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Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Ometepe Nicaraguan
Body: Medium to Full
Price: Just under $7.00 a stick

Behind the Stick:

Punch Cigars are made by the General Cigar company and is a very well respected company with a huge fan base. I must say, I have not smoked many Punch Cigars but the ones I have had – I can see why people favor these as much as they do. No, I do not have any Punch cigars in my humidor that I would consider a daily smoke – although they are very reasonably priced. I guess I just have not gotten the ‘Punch Bug’ although this Uppercut may be changing things.

I guess the biggest hype about this cigar aside from the name notoriety is that they are now using a ‘special tobacco’ from the Ometepe region of Nicaragua. I have noticed that a lot of manufacturers are using tobacco from this region even though the humidity issue requires a lot more attention. This area is made from volcanoes and the land found here has been producing some rather impressive and unique tobacco. From what I have been able to find online, Punch had this tobacco grown exclusively for this cigar – Impressive to say the least.

Construction:

I have to point out, this is a great looking stick. The band is nice and subtle with a great looking foot band that is adorned with a wilderness image, I am assuming the site of where this tobacco was grown – Also since it has the name Ometempe. Nice dark brown

Flavor:

When I first lit this stick – instantly a thick tobacco flavor presented itself and was the basis for the rest of the cigar. The first third really was an invitation of mild leather and tobacco and although one may think this combination would leave a negative finish but I have to admit the finish was rather short so the ‘flavors’ were more of a hint around the strong tobacco flavor.

The second third is when this cigar really caught me, nice mellow earth, rich and sweet leather and a back setting of the original tobacco flavor which has mellowed out as well. The smoke is nice and full but does make me a little thirsty so this would be good to mix with a sipping liquor.

The last third was full body and strength, great flavors of the leather and earth remain from the second third, but our old strong tobacco flavor decides to creep back in for another appearance till the end. Might I add, this cigar had quite the nicotine ‘Uppercut’.

Conclusion:

As I had said before, I am not one to scream about the Punch line – not that I dislike the brand or anything even close to that, just that I have not smoked more than a handful from this line. Because of this cigar, I can definitely say that has changed – I may have the ‘Punch Bug’.

This is a great cigar and will be a long standing addition to my humidor.

Every cigar has a story, every smoke a memory. Enjoy

As other CRA members have heard, Yet another battle with government and our right to smoke needs attention. I live in St. Louis, Missouri and when I saw this in my inbox my jaw nearly dropped. There have been a few counties that have put out smoking bans – and I can personally say it has effected where I dine and enjoy a few beers. This new ban – Is targeting the Greater St. Louis Area. I have included the article I received from CRA and the contacts to help us correct this. If nothing else, please check out the Cigar Rights of America link on the right side of this page and join today.

**Email reproduced in full – All credit to the CRA organization (Cigar Rights of America)**

Phone: (314) 615-5436
Fax: (314) 615-7890
Email: herby@stlouisco.com
Mail: 41 South Central Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105

Phone: (314) 615-5437
Fax: (314) 615-7890
Email: kburkett@stlouisco.com
Mail: 41 South Central Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105

Phone: (314) 615-5438
Fax: (314) 615-7890
Email: cwasinger@stlouisco.com
Mail:41 South Central Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105

Phone: (314) 615-5439
Fax: (314) 615-7890
Email: momara@stlouisco.com
Mail: 41 South Central Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105

Phone: (314) 615-5441
Fax: (314) 615-7890
Email: bfraser@stlouisco.com
Mail:41 South Central Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105

Phone: (314) 615-5442
Fax: (314) 615-7890
Email: sstenger@stlouisco.com
Mail: 41 South Central Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105

Phone: (314) 615-5443
Fax: (314) 615-7890
Email: gquinn@stlouisco.com
Mail: 41 South Central Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105

Origin: Nicaragua
Size: 4 x 60
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Filler & Binder: Nicaragua
Body: Medium to Full
Strength: Medium to Full
Price: Roughly $5.00

Behind The Brand:
Nub – A name that almost every cigar smoker has heard of and hopefully has tried. A Nub cigar was one of the first few cigars I ever had, and I constantly find myself going back to them a few times a month. Sam Leccia who is the brain behind this brand has brought his own style, thoughts and even remolded a certain portion of cigar history. Before we get into the stick one may be asking, how did this huge ring gauge get onto the market. Once he was working with Oliva and getting more and more into the cigar world, he found a way to create a cigar that captured the ‘sweet spot’ that so many of use refer to when we name our favorite cigars. He was able to accomplish this by creating a larger ring gauge and using premium wrappers and Nicaraguan binders and fillers.

From what I have heard – and Sam if you read please correct me if I’m wrong – He was a state manager for Jack Daniels and sold to the distributors for a few years and then moved to be a regional sales rep for Oliva. While working with Oliva he pushed his new creation and after some discussion the thought became reality. One of Sam’s said favorite is his Cameroon wrapper which is a Nine year old wrapper (not often published) which creates a very unique flavor. The Habano line is also special in that it uses the same wrapper as the Oliva Serie v (one of my personal favorites) and has received very high recognition and respect.

