The Punch Magnum Double Maduro beat me up, took my lunch money and used it to take my girlfriend out to dinner.  Ladies and gentlemen, this is one serious cigar.  When I got these little treats on the shelves at my local smoke shop, I had no idea how fast they’d disappear out of my cigar humidor and what great reviews they’d get from the other shop regulars.  I wanted to get a good box of Punch cigars in and these 5 inch beauties were a bit off the beaten path so they intrigued me a bit.

Now, I try to keep my cigar reviews fairly down to earth after reading my fellow cigar reviewers who romantically discuss the crisp, crunchy feel of the cellophane wrapper and how crinkling it reminds them of the crackle of the fire on a cold winter’s night in their estranged Grandfather’s hunting cabin.  This time though, I’ve got to admit, when I smoked this cigar I felt a little bit of Hemingway and Hawthorne creeping up on me but quickly suppressed those thoughts by throwing on “Your Wife is Cheatin’ On Us” by my blues favorite Little Milton and pouring a bit of Talisker into my empty rocks glass.

Punch has always been a very unconventional cigar producer.  Considering Punch advertises itself with a puppet named “Mr. Punch” who, according to Wikipedia, is a “child-murdering, wife-beating psychopath who commits appalling acts of violence and cruelty upon all those around him and escapes with impunity (which most notably, is greatly enjoyed by small children)”, the company has always prided itself on doing things well… a little different.  I knew after reading this little tidbit that I was in for a treat.

The first thing I noticed about the Punch Magnum Double Maduro was its deep chocolate brown color.  The rich Ecuadorian wrapper combined with the beautiful red and gold label makes this great cigar a regal treat for the eyes as well as the taste buds.  The reason for the cigar’s color is that the Magnum Double Maduro uses the darkest, most full-flavored Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper available on the market. The filler, on the other hand, is a rich blend of Honduran, Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos making the cigar smooth with enough spiciness to keep your palate working overtime.

The draw on the Magnum Double Maduro is incredible.  If you so much as think about drawing through this wonderfully packed maze of Honduran deliciousness, smoke starts billowing out of the business end of this cigar.  It led me to believe that this black beauty might be poorly packed, but el contraire my stogie loving friends.  The Magnum had a beautiful silvery ash that desperately held on throughout this smoke like Richard Simons on a life raft full of cub-scouts.  An earthy taste prevails during the entire length of the Magnum with just hint of spiciness at the finish to keep you wanting more.  

The Punch Double Maduro gets top notch reviews this week and has re-sparked my interest in the Ecuadorian Sumatra broadleaf.