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Punch
Black Prince
made in: Havana, Cuba
size : 5 5/58 x 46
wrapper: Cuba
filler : Cuba
binder : Cuba
price : $13.00
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Bob said - A little veiny.
Gary said - Slightly oily wrapper, nice even color.
Rick said - 5 5/8 x 46 Triple cap. I liked everything about
this cigar. A nice oily sheen on the medium brown
wrapper.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Bob said no comment
Gary said - Very nice cap. Nearly seemless wrapper. Cigar feels
light for it's size and so I expect it is
underfilled.
Rick said - Good balance, maybe the slightest bit underfilled.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Bob :
Gary: xx
Rick:
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Bob : xx ---- xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx ---- xx
Taste =
Bob said - Delicate hints of cedar/earth/cream.
Gary said - Very spicy cigar. Earthy, with an underlying
sweetness. Had a taste I couldn't quite identify,
but really like.
Rick said - This cigar started rather mild but picked up
intensity and flavor as it progressed. There was a
slight unpleasant bitter taste at the middle of the
cigar, but it quickly passed.
Overall Impression =
Bob said - Pre-light smelled great, thought was ISOM, but
don't think it is. Medium finish. Very nice early
in the day smoke.
Gary said - Very good cigar. Had a great spice all the way
through. Had a nice nicotine kick. I would buy this
if it is legal in the US (I suspect it isn't) even
though it had construction problems.
Rick said - I love the way this cigar developed as it
progressed. I just hope ( or wish!) it is readily
available.
Would you recommend this cigar as one to try based on your
blind taste??? (Editors Note - remember these guys don't
have a clue what cigar they just smoked or what it costs.)
Bob said - yes
Gary said - yes
Rick said - yes
Officious
Rating
Punch Black Prince
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke <--- Gary & Rick
Good Cigar <--- Bob
Decent/Worthy
Ho-Hum
Blah...
Dog Rocket!
Editor's 2 Cents Punch
is one of Havana's classic and oldest marquees. Created in 1840
by Juan Valle the brand has been made by many legendary cigarmen
including Manual Lopez and Fernado Particio over its long history.
The brand was originally developed for the British market and
is named in honor of the 19th Century character Punch the Puppet.
Its boxes still feature a comical representation of Punch himself
relaxing as he smokes the cigar of his namesake.
The Punch Black Prince is one of the four different incarnations
of the Coronas Gordas vitola within the Cuban Punch line. This
cigar is suppose to be a milder blending of the famous Punch
Punch benchmark. The cigars used in the sampling were very attractive
exhibiting quality construction and a nice oily sheen to their
wrappers. It begins mild and builds steadily throughout its length.
The core flavor is a peppery spice that leaves a decent finish
and a light aftertaste with the smoker. There are also subtle
nuances of earth, but not enough to round this cigar out.
Although all three of the blind tasters gave this cigar
high ratings, I am less generous in my final assessment. This
cigar lacks the depth and body of its better blended brother
the Punch Punch. Would I avoid smoking them? No, but nor would
I go out of my way to secure a box of these corona gordas. I
would opt for the Punch Punch any day over this cigar. Simply
stated, the Punch Black Prince is a good cigar, but it is not
one of the better Havanas.
Don
Diego Monarchs
made in: La Romana, Dominican Republic
size : 7 1/4 x 46
wrapper: USA/Connecticut
filler : Brazil, Dominican Republic, Mexico
binder : Dominican Republic
price : $5.20
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Bob said - no comment
Gary said - Has a nice conn shade wrapper. Decent cap, though a
bit lumpy. Seems well filled, no soft spots.
Rick said - (7" x 47) A decent looking cigar with a light
natural wrapper. It looks like they used a wrapper
leaf that was too small for a churchill size cigar.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Bob said - no comment
Gary said - Very good draw, burned razor straight.
Rick said - A little light weight for a cigar this size, but it
appears to be well filled. It had several wrapper
tears at the head, but they did not inhibit the
smoking of this cigar.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Bob :
Gary:
Rick: xx (small)
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx ------- xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx ----- xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Bob : xx ---- xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Taste =
Bob said - Toasted pecans, short finish. Excalibur #1?
