Cigar Review – Punch Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary
I searched and searched for a review of the Punch Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary, just to know what to expect, and I found nothing. I can now 
confidently say that we’re the first blog to post a review of this cigar, which I think, for the record, was nothing short of phenomenal.
To start, the wrapper on this cigar was a Connecticut Corojo—I couldn’t find much information about it, but I’m assuming this means that it’s a Corojo-seed leaf grown in Connecticut. I can’t say whether it’s sun- or shade-grown (judging from the color, I’d say sun-grown), but I can say that it’s a gorgeous, elastic leaf with a reddish tint and a few lighter accents. As for the rest of the cigar, it’s rolled as solidly as I’ve ever seen—the cap was expertly applied, and the filler was firm throughout the entire cigar. Pre-light draw was a little sweet with some subtle pepper, and draw was perfectly generous.
After toasting the cap and lighting the cigar, which took little to no effort, the smoke poured through. Immediately I was blasted with sweet, peppery, and leathery aromas, along with some cedar rolled in there. This sweetness was unlike anything I’d ever tasted in a cigar—it was like that heady sweet taste you get from a good 10-percent-alcohol imperial stout.
Further down, the sweetness intensified and was enhanced by some floral character. Here it turned into butterscotch and cream, like dulce de leche, and the red pepper was as strong as ever. The sugary spiciness built on my palate until I reached the last third, which mellowed out just a little to allow the subtle tobacco notes to shine. The ash stayed for about 1 ½ inches at a time, and was a nice shade of grey with pronounced black pinstripes.
Finally, as I approached the nub, which was so hot that I could barely hold onto it, the pepper came back with full force, but the caramel note still clung onto the smoke. The taste of well-cured tobacco made itself known at the very end, almost as if to say, “Yes, this was, in fact, a cigar.” Even down to the point where it would’ve burned my fingers had I taken one last puff, it was creamy and complex without that cautionary, near-the-end bitterness. This is one of the most magnificently blended cigars I’ve ever had.
I’m not just saying this because we sell them, but I highly recommend that you get as many of these things as you possibly can before we run out, because the Punch Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary is supposed to be a very limited run. If I could afford to buy our entire stock, I probably would. I’d be perfectly content smoking several of these a day, monitoring and enjoying the changes they take on as they age. This is absolutely a new favorite of mine.
