Punch Royal Selection No. 11 (RTO LL00)

[shrink]

Over the years, I have grown wary of buying “vintage” cigars over the internet. So, when I saw these ’99 RS No. 11’s being offered recently, I hesitated. Too often I have anticipated something special, only to be disappointed with cigars that were bland, or bitter. In particular, I have purchased some aged Punch Punch and Churchills that were real duds; it was obvious that they hadn’t been properly stored.

Still, “how could I go wrong at this price”, I thought, and so I bit. When the box arrived, I was pleased to find that the cigars were in pretty good condition. They weren’t moldy, and there was no sign that they had dried out, or were damaged in transit. Still, they were no beauty queens. The wrappers were a plain ‘paper bag’ tan, and they showed no obvious oils. I held the open cab up, and inhaled deeply; the aromas were very mild, but at least they were sweet, and maybe even a bit fruity. “OK”, I thought, “into the humidor you go for a while”.

A month later, and a clear and reasonably warm winter afternoon had me out on the deck with some iced tea and a good book. I opened the cab, and was glad to see that the ‘nose’ had markedly improved, with those signature Punch scents of barnyard and sweet fermented fruit. “That’s why we let ‘em settle”, I thought.

I selected my candidate and carefully ‘circumsized’ it with my Xikar, allowing the cap to fall off. The bunch looked good, and the draw had the ideal Cuban firmness. The cigar quickly succumbed to the flame of my preferred assault weapon, a kitchen match.

The first draws were nice and full, with an impressive twang and good, rich flavors. “Hey, this is going to be better than I expected.” And so it was… better than I expected. Although the draw remained nearly ideal, the burn left something to be desired; it ran a couple of times, which I corrected by purging and knocking off the unburned wrapper on the edge of the ashtray. But I wasn’t complaining. This was turning out to be an outstanding example of a well-aged Punch Corona Gorda.

By mid-cigar, my attention was focused more on the smoke than on the book. The flavors were classic Punch RS No. 11: solidly medium-bodied, with a core of rich toasted tobacco, overlaid by lots of sweet wood and complex fruity notes. And what I can only describe as a perfectly mature and mouth-watering “twang”, the kind that seems to explode in the mouth, leaving a sweet, juicy, lingering finish.

My Punch finished on a high note, medium-full in body, with the kind of deep and complex flavor profile that only a well-aged cigar can provide. This was a really good cigar, and the equal of any RS No. 11 I’ve had recently. This includes samples from ’98, and boxes from ’01 (all gone; yum!), ’03, ’05, and ’07. I’d rate my 2003 SLB as having greater potential, with more inherent tannins and depth of flavor. They’re awfully good, but I’m not going to waste ‘em this young. Certainly not when I have ‘99s that are this ‘ripe’. A real bargain, and an easy 92, boys.

[Colt45]

Sounds great - thanks for sharing!

In regard to clipping a cigar and clipping a........perhaps there are some repressed thoughts or memories.

Maybe seek the help of a ............ never mind.

[El Presidente]

Great review mate of one of my favourite Corona Gorda's/ Medeim bodied, woody, sweet fruit notes. Gorgeous

[jdbrown]

Bob,

Great review..Looks like you scored a winner!

[big rusty]

Shrink I've seen some No.11 with the box codes RPO LL00

How close will these be to yours?

[shrink]

» Shrink I've seen some No.11 with the box codes RPO LL00

»

» How close will these be to yours?

I checked the vendor website, and they come from the same place. One of us made an error. I'll check the box again.

[greenpimp]

Great review Bob! I have come to love this cigar, thought about those aged ones. You make a good case.

Circumcised your cigar...You are one funny Gentile.

[shrink]

» Circumcised your cigar...You are one funny Gentile.

They call me "El Rey del Mohel". We have a bris to celebrate the opening of every new cab.

[Cubatabaco]

Great sounding cigar! Thanks for the review!