Gary said - Common Dominican tobacco/Conn shade wrapper taste.
Mild, slightly woody. Sweet with a bit of
bitterness.
Rick said - I liked the taste. Not a lot of complexity, but an
All-around good strong cigar with nice tobacco
flavor. This cigar didn't produce the volume of
smoke that I prefer.
Overall Impression =
Bob said - Wonderful aroma, ok taste.
Gary said - Good cigar for those who like mild cigars. Same
taste though, the whole cigar.
Rick said - Rather cheaply made, but I liked the taste
(Nicaraguan?).
Would you recommend this cigar as one to try based on your
blind taste??? (Editors Note - remember these guys don't
have a clue what cigar they just smoked or what it costs.)
Bob said - yes
Gary said - yes
Rick said - yes
Officious
Rating
Don Diego Monarchs
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke
Good Cigar <--- Gary & Rick
Decent/Worthy <--- Bob
Ho-Hum
Blah...
Dog Rocket!
Editor's 2 Cents The
Don Diego line is the product of Consolidated Cigars Corporation.
The brand began as a cigar that was manufactured in the Canary
Islands in 1964, but moved its production to the Dominican Republic
in 1982. The line consists of a wide range sizes between it 14
different vitolas. This brand is well promoted and is one of
the most popular selling mild cigars in the US market.
The Don Diego Monarch is a fairly well-made churchill
with a clean light chestnut brown Connecticut Shade wrapper.
Although these are packed in aluminum tubes, all of the samples
exhibited some small tears and cracks as the wrappers were quite
thin and delicate on this batch. Although this is a densely packed
cigar, it maintains a good draw which allows for easy smoking
and an even burn. It leaves a tight white ash to be tipped off.
The aroma is delicate and pleasing to the nose. It is mild in
body and exhibits the straightforward flavor of wood with a slightly
sweet grassy edge. The finish is very short and it leaves little
to no aftertaste.
Almost all serious herfers are going to find this cigar
way too pale on the palate, myself included. I find the Don Diego
blend far more enjoyable in the narrower rings such as the 42
ring Lonsdale. However, the Don Diego Monarch makes a worthwhile
alternative if you are regular smoker of extra-mild shade wrapped
Dominican cigars. These also serve as good cigars to pass out
to your non-cigar smoking buddies when they feel the desire to
be "one of the guys."
Zino
Mouton Cadet No. 5
made in: Santa Rosa de Copan, Honduras
size : 5 x 42
wrapper: Ecuador
filler : Honduras
binder : Honduras
price : $5.55
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Bob said - no comment
Gary said - A really nice rosado looking wrapper with a bit of oil.
Rick said - (5" x 42) This cigar was lumpy and had some flat
spots. The wrapper had some large veins. I've seen
a lot better examples of the cigarmakers' art.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Bob said - no comment
Gary said - Fill didn't feel even all the way down the cigar.
Wrapper and cap are nicely done.
Rick said - The edge of the wrapper did not sit flat on the
cigar. The cigar was a little under-filled and
light-weight.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Bob :
Gary:
Rick: xx
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Bob : xx ------- xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx ---- xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Bob :
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Bob : xx ---- xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Taste =
Bob said - Leathery, one-dimensional. Nicaraguan? Short
finish.
Gary said - Nice Central American taste. A slightly sweet/tart,
leathery taste. Medium bodied.
Rick said - The first half was very tasty. I enjoyed the
flavor. About half way down it started to taste
unpleasant, almost sour. I gave it a few puffs
before I had to surrender.
Overall Impression =
Bob said - Not my kind of smoke.
Gary said - Would be a lot nicer if the draw was better. Had to
work at this one. What I got was a nice tasting
Nic/Hon tobacco taste.
Rick said - Maybe I got a bad example, but this cigar was
poorly made and the taste finished awful.
Would you recommend this cigar as one to try based on your
blind taste??? (Editors Note - remember these guys don't
have a clue what cigar they just smoked or what it costs.)
Bob said - no
Gary said - yes
Rick said - no
Officious
Rating
Zino
Mouton Cadet No. 5
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke
Good Cigar <--- Gary
Decent/Worthy
Ho-Hum <--- Bob
Blah... <--- Rick
Dog Rocket!
