Video review HERE.
(Description provided by STG)
2024 will be the first Year of the Dragon since 2012 and Punch will mark the momentous moment in the Chinese zodiac on February 1, 2024 when a limited-edition smoke called Dragon Fire ships to retailers.
The new release marks the sixth installment of the brand’s highly successful Chinese New Year Series which has included these highly-rated Punch blends: Spring Roll (2023), Fu Manchu (2022), Kung Pow! (2021), Chop Suey (2020) and Egg Roll (2019).
John Hakim, brand manager of Punch said, “The dragon is the only mythological figure in the Chinese zodiac and that inspired us to bring the fire-breathing totem to life with this year’s release. We had a blast creating the bold and fiery blend, and gave the cigar a flat head in a nod to the wood dragon that will preside over 2024. And in a shout out to the celebrations that will be sparked by the dragon’s arrival, we made the packaging to look like a box of fireworks.”
Handcrafted at the STG Esteli factory in Esteli Nicaragua which is a rarity for the brand, Punch Dragon Fire was made to resemble a firecracker. Extending beyond the cigar’s Nicaraguan Condega binder and Nicaraguan, Dominican and Honduran filler is its Mexican wrapper which is pressed down to replicate the way in which the casing of a firework extends beyond the plug inside. The tobaccos come together to create a smoking experience that brims with the complexity of dark chocolate, pepper, earth, leather and coffee notes.
Punch Dragon Fire cigars come in 20-count boxes and the blend will only be available in this special release.
Punch Dragon Fire
(5” x 60) – SRP per cigar $6.99
The cigar has a nice feel in the hand. It is dark and the cap is flat.
The test draw after cutting the cap was good. The initial flavors at light up were citrus, cedar, light pear, brown sugar, and leather. There was black pepper rated at 7 to 7 1/2. Not a bad start.
At the first third (33 minutes) the cigar is burning evenly and the ash was intact. The notes have boiled down into a nice tangy orange citrus, a lot of brown sugar and a whole lot of leather, which is similar to an old worn-type leather. The finish is leather with good lingering black pepper. The cigar is medium bodied. The notes are working pretty well together but I'm wondering if the leather will increase. At this point I rated the first third 93.
Moving through the second third (1 hour 4 minutes) the leather greatly increased. There are now light notes of citrus and brown sugar with a lot of leather. The cigar is now full bodied. The finish is unchanged. The leather made a huge move up. I rated the second third 89.
The cigar lasted 1 hour 32 minutes. The leather pulled back somewhat. The citrus and brown sugar came out nicely. The cigar is full bodied. The finish is unchanged. The cigar moved toward the first third notes but it was not as tangy. I rated the final third 92. The middle section was quite leathery and hurt the overall appeal of the cigar. Still, not a bad offering and worth trying.
Available at Small Batch Cigar; https://www.smallbatchcigar.com/punch-dragon-fire
And use code Tinytim for 10% off and they always ship FREE!
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