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 of the Red Snapper, I had no idea how fast they’d move and what great reviews they’d get from the 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.  You can bet you’ll see more of these dark wrapper varieties throughout the new lines coming soon to the Red Snapper humidor.

Brand: Punch Cigars
Line: Magnum Maduro Maduro
Shape: Robusto
Origin: Honduran, Nicaraguan, Dominican, Equadorian (The United Nations of Cigars)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan, Dominican
Binder: Nicaragua
Flavor: Full
Strength: Medium-Full

To be honest with you I’m not really sure of too many good things that have come out of the jungles of Brazil.  Sure, you’ve got that game where people boot an inflated ball around with their feet and the beautiful errr.. “sights” of carnivale, but other than that it’s right up there on my top list of places to visit along with Kosovo and Serbia.  Feeling as if I hadn’t given this country a chance, I scoured the Internets and all I could really find was an article about a mayor who’s managed to ban death in one Brazilian town and another article about the lavish life of being a Brazilian prisoner.

My dire outlook on Brazil took a sharp left turn when I heard about the fertile green tobacco fields which happen to be a new threat against the lush Brazilian rainforests.  Although I’m all for protecting a rare native species of horned cockroach that craps out 16 pounds of wood pulp in a week, I figured what better way to morn the loss of this magnificent insect than a rich dark cigar I can enjoy on my back porch over the weekend.

When we first got this cigar in I was very impressed by the bold packaging CAO decided to dress up the Brazilia in.  The box itself appears as though a grasshopper mated with the Prince of Persia and bore delicious little babies lovingly wrapped up in a veiny chocolate brown package.  As most of our customers know, my 9-5 job is in advertising so needless to say I was as giddy as a diabetic at a Moon Pie & RC Cola fest (Which I found out actually exist after visiting my old man in the backwoods of Tennessee.)

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a richer cigar on the shelves of the Red Snapper.  Evidently those Brazilians have a few tricks up their sleeves.  Originally CAO was warned not to advertise that these leaves were of a Brazilian variety and I commend them for their bold choices throughout this wonderful cigar.  The idea of a cigar with a Brazilian broadleaf came about after the cigar boom of the mid-90’s when premium Brazilian leaf was about as rare as a mouthful of teeth at the Vestal Wal-Mart.  CAO found their answer in the beautiful dark wrapper leaf from the coveted Bahia region and the rest is cigar making history.  What followed was the rebirth of the Brazilian cigar in the states and a plethora of new brands launched around this remarkable, rich leaf.

Upon lighting the cigar I noticed it lit well and burned evenly throughout.  The light gray ash clued me in that there were good things to come from this little Brazilian beauty.  The Brazilia Lambada immediately gave off notes of a spiced coffee and become more subtle as the cigar burned.  About half way through I tasted more of a creamy coffee blend and a bit of chocolate to give it that extra kick.  By the time I got to the finish I was back to a spicy coffee with a hint of hickory.  I admit, I had to make one touch up light on the cigar but in its defense, I was distracted when I got into a heated argument with a customer regarding whether the FREE coffee I put out for customers was strong enough.  DID I MENTION IT’S FREE?  Sorry…

The Brazilia Lambada will definitely be a staple in the Red Snapper Humidor from now on and I highly recommend this cigar to any stogie lover with a palate for a rich, robust cigar with a twist.

-Nate

Brand: CAO Cigars
Line: Brazilia
Shape: Lambada
Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Brazil
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Flavor: Full
Strength: Medium-Full