Punch Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary

Origin : Honduras
Format : Robusto
Size : 5 x 50
Wrapper : Connecticut Corojo
Binder : Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler : Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic
Hand-Made
Price : ~$5-6 each
More info about purchasing Punch Rare Corojo Anniversary...

Thanks to General Cigar Co. for providing this sample for review!

This is a new cigar out from General Cigar Co. that is made with a proprietary Connecticut grown corojo wrapper, rather than the Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper that is on the regular Rare Corojo line. Speaking of that, I've never understood why the regular Punch Rare Corojo's are even called that since they don't have a corojo wrapper, but I suppose that isn't relevant to this review...

Appearance :
This was a pretty nice looking robusto. It had an earthy prelight aroma and was made with a hard box press. The wrapper was Colorado Maduro in color and the bands on the 10th Anniversary version look much nicer than those on the regular line. The only flaw seemed to be a sloppily applied cap.

Construction :
Construction was good on this cigar. The burn was good at the beginning then became staggered through the middle before straightening up toward the end. The draw was perfect.

Flavor :
This cigar started out very earthy, with some slightly bitter, and peppery flavors as well. Actually this cigar was so earthy I felt like I was smoking dirt at times. However, it wasn't as unpleasant or offensive as that sounds. The flavors started to balance out at the middle and a very slight sweetness developed, which complemented the cigar nicely. From this point on the taste stayed pretty consistent until the end.

Value :
These cigars seem to be selling in the $5 - $6 range, which is pretty good. This price shouldn't scare people away from giving them a try.

Overall Rating :
This cigar wasn't a bad experience, but it wasn't particularly memorable either. It didn't have a whole lot complexity or depth going for it, which made it get kind of boring toward the end. I would recommend this to fans of stronger, fuller bodied, in your face cigars. I didn't find that this cigar had the kind of typical Nicaraguan corojo taste to it that I am accustomed to, and that I really like. However, I would say that the 10th Anniversary is better than the standard Punch Rare Corojo.