Punch Corona NI SUSS 1998 (XNYRC)


Guest Nekhyludov

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Guest Nekhyludov
I was fortunate to pick this single up in a box pass last year, and have been looking forward to it since. I have a soft spot for late-'90s vintages; that was when I began smoking Habanos, so I have a lot of fond memories of Partagas Shorts and Punch Double Coronas from that era. I never smoked Punch coronas at the time - or if I did, it didn't stick in my memory.
Appearance and Aroma: The cold aroma of the Punch corona is mild, with notes of must and spice and a slight sweetness. It looks great, even at 20 years old. The wrapper is fine and rich colorado in color. There's still a slight box press to it as well.
Cut and Light: Straight cut at the shoulder and a single jet flame to toast the foot. It ignites easily, producing a draw that's slightly firm, but consistent. No enough deviation to feel out of specification. The ash becomes a tidy, grey stack of dimes. 
 
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First Third: The corona opens with a heavy dose of oily, earthy flavor that I associate with truffle; that base flavor is - to me - characteristic of well-aged, high quality Cuban tobacco. It's nice, but sort of generic across marcas and vitolas. There are also some hints of ground cinnamon, which is closer to what I expect from Punch. The aroma off the foot reminds me of browned butter. Very rich and slightly burnt, but with a savory character.
Second Third: The truffle oil base flavor continues to evolve. Some of the sweeter aspects have dissipated, but some spice remains. It's dryer and slightly savory, calling to mind All Spice. The performance has been excellent, despite the wind and cold out by the fire pit where I'm sitting.
Final Third: Not much evolution of flavors, but they do take on some added richness and depth. The same basic combination of truffle and spice remains. The smoke remains cool well past the band, without a hint of sharpness or char. Throughout the smoke, the aroma is the real treat; it turns toward bright cedar and a rich, sweet campfire. The flavors are so rich, I wouldn't be surprised if these have the legs to age for many more years, even if they might have lost something in diversity of flavor. Smoking this is another reminder of why I fell hard for Habanos back in the '90s. 
Final Score: 94
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Nice review!

I'm also partial to the late 90's as that's when I got into the Habanos game too.

Smoked a '98 Punch Corona over Christmas.

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Fantastic cigar!

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Guest Nekhyludov
10 minutes ago, Fugu said:

It's a Dic 1998, Sancti-Spiritus province boxed.

Great review of a former true classic.

I must have misunderstood the code. I thought SS was 99. Thanks for the clarification!

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