Punch Churchill (tubo) early 80s (PPPRW)

[99call]

Punch Churchill early 80s

Aroma at cold :  Very light manure, leather, converted tannins, smells vaguely like creamy Dominican tobacco

Cold Draw: Soft cedar, a flavour i can put my finger on, but it’s unique to the old strains of cuban tobacco. 

1st 3rd:   Oodles of smoke, but very very soft, and mild bodied. Initial impressions, are very reminiscent of Hoyo du Gourmet.  Black currant, golden sugar and woodsy funk. The smoke is china white.

So this is super soft, but lord is it nice. It’s defeating me hands down it trying to describe it.  It’s definitely Punch, i.e aspects of clove and juicy fruit gum, and lots of woodsy converted tannin,  but so so delicate soft and creamy, that the brain somehow doesn’t associate Punch. At this point the best a can put forward, is a mash up between an old Punch DC (20%), and an old Du Gourmet (80%).  Most luxurious retro. Bits of honeyed Cohiba grassiness flitting around.  I’m really not a fan of big cigars, but old tubos from the 80’s really sing. 

2nd 3rd:  So i’ve had plenty of aimless papery vintage cigars, that make your heart sink, but this Churchill, really typifies why you keep on trying. It’s a velvet glove, inside another velvet glove. The retro is like double cream poured over baked peaches.  Strangely because it is Punch, I’m wanting more spice and juicy fruit, but it’s just 'band blindness', this is close to the perfect light to medium strength cigar. 

An oily brazil nut character is coming through, and usually i would enjoy, but i didn’t want the cigar to move from where it was.

3rd 3rd:   Back on point, peaches and cream, woodsy tannin funk, dried black currants, subtle spice, old antique shop etc  Old tubos just seem to burn on auto too, like a slow fuse. Getting denser and heavy woodsy tannins, but not like Des Dieux, this is soft, not overpowering. Becoming a little more one dimensional. massive smoke production, but complexity ebbing away. 

Conclusion: Didn’t expect this to be so soft and lilting, can’t quite imagine how this would of tasted ROTT, but where it ended up, was pretty magical. Marked slightly down, as the final third was a ten point down shift. 

Score:  95-96

[WABOOM]

Wow. That was like reading a romance novel.

[99call]

7 minutes ago, WABOOM said:

Wow. That was like reading a romance novel.

Haha.....apologies.....but it was pretty tasty. 

[WABOOM]

I meant that in a good way! Great review.

[Cubadust]

Great written review! I’ve never tried a vintage cigar so this is as close as I’ll come, enjoyed reading it. Never seen the ’China White’ reference before, but I guess it means something completely different were you’re from...

[99call]

8 minutes ago, Cubadust said:

Great written review! I’ve never tried a vintage cigar so this is as close as I’ll come, enjoyed reading it. Never seen the ’China White’ reference before, but I guess it means something completely different were you’re from...

Ha!.....I was being 100% innocent.

 

[Cubadust]

Ha!.....I was being 100% innocent.
 

Haha, yeah that’s what I guessed.

[Markspring1978]

Good review. For a nearly 40 year old tube, it is in remarkable condition. 

[WABOOM]

I fear that any cigar from the couple decades won't hold up to the hands of time as well as this one did for you...

[99call]

8 minutes ago, WABOOM said:

I fear that any cigar from the couple decades won't hold up to the hands of time as well as this one did for you...

This is the great thing about Tubos. On this forum you'll see 100's of carbon copy threads about people saying "how do I age tubos? caps off? cedar out? etc etc".  

To me they are missing the whole point of what tubos can offer.   If I buy a box of tubos, I'll check 4-5 cigars.  if there is no mould or beetle holes I'll simply close the lid, through them in the humi and forget about them. 

I would say 80% of any damage of a tubo cigar, is people messing around with them.    I love the profile of tubos, as "choked" cigars, provide the the containment of oils and some degree fo vibrancy,  but still the melded quality of vintage cigars.   In short, the best of both worlds. 

If I had my time again, I would buy a great deal more tubos........and do my best to leave them be, without interruption. 

[dominattorney]

Lovely review. I'm glad you enjoyed a cigar that would likely be wasted on me. Have a good weekend. 

[westg]

Great to read this. Awesome review , Thankyou ?

[inter4alia]

Outstanding review. Thank you. 

[The Squiggler]

9 hours ago, 99call said:

I was being 100% innocent.

the good stuff is the good stuff, no matter how you chop it