The Punch Diablo is blended by A.J. Fernández, which marks the first time the General-owned Punch brand will have a cigar made somewhere outside of the company’s factory in Honduras.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
It is blended with an Ecuadorian Sumatra oscuro, Connecticut broadleaf binder, and fillers from Honduras and Nicaragua. It comes in three sizes: Scamp (6 1/8 x 50) — $7.19, Diabolus (5 1/4 x 54) — $7.79, Punch Diablo Brute (6 1/4 x 60) — $8.19.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Toro Length: 6 1/8″ Ring Gauge: 50 Country of Origin: Nicaragua Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran Factory: Tabacalera Fernandez S.A. Blender: AJ Fernandez Number of reviewers: 4 – Olin J.( James H.( Marcus Brimley( Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd) Price: $7.19 Age: 4 Months Release Date: July 2018 Contributed by: General Cigar
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 93
“This looks like a 6×50 cigar. Very dark brown and extremely toothy. Some prominent veins and a consistent look. ” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)
Aroma: 91
“The pre-light aroma is pretty faint. Some leather and cedar but that’s about it. ” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)
First Third
Blind Cigar Review: Punch | Diablo Scamp
Flavor: 92 Strength: Medium-Strong Body/Complexity: Full
“Firm feel with a weightiness in the hand. Preflight draw is perfect for me with just a touch of resistance. Preflight draw has a raisin/licorice flavor profile. First light was spicy with the licorice notes picked up in the aroma and prelight draw. Retro was abundant with white pepper. So far, I’m loving this Cigar. ” –James H.
“Lights easily and evenly, very mild tobacco. The aroma and taste would not offend anyone I know. Rolled to an exact tightness that allows for nice balance of easy airflow and slow burning. Maybe the best rolled cigar I have ever experienced. I noticed tastes and aroma of mossy, woodsy, tea, and fresh bread. The notes of this first third are VERY subtle and nice. First ash was one and a half inches before falling.” –Olin J.
Second Third
Blind Cigar Review: Punch | Diablo Scamp
Flavor: 89 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“The second third of this Cigar had a noticeable drop of spice and leaves a sweet earthy taste. White pepper retro is still there but has dropped slightly. The strength of this stick leans towards the strong side but is not offensive. At this point I’m also getting a saltiness on the lips I really like. Finish is short to medium. Burn line remains sharp. ” –James H.
“More complexity bringing out a mocha sense with denser smoke. The second ash was another inch and a half. When I looked at my watch an hour had gone by already and I was only 2/3 through the smoke. ” –Olin J.
“More intense flavor in the final third; not overly harsh but definitely more lingering notes of tobacco remain on tongue” –Marcus Brimley
“The last third of this Cigar had a return of the spice I noted in the first third with a sweet earthy taste and salty finish. ” –James H.
Overall Impressions
Draw: 94
“The draw was good all the way. Just a slight resistance with very good smoke output. ” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)
Burn: 98
“The burn performance was a bright spot. Clean and even with big chunks of solid ash. ” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)
Construction: 93
“nice vein details in the wrap; there were no soft spots anywhere in the body; length was longer than preferred but enjoyed the experience of a break from my normal smoke length” –Marcus Brimley
“I couldn’t believe it. This cigar would not give up!! It just provided a continuous amount of pleasure throughout the entire stick.. Afterwards the head was black and I noticed a nice light brown-orange color at the ends of the filler. Can’t wait to find out what this was so I can smoke it again. I smoked this outside in calm, cool weather. Indoor smoking may reveal even more discoveries of this cigar.” –Olin J.
“First and third was packed full of flavor with an abundance of chewy smoke. This Cigar would pair well with your favorite cup of coffee or a good Stout. The second third was very good but lacked some of the flavors found in the rest of the cigar.” –James H.
“I enjoyed smoking cigar 824; from the appearance to the first draw all the way through the final puff; the consistency of the flavor, aroma and taste of this cigar was well received” –Marcus Brimley
“I just can’t say a whole lot about this one. The flavors seemed like they had a landing point, but just never got there. It was boring and lacked balance. Aside from the burn performance, I can’t really give it any compliments. ” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
Blind Cigar Review: Punch | Diablo Scamp
Overall Score – 93 – Great
Blind Cigar Review: Punch | Diablo Scamp
Summary
"First and third was packed full of flavor with an abundance of chewy smoke. This Cigar would pair well with your favorite cup of coffee or a good Stout. The second third was very good but lacked some of the flavors found in the rest of the cigar." -James H.
