The first line I ever read about this cigar was enough to make me want to smoke it. “The fullest and darkest Punch to date” lets take a look at what makes this just that.
| Brand | Punch |
| Line | Diablo |
| Size | Diabolus 5 1/4 x 54 |
| Wrapper | Ecuadorian Sumatra |
| Binder | Connecticut Broadleaf |
| Filler | Honduras & Nicaraguan |
If that wasn’t enough to get you excited about this cigar then how about this, this cigar is made by A.J. Fernández!
Let’s get into the review,
| Construction | 10/10 |
| Draw | 10/10 |
| Burn | 8/10 |
| Strength | 9/10 |
| Flavour | 8/10 |
| Complexity | 7/10 |
Construction & Draw
Common! It’s AJ Fernández… I wouldn’t expect anything less than perfect in the construction and draw and this was exactly that.
Burn
Again, being AJ it’s unlikely to have any burn issues and this was pretty perfect in the burn, not something that wow’d me but I think it was only really let down but the shape of this particular stick. It’s not huge and it changes gauge throughout so that often leads to a slightly less than perfect burn.
Strength
The strength of this stick kicks in right away and doesn’t waver once! It’s not the strongest cigar I’ve smoked but it is a very nice strong cigar without a doubt. Full strength is the right bracket for it but don’t be scared to give it a nudge.
Flavour & Complexity
Flavour is nice, nothing ‘unusual’ which is good and bad really.. it didn’t disappoint with classics like nuts, earth and spices but didn’t break any new ground either. That said the highlight for me was the weaving creaminess, almost a caramel Baileys flavour, it’s fantastic. As for the complexity, it’s somewhere around medium… which doesn’t mean much right? More specifically the Sumatra gives it a great depth and mouthfeel and it’s delicious, but that doesn’t linger long and it would be nice if there was a little something more to back it up.
Overall I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews about this cigar and I have to say I think it’s down to people having unrealistic expectations or maybe even a pre-determined feeling for Punch cigars (one review even bagged the look of the band….) This is a great cigar and if you were to smoke it not knowing anything about it I would be amazed if you didn’t enjoy it. For me, it’s great strength, good flavour and gets better and better as you smoke it. I give this 89 points and I would be more than happy to keep a few of these on hand.
