The cigar: Punch Grand Cru No. II
Nutritional information
Serving size: 6.125 x 54 pyramid
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Ecuadoran Sumatra
Binder: Connecticut broadleaf
Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic (Piloto Cubano)
The marketing
From JR:
Made from extra-select vintage three-to-five-year tobaccos, the Punch Grand Cru is a refined version of the classic Punch blend. Wrapped in the silkiest of Connecticut River Valley leaf, this is the smoothest of Honduran cigars.
Prelight: A softly box-pressed torpedo with a silky smooth colorado claro wrapper, the black line underneath the familiar Punch band tells you that this is the Gran Cru. It's very well filled but a bit soft to the touch. The rolling is beautiful, nary a seam to be seen. The conical cap clips cleanly to reveal a near-perfect draw. My prelight sniffing doesn't detect much beyond light tobacco.
Construction/burn: The construction on this cigar is top notch. It lights easily, producing a strong, tight white ash that grows to nearly 2" and drops in a perfect cone. The smoke is thick, creamy, and sweetly fragrant. Smoke time is slightly less than one hour.
Flavor: A creamy mild-medium, but with flavor. It starts out on the light side, with clean, creamy tobacco flavors, but not much more. Some light sweetness then appears, then marshmallow and vanilla. These flavors build through the midsection, joined first by toasted nuts and then by some soft white pepper in the last third. The creamy marshmallow flavor is quite tasty, and the pepper makes it interesting.
Overall: I was a bit surprised by how much I liked this cigar. I think it is an excellent choice when you want an elegant mild-medium smoke that brings some flavor. I plan to pick up more.
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