SCDLH La Punta RAT ENE 22 (SSSRW)

[BettyHumpder]

Cigar: San Cristobal de La Habana La Punta

Drink Pairing: Knob Creek 12 year

Total Smoke Time: 1hr30min

Rating: 90

Review: I've only been smoking Cubans for a couple years but I was given a good piece of advice early on: buy one to smoke and one to age. I said last week in my RA Gigantes review that I rarely, if ever, regret buying a box of cigars. That's why I picked up two boxes of the SCDLH La Punta. I love the belicoso/piramides format. It's classic. To me, presentation is a significant part of why I purchase things. I'm a sucker for a good band and a beautiful wrapper leaf. For all the things Cuba does desperately and completely wrong when it comes to cigars, band design is not one. New world cigar bands remind me of those awful Affliction and Ed Hardy t-shirts that every butt-rock-listening bro wore during the 2000s. With a few exceptions, they're usually garish, designed to jump off the shelf (why, Camacho, why) or make the smoker feel like a badass (Blk Wks). Whether we think we are immune tricks of this kind, we aren't. What does your cigar say about you?

Back to the cigar at hand. The La Punta's band is simple and the color choice goes well with the chocolate-bar wrapper. Its embossing and reflective text seals the deal for me. 

A final note on this cigar: I originally selected one from my "box to smoke" RAT JUL 21 but it was hopelessly plugged. Gave a few others in the top row a squeeze and they all felt like they needed a week in the dry box. I cracked open the "box to age" RAT ENE 22 and they were all much better. Smoking my first from that box. 

Cold Draw: Sweet, twangy tobacco, cream.

First Puffs: Bright, cedar, chocolate, long finish.

First Third: The only difference between the first few puffs and the first inch or two is the brightness turns dark. Still getting plenty of cedar and chocolate. Construction is good, but not amazing. As it moves toward the end of the first third, the chocolate fades. Light-to-medium, surprisingly, even though this cigar is less than a year old. Very, very smooth cigar. 

Second Third: Not getting much for changes except the woodiness is turned up a few notches. I'm thinking a 100 proof bourbon pairing was not a great call. Fells like it is overpowering any nuance this thing might have. I also had to trim a bit off the top when it started to spit tar at me. The only downside of a tapered cap.

Final Third: This has turned into a nice creamy smoke. The woodiness that came in through the first two thirds has faded and now it's all toasty cream and chocolate. Still quite subtle, though.

Score Breakdown: 

• Construction: 9/10
• Flavor: 8.5/10
• Performance: 9/10
• Sub-total: 89/100
• Bonus Points: +1 band is cool and didn't rip. -1 for spitting tar. +1 for no touch-ups
• Final Score: 90