1983 Punch Exquisito Review - WOW

[brazoseagle]

1983 Punch Equisito

This is by far the oldest cigar I have ever smoked, and wow, it's very hard to review and describe a cigar of this age and development compared to recent cigars. This was a first for me on a couple of different flavor profiles that I really had to think hard and exercise the palate to investigate and deduce what the flavors were.

First off, the smell of the cold foot was addictively nostalgic. I don't think I can recall ever smelling the foot of any other cigar and it smelled like this. It transported me back to another place and time. It was akin to the same sensory memory recognition you get when you smell an old newspaper or the pages of a 30 year old book from the library.

I closed my eyes and continued to take in the smell. It was like walking into an upscale days gone by men's locker room, full of musty clothes and sports equipment, steamy gentleman lathered up with imported aftershaves and colognes (reminded me of my grandfather), seasoned rich wood lining the walls and lockers, guys sitting around smoking and chatting and this room dense with the smell of tobacco and sheer manliness. You can almost envision the judges and lawyers making deals as they shine their shoes getting ready for the day. Politicians, enemies with no one in the sanctity of the locker room persuading votes and collecting bets owed from a round of golf. It was nostalgic and unique and very pleasantly musty and rich with age.

1st 3rd - Perfect draw, still deep with flavor and oils. I have not had too many vintage cigars, but I've had enough to know that there is no doubt that this cigar is aged and smooth with years of developing and intermingling flavors. It was a great mix of salty and sweet. Very present on the palate. It was like walking down the boardwalk and chewing on a piece of homemade cherry flavored salt water taffy. That's exactly what it tasted like.

2nd 3rd - The burn is perfect and the grey ash is very distinguished. The flavors have progressed to more of a coffee flavor with a cherry twang to it. I say twang, but a pleasant twang, a creamy twang, like a high quality cherry frozen yogurt twang washed down with an espresso shot. So far this cigar is smoking great, flavors I've never really experienced before. Very smooth and refined. Flavors are complexly layered equally together. There is not one taste that is fighting for the spotlight over another.

Final 3rd - Saltiness has gone away, the cherry flavor has gone a way, and the welcomed twang has dissipated. I tasted something that seemed very familiar to me, but I couldn't put my finger on it. It was frustrating because it was extremely familiar to my palate, but I was unable to recall what it was, It wasn't in the mental file cabinet of any other flavor I have tasted in a cigar, yet it was very clear and discernible. After 10 minutes of puffing and puffing and puffing and tasting , tasting and tasting, I GOT IT! The final 3rd of this glorious cigar started out as a very defined homemade sweet buttermilk biscuit, fresh from the oven, just like my grandmother used to make. Then it transformed into what may be one of the most defined flavors I've ever tasted in a cigar. It 100% tasted AND smelled exactly like a homemade buttermilk pancake cooking on a cast iron griddle, getting browned on the bottom, almost burning, but perfectly manipulated. This was a first for me. Pancake, who would have thought? Not only did it taste like that, it actually smelled like a pancake cooking. I was almost speechless.

All in all a very great experience and I feel grateful and lucky that I was able to do so, thanks to another FOH brother.

It's hard to rate a vintage cigar like this, because it's not apples to apples compared to recent production cigars. I would give this a 96/100.

[investandprosper]

Excellent review David, very descriptive. If I ever get the aroma of "steamy gentleman lathered up with imported aftershaves and colognes", I'm not sure if I'd light up the cigar for fear of what would come next!

[Rushman]

You keep your steamy, lathered and aromatic gents to yourself David!

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[Wil]

Haha. Lucky man. Great review as always.

[olotti]

Wow thats awesome thanks for sharing the experience.

[Lotusguy]

*jealous*

[Styler]

Awesome sounding cigar! I hear of cigars that have been aged over decades losing a lot of thier flavour. Obviously not so in this case.

[isa]

Excellent review of an aged cigar, thanks David