At the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show, the General Cigar Company showcased a new new line of Punch cigars. The brand name chosen was Punch Diablo. The line came with a bold new branding and a slogan “The Dark Side of Punch.” This was also the first time the non-Cuban Punch brand was made in a factory outside of Honduras, as General Cigars turned to no other than A.J. Fernandez in Esteli, Nicaragua. The name “Diablo” translates to “Devil”. So in this case, the Devil went down to Esteli!
To make this new blend, the company worked with Fernandez to secure some special Oscuro (dark) Ecuadorian Sumatra leaf for the wrapper. The full blend is described as:
- Wrapper – Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro
- Binder – U.S.A. (Connecticut Broadleaf)
- Filler – Honduran and Nicaraguan
The Punch Diablo line is expressed in three different vitolas, two of which come packaged in 25-count boxes and the Brute that comes packaged in a 20-count box:
- Scamp (6 1/8 x 50) MSRP $7.19
- Diabolus (5 1/4 x 54) MSRP $7.79
- Brute (6 1/4 x 60) MSRP $8.19
Today I present a review of the Punch Diablo Brute which was gifted to me from my friend and great BOTL Mike Collins.
Pre-Light Examination
The Punch Diablo Brute is a dark brown cigar with a toothy feel as you run your fingers along the barrel. The cigar is solidly packed, firm to the touch, and light on veins. A simple cap finishes the construction.
A single band adorns the Punch Diablo, using a bold red, black, and silver motif. This is part of the new branding for punch. The punch logo is centered in the middle with silver circles to the left and right of it. There are different symbols in each circle including one with the punch jester. The name “DIABLO” is printed in bright red below.
I ran the Diablo along the nose to see what it had to offer pre-light. The barrel exuded a light pungent note and the foot offered enticing chocolate and nut aromas.
Using my double blade cutter, I sliced the cap straight along the shoulder and proceeded with some cold puffs that had a decent restriction and delivered notes of peppery spice and a touch of earthiness.
It was finally time to set Diablo on fire, a place I am sure the devil loves. Using my double flame torch, I warmed the foot to an even orange glow and drew in the first puffs of peppery smoke. Follow along as I burn the Diablo to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- The initial light offered a pretty hefty pepper shot to nose and throat
- As the pepper settled a natural sweetness and light cream note formed the early profile
- A white ash formed on a medium-thick and wavy char line
- Ash fell early revealing a decent burn cone
- Maple syrup aroma wafts off the foot
- Toasted caramel notes join the profile midway
- Things go off as the burn starts to canoe and required a touch-up
- Spice develops deep in the second third
- Fruit and an underlying sweetness join the spice in the final
- Flaky Ash
- Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 40 Minutes
Overall, the Punch Diablo Brute delivered some decent flavor and aromas through the burn starting with a peppery spice and evolving into more of a natural sweet core layered with notes of fruit, cream, and spice. The burn started off decent but evolved into an off burn which eventually resulted in a major canoe like burn that need to be touched up. I might consider checking another one out. I rate this an 85.
Point Deductions: (-1) Wavy Burn; (-4) Canoe; (-1) Flaky Ash; (-1) Touch-Up Required; (-1) Might Try Another
