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Home > What's New > Connoisseur's Corner, April 2002
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Connoisseur's Corner, April 2002
Posted: Monday, April 01, 2002
April 2002
Three more classic cigars emerged from this issue's Connoisseur's Corner, where we set out to rate aged smokes to determine how they've benefited from their years of humidification. Perhaps the biggest prize of the issue proved to be the Por Larraņaga Magnum, a 46-year-old cigar that hadn't lost a bit of flavor. Also delivering full-bodied power was the Punch Double Corona, a 1995-vintage cigar that performed much better than the current release. The Romeo y Julieta Churchill overcame a tight draw at the outset to develop into a delicious cigar, and a 16-year-old Punch Churchill had balanced flavors that seemed to hold up well to its years of age.
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Por Larraņaga Magnum (1956)
95 A legendary cigar from a legendary period of Cuban cigar making. I smoked it a day after I had a 1967 Magnum, and the older one was better. It's full bodied with loads of flavors from dark chocolate to cedar and tobacco. It goes on and on in your mouth.
--James Suckling
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Punch Double Corona (1995)
95 This big cigar is from a cabinet of 50 cigars. It tastes as wonderful as it looks. Its dark brown wrapper is oily and shining, beckoning you to smoke it. The cigar delivers a rich, spicy character with loads of coffee and dark chocolate flavor. It's full bodied with a soft texture.
--James Suckling
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Romeo y Julieta Churchill (1987)
95 This cigar sports a gorgeous colorado wrapper. Even though the draw started a bit tight, the cigar opened up as it warmed up, and delivered rich, toasty flavors with highlights of ginger around a creamy center. The finish hinted towards leather and a dusty cedary note.
--George Brightman
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Rafael Gonzalez Petit Corona (1997)
93 The veins on this pressed petit corona aren't going to help it win any beauty contests, but the little cigar's flavor makes up for its homely exterior. It packs a punch for its size, with a strong, earthy character of licorice and black coffee. This is a straightforward, gusty smoke.
--David Savona
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Punch Churchill
(1986)
92 This cabinet-selection cigar still packs a wallop. It's got a beautiful brown wrapper with the oils fully integrated. But even though it's strong, the smoke is well balanced, and shows the subtle mellowness of leather and soft spices, including a touch of pepper.
--Gordon Mott
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Montecristo Joyita (1988)
91 Despite this cigar's age, the flavors remain profound and delicious. Full bodied, it shows loads of spicy, nutmeg character with a touch of cloves on the finish.
--James Suckling
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