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				 Punch Champion 
 
			
			Date: 10/21/08Reviewer: langod
 
 Cigar:  Punch Champion
 Size: 4.5 x 30-60
 Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra seed wrapper
 Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Nicaragua
 Binder: Connecticut
 Flavor: Medium to full bodied
 Age: unknown, received in a PIF this week
 Ambience: Outside on a deck, cool fall night.
 Beverage: none
 Appearance: This is an interestingly shaped cigar.  Much like a perfecto, but with the widest part of the bulge concentrated about 1/3 from the foot end.  Medium-dark brown wrapper, smooth, no major noticeable defects
 Pre-Light: rich, pleasant, leather and chocolate smell. Good firm feel, no noticeable soft spots.
 Clip: Clipped easily with my cheapie $1 guillotine.  Took a few pre-light draws and noticed a strong coffee and sweet flavor.  Delicious.
 Draw: easy
 1/3: An initial hit of spice for the first few puffs, mellowing into a smooth leather and nut flavor which reminded me of almond.
 2/3: A thick flavorful smoke becomes apparent – after exhaling, a rich creamy toasty-ness coats the mouth. Subtle coffee flavor also.
 3/3: Rich and getting a very toasted flavor.  The nutty flavor is gone, leaving toasted leather and a slight burnt coffee bean essence.  I recut the cigar going into the last third.
 Burn: Easy to light and maintain.  Needed a touchup as the burn got past the fattest part of the cigar
 Ash: This cigar did not draw well after the ash grew to ¾”.  The flavor profile started turning bitter also.  I started knocking off the ash every several puffs and had no more problems with burn or flavor.
 Strength: little effect until the end when I noticed a light but distinct nic buzz.
 Finish: I smoked this well into the last third.  Stayed pleasant all the way through.
 Time: about 1 hour.
 Impression: Excellent smoke, great flavor and very smooth and creamy.  I loved the mouth feel of the rich smoke.  Highly Recommended – I will be searching these out for my humidor.
 
				__________________Jim
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