The Stogie Guys

If you’re like me, you probably thought this past Monday was Memorial Day, a day for pausing to think about the men and women who gave their lives to protect the freedoms we take for granted. As I did, you may have also celebrated the unofficial start of summer with some time spent outdoors, around the barbecue, and enjoying a fine cigar or two.

But, for the bureaucrats at the World Health Organization (WHO), May 31 wasn’t Memorial Day. Rather, it was “World No Tobacco Day“—a day for promoting the policies they call “Tobacco Control.”

No time to celebrate freedom, the WHO issued a Call to Action, with such action items as implementing a complete ban on advertising of tobacco; enacting total workplace smoking bans that presumably include restaurants, bars, and even tobacco shops; and creating “gender-specific tobacco control policies.”

For those of you at home counting, those are calls to violate such fundamental American principles as freedom of speech, property rights, and equal protection under the law, respectively. And it’s all part of the international organization’s “Tobacco Free Initiative” which, as it sounds, seeks to stamp out the so-called “tobacco epidemic.”

The contrast couldn’t be starker. The day we honor U.S. soldiers who gave their lives for our country, often fighting against authoritarian dictatorships, anti-tobacco forces seek worldwide enactment of laws designed to strip citizens of their choice to enjoy even an occasional cigar.

One can’t help but look back through history, when America sent soldiers to battle with a daily ration of tobacco. In World War II, a K-Ration, or daily combat ration, included four cigarettes. On the other side of the battle field, Hitler despised smoking (which he saw as a filthy Jewish habit) and led Nazi Germany to enact the first modern smoking ban.

No, they aren’t Nazis, but in today’s struggle between freedom and oppressive collectivism, international bureaucrats use the projects like the Tobacco Free Initiative at the United Nations to infringe on fundamental individual rights. Meanwhile, our troops continue to put themselves in harms way as they seek to uphold their oath to the Constitution and the individual liberties that it stands for.

That’s why I hope you joined me in honoring our troops on Memorial Day. And if you also happened to smoke a cigar as part of your Memorial Day, then all the better. Now, why not take the opportunity to donate some cigars to the troops? That’s what the last Monday in May is supposed to be all about, not stamping out our freedom to smoke.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Back in 2008, General Cigar held an “election” between two cigars vying to become the newest addition to the Punch lineup. Upper Cut, revealed at the 2009 IPCPR Trade Show, crossed the finish line as the result of nationwide taste-testing, consumer feedback, and subsequent blend adjustments.

“Upper Cut by Punch boasts a taste reminiscent of the base brand punctuated by a profound flavor that highlights the cigar’s Nicaraguan components,” said Debo Mukherjee, vice of president of marketing for General Cigar, in a pre-IPCPR press release. “Considering that this blend was test-smoked and personally selected by tenured cigar smoking consumers nationwide, we are confident that it has all the makings of a ‘knockout’ at retail.”

This presumed “knockout” includes a rustic, oily Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. Underneath are leaves from Ometepe, a volcanic island rising out of Lake Nicaragua with a tobacco production exclusive to General (the Macanudo 1968, La Escepción, and Hoyo de Tradición also feature Ometepe leaves). The outcome, according to General, “is a cigar that reveals an intriguing of range of flavors at the first draw and delivers a rich, balanced finish.”

Three sizes are available: Grand Corona (6 x 45), Toro (6.6 x 54), and Robusto (5.25 x 50). After removing the foot band from the sweet-smelling Robusto—General really seems to be boasting their Ometepe access—I’m struck by how different Upper Cut looks from the rest of the Punch lineup. From Deluxe and Gran Puro to Rare Corojo and Grand Cru, every other Punch blend comes dressed in a traditional and recognizable red and gold band. But General seems to be positioning Upper Cut as a distant cousin of Punch rather than a full-fledged family member.

I smoked three Robustos for this review. Once lit, each exhibited a wonderfully pleasant flavor of sweet wood, cherry, coffee creamer, and leather. Balanced and subtle with a warm, tingly spice on the finish. I would have loved the Upper Cut to maintain this profile to the nub.

But all good things must come to an end. As the trustworthy burn works toward the middle and the white, powdery ash holds beautifully off the foot, the taste begins to devolve. First the sweet wood begins to dissipate. Then a bold, meaty charcoal taste starts to overshadow the Upper Cut’s finer traits. The final third is a mere shadow of the Robusto’s promising beginning.

Only time will tell if age will improve this cigar’s second half. For now, taking into account its excellent construction and approachable price of $5-7 apiece, the Punch Upper Cut Robusto earns three stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys