I was able to purchase 4 pounds of London Broil today for $6, which really has nothing to do with this post except that it seemed a great reason to reward myself with a cigar. My choice of the day is the Punch Gran Cru Natural Robusto.
Punch cigars, often known for their full flavored sticks, has broken the mold a bit by producing the medium strength Gran Cru for our enjoyment. The cigar is a blend of Honduran, Dominican, and Nicaraguan leaves with an Ecuadorian binder and a 3 - 5 year aged Connecticut wrapper. The stick measures 5 1/4 x 50, a great fit for the evening.
The cigar cuts well and takes a nice toast, but I begin the smoke on a down note in that the draw is quite tight. The pre-light inspection revealed some hard and soft spots, but I felt that I wanted to attempt to smoke the stick regardless. Most likely not the best choice, but I hate to throw a stick away.
With the hard draw aside, the cigar starts out slowly, with notes of wood and leather, a subtle stream of cinnamon, and wonderful cream and butter blend lingering in the finish. This mild complexity builds through the first 3rd and drives into the second 3rd, where happily the plug seems to have resided. Once this trouble spot clears itself, the cigar produces wonderful amounts of smoke, and a more relaxing approach takes hold as the easy draw settles me in.
The final 3rd of the smoke starts to burn a bit hot and provides a nasty bite, but with a bit of self control this is kept in check. The flavors remain smooth and mellow straight to the finish, providing a satisfactory ending. This is a medium strength cigar without question.
The plug issue is one I have encountered in the past, and can truly ruin the enjoyment of a cigar. Even with the plug, this cigar was quite enjoyable, and is worth trying again in the future.
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