Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the Punch Bottle Rocket is dark brown with some raised veins and a fine grit sandpaper feel. The seams are smooth and the tapered head well finished. The band is red, gold, white and black and denotes the brand and the Zodiac symbol being celebrated for the year. The aroma from the wrapper is dark earth and cardboard while the foot brings cedar and earth. The pre-light draw is a mellow mix of cedar and dry earth.

First Third

The cigar begins with a slightly stale mix of toasted cedar, dry earth and some black pepper. At a quarter inch in, some leather joins the profile. At a half inch in, some mustiness joins the profile. The retrohale is toasted cedar, zingy black pepper and some light earth and creamy leather. As the third comes to a close, the profile is still a slightly stale mix of toasted cedar up front, dry earth a bit behind, black pepper in the middle of the profile and some mustiness and leather in the back half. The strength was slightly below medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the dry earth becomes even with the toasted cedar up front. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth with some black pepper and creamy leather. At an inch in, the black pepper increases a bit. As the third comes to a close, the profile is a slightly stale mix of toasted cedar and earth even up front, black pepper just ahead of the middle of the profile and some mustiness and leather in the back half. The strength remained slightly below medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the black pepper is now right behind the toasted cedar and earth up front and the toast level has increased a bit. The retrohale remains toasted cedar and earth with some black pepper and creamy leather. At an inch in a decent level of vegetal bitterness joins the profile which masks the mustiness and leather that was in the back half. As the cigar wraps up, the profile is a slightly stale mix of toasted cedar and earth even up front, with black pepper just behind and vegetal bitterness in the middle. The strength bumped up to medium.

Burn

The burn was straight throughout and the ash held on through the halfway point of the cigar and again until the end.

Draw

The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The cigar began with a slightly stale mix of toasted cedar, dry earth and some black pepper. Some leather joined in pretty quickly and then some mustiness a bit later. The second third saw the earth become even with the toasted cedar up front. The black pepper later increased a bit. The final third saw the pepper pick up some more and a vegetal bitterness joined the middle of the profile, masking the leather and mustiness. Construction was absolutely perfect. The Punch Bottle Rocket had an average flavor profile through the first two thirds, as the main components of toasted cedar, earth and black pepper all had a bit of staleness to them. The profile took a step down in the final third as some vegetal bitterness masked some of the supporting notes. Overall, not an exciting cigar, as the staleness but a damper on the overall profile. It’s a price friendly cigar that makes it an easy try, but it’s not something I’d come back to.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.40

Cost/Point

$1.29

Scoring System

Personal Cigar Review: Punch Bottle Rocket