Punch Knuckle Buster Maduro Toro (6 x 50)

Video review HERE.

(Description provided by General Cigar)

Punch Knuckle Buster, the bold and wallet-friendly collection that debuted in February 2020, is adding a Maduro expression to its lineup.

“We created Punch Knuckle Buster to be a ‘go to’ for smokers who wanted a well-made, no-nonsense blend at an accessible price. With Knuckle Buster Maduro, we’re at it again, this time adding a little more ‘punch.’ This is a cigar that delivers on all fronts: strength, complexity, balance and above all, enjoyment,” said John Hakim, brand manager for Punch.

Handcrafted at HATSA, Punch Knuckle Buster Maduro offers a medium-to-full bodied experience derived from its lustrous, Connecticut-grown Broadleaf wrapper, Indonesian binder and Nicaraguan filler.

ROBUSTO (5” x 52) – SRP per cigar $5.19 – (25/box)

TORO (6” x 50) – SRP per cigar $5.69 – (25/box) REVIEWED TODAY

GORDO (6” x 60) – SRP per cigar $6.19 – (20/box)

The cigar is dark and has an average feel in the hand.

The test draw after cutting the cap was good. The initial flavors at light up were cocoa, citrus peel, brown sugar, and worn leather. There was black pepper rated at 7. Pretty dark start but not too bad.

At the first third (20 minutes) the cocoa notes were still there, and it's a dry cocoa, but the citrus peel has morphed into an apricot with some sweetness from brown sugar, and the worn leather is still there also. The finish is dry cocoa with pretty good lingering black pepper. The cigar is medium bodied. The cigar is pretty good at this point. I rated the first third 92.

Moving through the second third (42 minutes) the cigar has turned quite dark. There is now barely a hint of apricot, leather, dry cocoa, and black coffee. The sweetness very much decreased and the darker notes, particularly the black coffee, greatly increased. The cigar is medium bodied, leaning toward medium to full. The finish is dry cocoa, black coffee, and a touch of leather with pretty good lingering black pepper. At this point the cigar does not resemble the way it started. I rated the second third 88.

The cigar lasted 58 minutes. A short burn time for a toro. The cigar has gone almost completely dark. The black coffee is the lead flavor. Even the leather is decreased. I don't have the dry cocoa notes and the apricot notes are so light most won't detect them at all. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is black coffee and leather with pretty good lingering black pepper. The cigar changed quite a bit from the first third. I rated the final third 86.

Overall Score: 88.67