Punch Pita Toro

This is the stick that started my love of handmade premium cigars. It wasn't my first cigar but it was the first one I fell in love with.

Punch Pita Toro - Ecuadorian Sumatra Wrapper

This Honduran blend with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper is one of my daily favorites. This particular one has a sturdy crown, a rough foot and some mottles along the wrapper edge toward the foot. Typically they are featured but elegant. Today, mine is dusted in plume. It’s reddish brown wrapper is just a little bumpy but even in coloring. The sturdy construction holds up well on my windy patio. 

The first draws are cedar and pepper at full flavor and it never backs off. It’s complex and sophisticated without being obtuse. Toward the middle I get honey, leather, and coffee hints. Nothing strong.

The burn stays even, piling up stripes of white ash which falls to a cone at the first third. So far, so good. And the flavor picks up even more here. I really enjoy giving these to new cigar smokers and experienced aficionados. Nearly the entire line is a great smoke. And well worth the price. 

I can’t name a time of day I prefer them. Some cigars are definitely for after dinner or end of the day, others are great with coffee at daybreak. These are great at nearly all times and nearly all conditions.

Halfway through now and the flavor hasn’t faltered. It’s giving off great hits and I’m remembering why I bought a full box of these recently. Yes, I need to fill the ridiculously large humidor my wife got me for my birthday, but I want to do it right. I’m not just going to stuff it with any old sticks.

One day, I want to visit the factory and meet the people who roll these. I want to thank them. 

As we round the bend on this one I’m noticing a possible run and set it down for a moment to even out. Okay, it’s cooled down and the tar is building up. I’m completely satisfied by this smoke and there’s still three inches to go. Removing the band I’m just nursing this thing now, sipping small perfect drags off the crown here and there. 

Sometimes the tingling on my tongue reminds me of champagne. Actually, almost every time. I think it’s the combination of tobaccos and the way they roll them, it makes the smoke feel bubbly. Punch has this quality in nearly every cigar and I love it. Other premium brands have distinct qualities that I also love but few mimic this experience on the palette. 

Okay, I’m glad I lit this baby. My body has reached max-relaxation. I’m about two inches from a nap. But it still tastes so good I’m not ready to put it down. There’s a little tar oozing out of the punch-cut numbing my tongue out even more, and suddenly there is a major burn issue. I grab my lighter but the wind has caught the tardy edge and in a minute it’s all caught up.

In this last inch and a half I’m getting additional hay and cayenne layers on the cedar, pepper, leather plumes. A couple more draws and it’s hard to hold. A forty-five minute experience I would happily repeat.

Thanks for stickin' with me through this review. There's a ton more coming.

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