Punch Punch Punch HKV NOV 04

[Van55]

As mentioned elsewhere, I've nver been a big fan of Punch. Rob (El Prez) promised to change my mind if I bought this box from him.

Pre-light: Slightly box-pressed. Firm with no lumps or soft spots. Just darker than medium wrapper. Oily-ish with now notable flaws. Aroma on the wrapper was unremarkable. Pre-light draw was perfect. I paired this with a California Zinfandel. Unlit draw had very vague tea hints.

First 1/3: First impression was just fuller than medium bodied. Plenty of smoke volume. Not much nose tingle. Toasted tobacco with just a tinge of orange peel. Mellowed to south of medium body. Smooth and mellow -- perhaps too mellow. Failed to hold its own against the red wine. Nice, but a tad boring.

Second 1/3: Picked up some interest and oomph. Earth and leather undertones. It has some variability. Some power with little finesse and some finesse with little power.

Final 1/3: There is some serious ligero in this last portion. Tingle through the nose actually made me sneeze. Not much nuance. Went out after a few minutes on the ashtray, but relit with no prob. The end exhibited some real strength.

Conclusion: Solid 3 smoke rings (out of 6). This was certainly a different Punch Punch Punch from the one reviewed by Rob, Smithy, Ken and Alain. On the (stupid) 100 point scale, I would give it at least an 84 which is 10 points higher than the boys gave it.

For photos, look at Jimmy2's review. Virtually identical.

[Jimmy2]

Nice review Van ....