Connoisseur’s Corner: Punch Punch
Wide and majestic cabinets of 50 cigars are becoming a rare sight in humidors, and that’s unfortunate. There’s a regal air to these boxes, which have a beauty in their plain nature, the cigars unbanded, the boxes devoid of color, the only flair a ribbon around the smokes inside. These 29-year-old corona gordas have aged beautifully. There’s a slight herbal note at first that soon fades, giving way to notes of honeyed tea, dusty almonds and light baking spices, buttressed by a bit of wood, with a pleasantly nutty finish. Easygoing, mellow and exceptionally tasty. —David Savona
Beautiful to behold, it has perfect construction and smoking performance. And as the intact ash burned more than halfway down, the complex flavors— cinnamon, dark chocolate, leather and earth—melded together into an almost indescribably perfect smoking experience. At 11 years this medium- to full-bodied cigar is still smoking young, and has another 10 years to go before reaching anything close to its peak. Guaranteed to be a perfect 100-pointer in the future. Wow! —Gordon Mott
This is Cuba’s forgotten slim smoke, a pigtailed cigar that gets none of the buzz enjoyed by the Cohiba Lanceros or Trinidad Fundadores. It’s a shame, for this is a flavorful but nuanced smoke brimming with sweet and earthy spices. There are notes of light chocolate and orange peel and the finish is heavy on peanut flavor. The draw—always a concern with lanceros—is ideal, and the finish is long and rich. It’s smoking well now. —David Savona
Silky and softly box-pressed, this Churchill has retained its oils over the decades, as the wrapper is still dark and supple. The draw produces a creamy smoke, dense with chestnut and graham cracker notes. Elegant accents of nutmeg, citrus and salted caramel blossom on the palate as well. Both draw and burn are flawless, remaining textbook perfect the entire time. A fine example of a classic cigar aging gracefully. —Gregory Mottola
