The Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

Sometimes size does matter. For me, this smaller Punch Rare Corojo is the best of the bunch. While I’ve enjoyed several of the four larger PRCs, this 4 and 1/2 inch by 50 ring gauge box-pressed beauty was smoother and more complex. The dark, oily Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper had little prelight aroma. But with the Connecticut broadleaf binder and a three-country filler blend, tastes vary throughout the stick, generating cocoa, chocolate, occasional spice, and leather. Smoking slowly – a necessity to avoid overheating – this cigar can easily last an hour. I paid $4.50 for the stick. Boxes of 50 can be had for about $125 on the Internet, and just before I wrote this, I saw that the PRC is on special through Aug. 17 at Famous.

Verdict=Buy.

–George E

Tags: cigars

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

The Punch Prensada Maduro No. 4 is a six and 1/2 inch by 43 ring gauge box-pressed “toro” that sits heavy in your hand. With a full-bodied chocolate flavor, it lacks the spice characteristic of most Punch cigars, but it’s still balanced and tasty. The cigar produced abundant smoke from an easy draw, and I can easily recommend it.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

Tags: cigars

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

This short and fat (four and 1/2 inch by 52 ring gauge) smoke has a thick and toothy deep brown wrapper. A Honduran puro, it has a somewhat tight draw, but a perfectly even burn. Flavor wise it was inconsistent – at times it was a majesticly full-flavored and complex, but other times it was dull. Still, there is much potential in the Grand Puro Santa Rita, so I expect a better performance from this cigar in the future.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

Tags: cigars

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar. The following is a Guest Quick Smoke, submitted by a StogieGuys.com reader. If you’d like to submit your own for publication, please contact us here.

The Punch Champion at 4 1/2 inches by 60 ring gauge is a cigar that will not disappoint any smoker. It’s wrapped in an Ecuadorian Sumatran Wrapper with a Connecticut Binder and Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan fillers. This cigar is one for the ages, especially at its valuable price point. A box of 25 can be found online for about $65. Not bad at all. The smoke was really rich and creamy and had hints of sweetness as well. Burn started off uneven, but self-corrected and was good throughout. Draw is superb considering the size and shape, and after I finished this “bowling pin” shaped smoke, it left me wanting more. I would definitely recommend this cigar to anyone, and I am sure you will have a new favorite after you try this.

Verdict= Buy.

–Jeremy Daniels blogs about cigars at The Cigar Corner

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar. The following is a Guest Quick Smoke, submitted by a StogieGuys.com reader. If you’d like to submit your own for publication, please contact us here.

This beautiful Honduran Puro started off light as could be. I thought something was amiss – no flavor and tons of smoke. It settled into a spicy, medium-bodied treat after the first half, though. The four and ½ inch by 52 ring gauge cigar did have some uneven burning, but it self-corrected that issue without any help from my torch. In all, this is a nice way to get a larger-gauged, fuller-bodied smoke in 45 minutes. You can get these for under $3 apiece when you buy in bulk.

Verdict: Hold.

–Submitted by Sam Chisholm from Mendon, MA

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

When I’m looking for a fairly quick smoke, I often turn to the 4 1/2 inch (by 30/60 ring gauge) Champion. I find the shape — resembling a python swallowing a pig — intriguing. I would call it a medium strength, flavorful cigar. I find hints of cedar, pepper, even vanilla. I have had occasional burn problems with Champions, though this one ran straight and true.

Verdict= Buy.

–George E