In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Punch Rare Corojo, General Cigar is spicing things up with the addition of a 5” x 50 ring gauge box-pressed robusto, appropriately titled the Punch Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary.
The cigar uses a proprietary Connecticut Corojo wrapper, which is the only difference between the 10th Anniversary and the regular Rare Corojo sticks, which were released earlier this year. The binder remains a Connecticut broadleaf while the filler is a blend of Honduran, Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos.
A five-pack of the Punch Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary was sent by General Cigar, with three of the sticks being smoked for this review. The cigars are on their way to retailers, with the first shipments happening in late March and continuing through April and the rest of 2011, subject to supply limitations. Expect to see them with a price tag of $6.50 or so, before taxes.
From a visual perspective, the first thing that is noticed is the cigar band – it is certainly a nice departure from the standard Punch label. The band has a fresh look, somewhat simpler yet classier than standard Punch bands, despite those bands giving a nod to the label of the classic Cuban cigar that shares its name.
The wrapper is a medium brown with some darker spots, and none had much in the way of veins, toothiness, or oiliness.
The pre-light aroma is light, showing some grain, graham cracker, and a touch of hay. The cold draw was spot on, although there wasn’t a lot of flavor coming through, save for a bit of wheat bread.
The cigar starts off inauspiciously, which could prove to be a detriment to it. It won’t hit you with a blast of spice, and unless you’re giving it a fair amount of attention, the flavors are subtle enough that they won’t stand out. There’s a bit of pepper at points, but certainly not what many cigar smokers have come to expect from other cigars.
The ash is dark gray and broke off about ½” into the cigar. Sadly, the ash doesn’t want to hang around very long at any point throughout the cigar, breaking off at fairly regular ½” intervals.
The smoke starts to come alive again at the halfway point, with some faint hints of vanilla coming through. These notes soon give way to a peppery smoke that tingles the nose while providing a bit of stimulation on the palate.
Each of the three cigars burned very well, with no technical issues or touch-ups needed. Burn lines were straight and consistent, the draw was easy without being loose, and the construction was solid – firm without being hard or feeling underfilled in spots.
At $6.50 a stick before taxes, it’s certainly not overpriced, and has some fairly good notes that can standout if given some attention. Don’t expect to be blown away by any intense flavors, but rather allow yourself be treated to a cigar that has a commendable balance of mild to medium flavors with the occasional kick of some pepper to keep things moving.
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