Editor's 2 Cents The
Zino Mouton Cadet was developed by Zino Davidoff for his friend,
La Baronne Philippine de Rothschild. The brand was introduced
at the opening of the Davidoff store in New York City in 1987.
The intent was to create a mild cigar with a rich aroma. The
line is primarily comprised of narrow ring gauge cigars with
the No. 6, a robusto, being the only larger cigar with this blend.
The Zino Mouton Cadet No. 5 is a dark colorado corona
that is heavily veined and has a slight reddish cast to its color.
I find the construction on these to be satisfactory, but it is
no where near the quality of the Davidoff vitolas made in the
Dominican Republic. The flavor is a tangy medium strength Honduran
with a leathery texture. However, it lacks in complexity and
leaves a subtle sour finish against the palate that intensifies
as you smoke it down. The longer I smoke this cigar, the less
pleasing it becomes to me. The aroma is rather unique with an
almost perfume-like quality.
Over the years I have smoked a bunch of the Mouton Cadets.
Not because I particularly like them, but because I keep expecting
them to be better. Guess what... they never are. At best, they
are okay. The entire line just lacks the richness and depth that
many other lesser-priced Honduran cigars deliver. I suggest you
take a pass on the Zino Mouton Cadet No. 5.
Bolivar
Coronas Gigante
made in: Santiago, Dominican Republic
size : 7 1/4 x 49
wrapper: USA/Connecticut
filler : Dominican Republic
binder : Mexico
price : $4.15
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Bob said - Smells like dried horse dung on the side of the
Olds Vista Cruiser when I was in the 4th grade.
High hopes for this cigar.
Gary said - Very nice looking conn shade wrapped cigar. Wrapper
is nice even color.
Rick said - (7 1/4" x 49) Interesting rounded head like a
Macanudo. Beautiful light (Connecticut?) wrapper.
Good heft and balance.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Bob said - no comment
Gary said - Very nicely made cigar. Decent cap, no soft spots.
The wrapper looks seemless.
Rick said - The wrapper is flawless. Besides possibly having
some tooth in the wrapper, this cigar is perfectly
made.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Bob :
Gary: [none reported by any taster]
Rick:
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx ------- xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Bob : xx ------- xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Bob : xx ---- xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Taste =
Bob said - Medium finish, mild taste, good morning smoke.
Gary said - This was the better tasting of the two Conn shade
wrapper cigars. Had a nice sweet, slightly woody
taste to it with no bitterness.
Rick said - The best thing I can say is there is no unpleasant
taste in this cigar. It is very subtle, and
straight forward. It got a little creamy/toasty
toward the band.
Overall Impression =
Bob said - Kept waiting for the kick the pre-light smell
promised. Not a lot of depth. Nice Sunday morning
with the newspaper cigar.
Gary said - A very nice cigar for someone who asks for mild
ones. Nicely constructed, good flavor for as mild
as it is.
Rick said - I loved every thing about this cigar except the
flavor left me wanting more. A perfect cigar for
the occasional smoker or someone just beginning.
Would you recommend this cigar as one to try based on your
blind taste??? (Editors Note - remember these guys don't
have a clue what cigar they just smoked or what it costs.)
Bob said - yes
Gary said - yes
Rick said - yes
Officious
Rating
Bolivar
Coronas Gigante
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke
Good Cigar <--- Bob, Gary, & Rick
Decent/Worthy
Ho-Hum
Blah...
Dog Rocket!
Editor's 2 Cents The
Dominican Bolivar was reintroduced to the cigar smoking public
at the 1998 RTDA in Nashville. It is manufactured by General
and is distributed by Santa Clara Cigars, the wholesale division
of JR Tobacco. The line is comprised of ten different sizes most
of which come in 20 count boxes.
The Dominican Bolivar Coronas Gigante is hefty double
corona that comes dressed in an oily Connecticut Shade wrapper.
