

November 23rd, 2022: I had one a few weeks ago which started out rich but fizzled a bit in the final third. The one I had last night was much more pleasant: medium to full bodied, rich chocolatey flavour and a pleasant aftertaste. Aroma was a bit thin. Burn barely lasted an hour. Pleasant. 

December 20th, 2022: This was a very good example of the blend: very smooth, refined, maduro flavour with a very easy draw. Aroma was rich but fleeting. Flavour was as with the others: dark roast and chocolate. Ash was flaky. Body only reached medium and occasional pockets of strength made the cigar more interesting. This cigar lasted around 90 minutes with one relight towards the end. Quite satisfying.

January 2023: I had a couple of these with a friend in early January and one again at the end of the month. The first two, with friend, were both quite satisfying, but the body of the third cigar was somewhat lacking. It was the mildest maduro I can recall.

September 13th, 2023: Meh, quite pleasant; similar to the Melanio: very smooth and refined maduro cigar but lacking body and complexity. Pleasant.