Punch " Punch" Corona Gorda

It was my recent and rare pleasure to obtain and smoke a true classic cigar that hails from that little island 89 miles south of Key West.

This cigar had long been on my Grail list and I had never come across one before.

I had recently mentioned this to a fellow brother of the leaf who responded by saying, Oh, I have some and I'll bring you one. You just gotta love that. Indeed he did and I graciously accepted.

For those not familiar with the Punch Punch this vitola is a 5 5/8" x 46 Corona Gorda and mine was a properly aged stick from 2006.

It was a beautiful night under the stars and the occasion called for something special and considerably above what was being served up at the time.

This cigar certainly fit the bill and just happened to be in my jacket. It did not disappoint. It was well made and had no construction burn or draw issues of any kind. It is no powerhouse of strength but that was not expected. When they are good, they are very good and this one was. It was smooth, flavorful and good to the very end. Too many Maker"s Marks and other cigars before and after prevent a more detailed review but did not in any way detract from the great smoke and smoking experience that was this true classic, the Cuban Punch Punch.

Ron del Barrilito 3 star rum

Tonight as the sun sets and the weekend draws to a close I light up a Padron 3000 maduro and pour me a glass of Ron del Barrilito rum. As I pour in the glass I see it has a deep golden brown apearence and as the the aroma hits my nose I sense bold, complex flavors.
At first taste I expect to be hit with a strong boldness to my tonue. It's very smooth with a touch of sweetness, hints of molasses and woody notes. Wondeful, just wonderful. The finish is nice, warm and leaves the flavors lingering. By far the best rum I have ever tasted, and I have sample many over the years. Those if you who love scotch/whiskey will like it. Those who enjoy rum you will love it.
Well done Ron...well done.
Thank you.

Padron 45th Anniversary, Maduro

Let me state, that my favorite cigar of all time prior to the release of the 40th Anniversary edition from Padron, was the 1964 Anniversary Imperial Maduro (the sole possible exception is the Cuban Cohiba Siglo VI, though production is so varied, the consistency leaves something to be desired and thus I cannot include it in the pantheon of top-notch smokes save as an addendum). That having been said, upon completion of the lauded 40th my loyalties while constrained within the confines of the heralded Padron facilities altered. I say this because I have never felt the 1926 line matched the complexities or flavor found in the 1964 Imperial, and admit to having some doubts upon learning the heritage of the 40th Anniversary.
Those doubts having been laid to rest, my hopes were high when the new 45th Anniversary was announced.

I was not disappointed.

The 45th is a complex microcosm of flavor. Not being one to wax rhapsodic, it suffices to say it transports the smoker to a happier place and erodes the banalities of daily life.

I noted no fewer than 5 different changes in flavor, with an even burn and a strong ash; clearly a well made cigar from some of their best rollers and presented with the ubiquitous ‘square-ish’ box-press requisite of the top-of-the-line Padrons.

It’s aged enough to reduce the strength, down to a medium to medium-full body, and presents the smoker with a well-balanced smoke… offering more flavor than one might expect from such a toro sized cigar.

I give it a solid 98, reserving the last 2 points for future releases (by any manufacturer) which attempt to dethrone this dynasty.

Joya de Nicaragua "Antano" Dark Corojo

With the original JDN " Antano " being one of my favorite premium smokes and its soundly grabbing the #2 Spot on my years Top 10 list, I was thrilled to hear of the new release called the "Antano" Dark Corojo. I was even happier when I got my hands on a few of the " Peligroso " Petite Corona size and lit one up.

At least for now, this cigar is in limited supply and not on many dealers shelves but hopefully that will change.

Like its brethren Antano and all JDN cigars for that matter,this is a cigar of strength and power for the experienced smoker. I expected the new Dark Corojo to be a power smoke and I was not disappointed. Strong as it is, the power is smooth, balanced and not over bearing. It is full of flavor and very complex. It has a dark oily Corojo wrapper and smokes like a dream. There were no burn or draw issues to mar the experience.

At first I was worried it might be too strong, but it settled down and gradual profile changes had it getting better and better as it progressed. I smoked it to the last mm of burning my fingers and I never wanted it to end.

I am not really one for describing notes of this and that flavor wise but I can tell you this is one super cigar not to miss if you come across one.

The are very reasonably priced in the $6 to $9 range with most of them smaller and the largest size being the Poderoso 6 X 54 Belicoso. Nub Lovers and those who know JDN's Gran Consul size will appreciate the 4.7 X 60 Pesadilla version.

Joya's new magazine ad for the Dark Corojo describes it as a cigar we promise you will

remember. They are right about that and it's a very good cigar to be sure.

Strength - Strong

Construction - No issues

Flavor - Full and Complex

Rating - A solid 94

Recommned : It's a must smoke

This cigar is an early shoe in for this years best of the best.

Smoke one if you can.

New lighter

A couple weeks ago I purchased a new lighter , cigar savor single torch with a soft burgandy case. http://www.bestcigarprices.com/cigar-directory/lighters/lighter-~-cigar-savor-torch-lighter-~-burgundy-with-built-in-punch-cutter-cigar/111-21515.htm for a picture of it.
Slim line and feels good. I like the fact that you can open the punch cutter with out having long finger nils to get to it like others I have use.

Rockey Patel Sun Grown

Tonight I sit at Maduros Cigar lounge and after having a nice sushi dinner I light up a Rockey Patel SunGrown. Wow, nice pepper and spice flavors from the light up. The burn is slow and even through and through.
The second half I experience a toasty, kinda woody flavor. Nice balance of body and flavor. I really enjoyed this cigar.

Oliva Serie V

Last night I smoked the Oliva Serie V figurodo with a glass of Merlot. It was full bodied, meaty with nutty notes. Construction was great and burned even throughout.By far my favorite of the Oliva line.