punch churchill (tubed) review

[Ken Gargett]

Given a tubed Punch Churchill by a friend from Habanos. I knew it had a little age but it may have had quite a bit more than i realised. Trying to find out exactly how much. Note also the queries re the ‘different’ band to the usual Punch band, posted elsewhere.

Have also had some unbanded ones of these from 1998, a few years ago, that were good, not great. This has been a smoke that i have enjoyed though it has previously never excited me as much as they have others. The class of this stick changed my opinion. It was a cracker.

Right from first glimpse, there was something quite special about it. Construction looked excellent and it had a noticeable weight in the hand. Cold, the smell was like an old much-loved leather footy. There was an immediate explosion of flavours - cedar, mild chocolatey, woody notes, some spice, perhaps the merest whiff of citrus, though that didn’t hang around. Opened a little more powerfully than expected. Quite a lot of caramel quickly developed. There was a slow, slide-rule perfect even burn and, when revealed, a stumpy but adequate cone.

Settled down and lost some of the power but none the worse for that. Had lots of subtle notes and good complexity. I thought it was a year or two of age but it may be quite a bit more. Certainly still lots of time ahead and probably more improvement. The finish, a scalded fingers effort, had a touch of mint and woody notes. Really lovely smoke. 93-94.

Tried it with a bourbon i had not seen before - Basil Hayden’s 8-year-old. Worked fabulously. What an impressive bourbon, smoky, herbs, complex and with some chocolatey sweetness near the finish. and to think i wasted it and the bourbon watching the dreadful lions (the way they played, i'd be more surprised to find that they didn't have money on the opposition than that they did).

[jakebarnes]

Nice review.

The basil Hayden is good, but I prefer its siblings: bookers and Bakers. I highly suggest picking up a bottle of bakers if the BH was up your alley. The Bakers has a buttery quality to it that makes it ridiculously smooth and enjoyable.

Pete

[Ken Gargett]

» Nice review.

»

» The basil Hayden is good, but I prefer its siblings: bookers and Bakers.

» I highly suggest picking up a bottle of bakers if the BH was up your

» alley. The Bakers has a buttery quality to it that makes it ridiculously

» smooth and enjoyable.

»

» Pete

have a small bottle of bakers - seven years (53% alcohol!) to sample tonight. also some time a knob's creek 9 year old and a weirdly labelled bookers 8 year old. will report.

[El Presidente]

Nice review Ken.

I have some excellent 98 Punch Churchills that you can compare with next time you are in.