1987 Punch Exquisitos

[Professor Twain]

Punch Exquisitos

Box Code: FR NIUA (1987)

Ring Gauge 40, Length 5 1/8 inches (Petit Cetros)--Size from MRN

Always on the lookout for a bargain, I picked up a box of these nicely aged machine made cigars. They came to me with the seals intact--a first for me, and especially intriguing given that they have been in that state for 19 years. After giving them a month to stabilize, I smoked my first from this box this afternoon while sitting outside under a tree and enjoying what is starting to feel like Fall in Florida. I was waiting for my 17 year old son to finish his SAT testing so that I could drive him home, and thought it fitting to smoke a cigar older than my son while he went through this rite of passage.

This little cigar would not win any beauty contests. In fact when I got the box, I asked Tampa1257 to inspect the cigars for me because they didn't look right. The bands were discolored and it looked to me as if there had been some kind of ink running. Chuck explained to me that with this extreme age, and with these cigars enclosed in cellophane, the oils had risen to the wrapper and discolored the bands. The cellophane was yellowed and things didn't get any prettier when I pulled the little red thread of plastic and split the cellophane off. This cigar was mottled with dark spots and in some places the wrapper was coming a bit loose. I did my best to gently wet down the loose wrapper and then readied myself to smoke.

I clipped the pointy (not rounded) cap and fired the cigar up. It had a medium draw and it burned straight and true despite the fact that I was outside with a bit of wind.

Previous Punch cigars that I have sampled have been too mild for my taste, but this cigar hit me like a slap in the face with a pleasant surprise right from the start. I got an immediate strong burst of cooking spices and a little bit of pepper, VERY full flavored but with mild-medium strength. The spicy taste was not sweet but was very enjoyable. This intense flavor was augmented by greater strength and tobacco taste during the middle third of the cigar. The spicy peppery taste continued. with a little growth in the pepper, during this middle portion and it reached a medium-strong strength level, but was never bitter. During the final third, the spiciness diminished and the strength increased, and I had a nice, bold, flavorful cigar that I smoked down to the nub.

As I mentioned above, this cigar had a few places where the wrapper was a bit loose. This was noticeable during the final third of this cigar. While I had removed the band carefully, this small trauma to the band caused it to unravel a fair bit during the final portion of the smoke. But this was a minor nuisance, I was able to hold the loose band in place and this cigar burned and tasted like a dream all the way.

In summary, this was a great little cigar that had unexpected flavor and strength for a machine made Punch cigar. I would give it 4 smoke rings on the 6 ring scale, a very nice cigar that is a real pleasure. And just the aura of smoking a 19 year old cigar that I didn't have to pay an arm and a leg to get added to the fun for me.

Highly recommended. I have a small stock of aged machine made Cuban cigars and intend to load up on some other varieties. I look forward to sharing this one with friends.

[shrink]

Congratulations, Professor! And thanks for sharing your find with us. I've never had a Punch this old, but in my experience Punch vitolas are usually blended to go the distance. It's kind of fun to be the first to break the seals, too! Sounds like this was a good smoke, and a unique experience.

[El Presidente]

Well done PT

People tend to get bent out of shape with band irregularities. Cuban printing was very much old school. Even today the licence to print Romeo y Juliet bands and box lithographs has gone to an overseas company. Better quality, lower prices.

If you could shoot a photo...I would love to see a pic of the Punch Exquisitos ;-)

[Mark Twain]

Very nice review. It's nice to see that a machine made cigar was so tasty. Glad to hear you got a bargin. Sounds like a cigar that I need to try some day.

[Professor Twain]

» If you could shoot a photo...I would love to see a pic of the Punch

» Exquisitos ;-)

Will do, I will shoot them dressed (in cellophane) and undressed.

[Tampa1257]

Well done Professor!

I have tended to also taste a vegetal type quality that reminds me of mushrooms. There is no mistaking the aged quality of a cigar this old, it absolutely has no essence of "Youth" to it. The blend has become so balanced and the flavors married together that the experience is sublime. I look forward to sampling one of these one day.

[Professor Twain]

I had a request to post photos. So here they are. First two photos show the outside of the box from different angles:

Now we see the box as it opens up:

Now some close ups of two cigars. In the darker shot without the flash you can see the yellowing in the cellophane pretty well, but with the flash you can see the dark spots in a different way:

They taste pretty good for being so ugly.

[El Presidente]

Well done mate

Some of the best cigars I have ever had were ugly duckings ;-)

[broozer]

i have some of these and they are TASTY!! wished i had bought a whole box and not just split it w/ someone.

bruce

[Tampa1257]

Something that has been called an Ugly Duckling may just be swimming down under. or so I might have overheard.

Great photos Professor, and an excellent review. The cigar does not have to look pretty to have great taste, and the older it is, thoise in that box sure do look purtty!

[greenpimp]

Nice review.

I have a box of these, and really like them. Very pungent and last more than an hour.

[Well Armed]

wow they sure are ugly muthas aren't they? Diamonds in the rough though I guess. Nice score!

[Professor Twain]

Sorry for the way some of the photos got cut off, I guess that this Board doesn't accomodate 640 X 480 size photos--but I guess everyone saw enough to get the idea.