It is well made throughout and draws, burns, and holds it ash
beautifully. Although mild, it has good body and offers the smokers
a light earthy flavor with slight musty qualities. The finish
is an easygoing light spice. It produced a dense heavy cloud
of smoke and proves to be an enjoyable smoke. I have only one
semi-complaint about this cigar: It just simply does not live
up to inherent expectation I have for a cigar bearing Simon Bolivar's
name. Havana Bolivars are noted for being some of the strongest
cigars in the world. I wouldn't expect the Dominican version
to duplicate the flavor of the Cuban marquee, however I would
of thought it wiser to make use of this cherished trademark on
a much darker fuller bodied cigar. This cigar undeservingly receives
some negative consumer feedback on the Internet because it does
not live up to this expectation for strength. I have often wondered
if this depressed the sales of this fine cigar. Maybe not since
only a few Americans ever have the opportunity to smoke Havana
Bolivars.
I am proud of all three tasters for identifying this double
corona as a good solid mild cigar; I find many tasters outright
dismiss milder blends rather than appreciate them for what they
are. The Bolivar Coronas Gigante is an excellent mild-medium
vitola that is well worth sampling particularly at only a little
over $4 each. It is an ideal cigar for those looking to step
up from the lighter Dominican blends.
Bahia Gold Maduro No. 4
made in: San Jose, Costa Rica
size : 5 1/2 x 42
wrapper: USA/Connecticut
filler : Dominican Republic
binder : Dominican Republic
price : $7.15
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Bob said - no comment
Gary said - Perfect looking box pressed cigar. Great looking
maduro wrapper with a bit of oil.
Rick said - (5 1/2" x45) Gorgeous box pressed maduro. I really
like the look and feel of this cigar.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Bob said - no comment
Gary said - Love the box pressed shape. Could almost cut
yourself on the corners. Very nicely done. Would
like to have these in the humidor just because of
the looks.
Rick said - The wrapper was a bit thin with a few minor
blemishes. Good fill of tobacco. A well made cigar.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Bob :
Gary: [none reported by any taster]
Rick:
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Bob : xx ----- xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Bob : xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Bob :
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Bob : xx ---- xx
Gary: xx
Rick: xx
Taste =
Bob said - Choc-o-late!
Gary said - This is my type of cigar! It started a bit weak the
first half, but picked up a lot of flavor and body
by the second. Spicy, a bit of chocolate taste.
Rick said - At first all I could taste was sour (one of my
least favorite flavors). It improved somewhat as I
smoked but was still not very good.
Overall Impression =
Bob said - Padron Anniversario Exclusivo Maduro? Felt great in
hand and mouth. Not many have a second half like
this one.
Gary said - If this cigar had a bit more body on the first half
it would be a perfect cigar for me. Razor sharp
burn. Is this a cigar from Nick or a PAM?
Rick said - I was really looking forward to smoking this well
made cigar but I just didn't like the taste.
Would you recommend this cigar as one to try based on your
blind taste??? (Editors Note - remember these guys don't
have a clue what cigar they just smoked or what it costs.)
Bob said - yes
Gary said - yes
Rick said - no
Officious
Rating
Bahia
Gold Maduro No. 4
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke <--- Bob, Gary
Good Cigar
Decent/Worthy
Ho-Hum <--- Rick
Blah...
Dog Rocket!
Editor's 2 Cents The
Bahia Gold Maduro is the most recent addition to growing family
of Bahia cigars imported by Tony Borhani. It is produced in Costa
Rica at Tabacalera Tambor under the watchful eye of Don Douglas.
The line consists of four classic sizes: a Churchill, a Torpedo,
a Robusto, and a Corona.
The Bahia Gold Maduro No. 4 is a beautiful pressed corona
with an oily dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. The wrapper
is unique in that it has much smaller than usual veins when compared
to most broadleaf wrappers. The bouquet is that of a well-aged
cigar and the construction is first rate from head to foot. The
first half is almost too mellow, however it gently eases into
a delightful second half. It delivers an undeniable chocolate
taste with a solid spicy core. The smoke is dense and the finish
is sweet and cedary.
This corona is on the expensive side, but it really proves
to be a good smoke that is very pleasing to palate. In fact,
of the four sizes available I regard this one to be the best.
The Bahia Gold Maduro No. 4 is definitely a cigar worthy of space
in your humidor.
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