Fun notes that I have heard about Sam is that he actually started rolling cigars while he was working with Oliva, but he rolled them in his garage. He also included two very important components to the boxes that other companies do not include, his personal smoke time and the Milipounds of the cigars. He has commented more then once, and I do agree, that these cigars at 4 inches are heavier than most churchill cigars and has thus included this figure as a reference.

This cigar actually was sent to me from Sam along with a Cain Habano for review. I had purchased a few prior to this and can say that just like his other cigars, always follow through in almost the exact same way. Minor burn issues, good price and great flavor – all perfect reasons to keep purchasing these gems!

Construction:
As with all the cigars in the Nub line, I have never had one that made me worry about construction. Of course, the foot of the cigar is more spongy than the rest of the stick but it rebounded without hesitation and raised no call to alarm. Mild amount of veins but again – no worries on my side.

Flavor:
The flavors were very well defined and very enjoyable to begin with, but as many other reviews have noted as well that towards the end the flavor begins to get more ashy. Earth was the main flavor, while a nice creamy leather and coco mix entered the lineup. I highly enjoyed the first 2/3 of this cigar and would definitely recommend this as a mid day smoke – maybe even an after lunch stick. This is not what I would consider a wow stick, but it kept me interested enough to ‘Nub’ it out and go to the shop and pick up another pair.

I don’t normally include any outside video – but this is just a fun little blurp I found on youtube.com with sam rolling a customer Nub cigar. All I have to say, look at that skill – My jaw drops every time I watch it.

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Origin: Nicaragua
Size: 6 3/4 x 48
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Filler & Binder: Nicaragua
Body: Medium to Full
Strength: Medium to Full
Price: Roughly $7.00 a stick

Behind the Stick:
First and foremost, I have to say this cigar is quickly becoming my go to stick. I originally purchased the sampler pack online and this Churchill sized, Nicaraguan Puro seemed to call out to me. I started with the ~68~ and the ~88~ slowly working my way up to this larger size and building my pallet to this brand. For once, I can say that every vitola I have tried was consistent, had no construction or burn issues and remained smooth till the end. I have had a few of these ~888~’s and have yet to have one flaw or error present itself.

This stick has gotten the nick name of the ‘Jesus Stick’ in my home for the reference to the 888 – the most symetrical number and a very powerful number at that. Most people are looking at this screen and scratching their head, but for the history buffs, bible thumpers or just the curious alike, check out the Bible Wheel and give it a thought. Take it as a grain of salt – and I highly doubt that Dion Giolito had specifically correlated a connection between the cigar and the numbers, but I’m starting to see it more and more. The more I read up on Dion, I found out he has a underlying passion for the Illuminati and being a Master Mason myself (librarian at the lodge), and being raised with Knights Templar and Scottish Rite – His numbers have a very…. odd correlation. But that is a side project, and yes Dion, I’m going to figure them all out haha!

I will say these cigars are not overly complex, but the flavors and scents they do present are of the highest caliber. The main reason this cigar has become a go to stick for myself is exactly what I previously stated – these cigars are not overly complex. I would not consider this cigar to be one dimensional by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a great stick for when I just want to sit down, mentally melt away and just enjoy my surroundings.

Granted – I do reviews and there for I need to sit down and absorb myself into a cigar (of which this cigar will definitely allow) but the flavors of earth, spice, nuts and yes – chocolate – change just often enough to keep one interested but not solely focused within the stick. I can not speak highly enough of this sensation that is presented. I attribute most of this to the fact that they pride their cigars on being made in small batches to maintain this insane quality.

Included below is the concept of Illusione Cigars taken in full:

“The concept behind Illusione Cigars was to re-create a specific taste profile from years past. Before the Sandinistas took over Nicaragua in 1979, Nicaragua was growing some of the best tobaccos in the world. The cigars made from these prized fields in the Jalapa Valley and Esteli region were strong, bold and clean. After years of neglect, these old Somoza fields have been re-cultiviated by the legendary master grower Arcenio Ramos of Cuba. Along with Fernano, Chandito and famed Cuban agronomist Jacinto, Arsenio has assembled the varitable “dream team” of tobacco production. They have re-grown these humble acres to yield their fullest potential once again. All Illusione cigars are made from first generation Corojo ’99, Criollo ’98 seeds, wrapped with a grade one Café Colorado wrapper, and finished with a traditional triple cap in the premier Raices Cubanas factory. Illusione cigars deliver a taste and a quality of smoke rarely found in today’s market. All of Illusione cigars are made in small-batch quantities to maintain quality and consistency.”

Construction:
As always, the Illusione ~888~ cigar provided the utmost quality from their small batch productions. A slight oily sheen, minimal veins and no unwanted texture to the cigar. Top notch.

Flavor:
Lots of mellow earth and leather take the foreground while hints of spice/pepper linger on ones taste buds, a semi-long finish that requests the smoker to take another draw just as the taste leaves. More than once I found myself holding this cigar in my teeth and being struck by a flavor change, usually a coco or pepper note that then returns to normal once I’m paying more attention. The cigar finishes with a nice nut flavor in combination with the spice and leather that pairs perfectly.

Conclusion:
Without a doubt, go purchase a few. This is not a daily smoke for myself, simply because I am not a big Churchill fan, but when I do have the extra time to sit down for a churchill – I found my go to stick – hands down.