Country of Origin: Honduras
Color: Colorado Maduro
Length: 5"
Ring gauge: 54
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo
Binder: Connecticut Habano
Filler: Dominican Republic/Nicaragua
Now here's a Punch cigar with a flavor profile that is a little closer to my palate preference, but just didn't quite deliver the "punch" I expected...
The Punch Signature debuted at retailers in early March 2015. This particular blend was inspired by the original Punch blend and was created using tobacco from the same countries of origin. Development of the blend started in 2012 and the Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper was cultivated especially for this cigar. The Punch SIgnature line consists of four vitolas: Gigante (6" x 60); Rothschild (4½" x 50); Torpedo (5¾" x 52); and the Robusto which is the subject of this review, graciously provided as a five-pack by General Cigar Company.
The Punch Signature Robusto is a great-looking stick with a pretty and slightly silky Colorado Maduro wrapper with very thin veins. There was a heavy raw tobacco aroma at the foot with a hint of cedar - very pleasnt, and the cold draw provided the same flavor. The cigar lights very easily after minimal toasting and burns slow and evenly. No touch-ups or re-lights were necessary. However, the cigar does not hold a tight ash at all; it was quite flaky and I seemed to have more ash on my clothing than in my ash tray. The draw was moderately easy and the cigar produces some decent mouthfuls of smoke.
As the press release for this line mentioned that some of the filler leaves are very aged and some less aged (with the aged leaves bringing flavor and the newer leaves bringing strength), I had preconceived notions of a nice, full-bodied smoke with robust flavor and medium-to-full in terms of strength. The Signature Robusto is more of a medium-bodied cigar of moderate strength. The flavor profile is pretty strightforward and lacks complexity. There is some earthiness to the smoke, with notes of cocoa, occasional hints of cedar, and a very subtle spiciness. The flavors are better appreciated (and better enjoyed) during retrohale, which I needed to do more frequently and more extensively with these smokes than usual. Without retrohaling, the flavor profile seems pretty flat. The smoke aroma had a slight wet-leathery pungency, which was pretty nice though. Unfortunately, the cigar leaves a relatively short finish on the palate. Total burn time was roughly 1 hour, 20 minutes.
The Punch Signature Robusto is a decent smoke - smooth, but just not as robust or rich in flavor as I anticipated (or desired), and a short finish that renders the cigar somewhat forgettable.