Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a uniform dark brown with a couple of slightly raised veins present. The seams are slightly visible but smooth while the cap appears to be finished off with a well applied double cap. The band has the traditional Punch logo and band style, but the color combination is unique with a couple different bright greens along with aqua blue and red. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of stewed stone fruit and dank barnyard. The initial whiff of the foot brought roasted sunflower seeds, just the kernels, not the shells, along with some leather. The pre-light draw brings a little stone fruit sweetness and leather.

Pre-light Experience

The Punch Gran Puro Nicaragua Toro has a thick oscuro wrapper shade. Major veins are fairly well pressed and seams tight. Bunch and roll feels well done as there is a uniformed give. The head is finished off with a deep double cap. Nosing the wrapper tells cedar and barnyard. Nosing the foot gives white pepper, cedar and nuts. Cold draw reveals cedar and stone fruits.

First Third

Initial draws bring a mix of dry earthiness and cocoa. The retrohale carries a little creaminess along with the earthiness and cocoa. At a half inch in, some of the cream from the retrohale makes its way in to the mouth draws and lessens the dryness of the earth note. At an inch in, the dryness of the earth note returns even though some creaminess remains in the background. The cocoa note is still present as well. As the third comes to a close, nothing has changed as the profile remains dry earthiness and cocoa along with some creaminess in the background. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

The first third’s flavors are centered around dry earth, minerals and underlying white pepper, especially on the tongue. Retrohaling broadens the range of flavors, providing deeper white pepper, nuts and stone fruits. The finish is all earth giving a lingering dry wood. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, a little baking spice jumps in to mix with the earthiness, cocoa and cream. At a quarter inch in, some general woodiness joins in which knocks out the dryness of the earthy note and brings the profile together quite a bit. The wood note is also present on the retrohale which is a slightly smoother and more refined version of the mouth flavors. At an inch in, some wood bitterness and char join the wood and earthiness as the cocoa, cream and baking spice have left the profile. At an inch and a quarter, some cream comes back which pushes out the wood bitterness. As the third comes to a close, the profile consists of slightly charred wood, earthiness and cream. The strength in this third remained at medium.

Second Third

The second third’s mouth draw flavors thankfully open up. Still quite a bit of earth and minerals, but now there is also notes of creamed coffee, faint stone fruits and nuts. The finish picks up a slight effervescence and nuts with the pre-existing lingering dry wood. Strength is nearing medium-full and body maintains medium.

Final Third

In the final third, the charred wood is up front while the cream and baking spice are in the background. The retrohale is just charred wood. At three quarters of an inch in, the cigar begins to heat up which brings some mintiness to the profile. As the cigar comes to a close, the creaminess increases quite a bit to take the lead while the charred wood and mintiness are in the background. The strength in this third bumped up to slightly above medium.

Final Third

Past an inch into the last third, the flavor profile loses out on complexities. The profile once again becomes earth dominant with dry earth, minerals, dry wood and white pepper. Strength moves to a consistent medium-full and body stays medium.

Burn

The burn was spot on the entire way with a nice burn line and an ash that held on in inch and a half increments.

Burn

Burn performance was overall good. An uneven burn and two touch-ups were the down falls. Other than that, the cigar burned slow, cool and ashes were sturdy averaging 1.5 inch increments.

Draw

The draw was just a bit tighter than I prefer.

Overall

The flavor profile carried earthiness and cocoa through the first third and then moved into a pretty standard profile of earthiness and wood the rest of the way. Some creaminess was present at times which really helped the profile come together. Construction was great which helps to allow you to just focus on the flavors. The price point on this cigar is great, so even though the flavors didn’t wow me, it was very consistent and would allow someone who finds this cigar a fit for them to go pretty deep on them as a daily smoke. I would have no problem smoking this again, but probably wouldn’t seek one out.

Draw

Perfect draw striking the best possible medium between airflow and resistance.

Overall

I find the toro version of The Punch Gran Puro Nicaragua to be an overall average tasting experience. The cigar is namely earth forward and therefore doesn’t reach the depth in complexities and flavors I’m searching for. Deeper spice and sweetness will really make the profile shine a lot more. Perhaps my palate will appreciate the 48 ring gauge version more.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.95

Cost/Point

$1.09

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.90

Cost/Point

$1.10

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Punch Gran Puro Nicaragua Toro