Very disappointing, especially after my experiences with the Champion and President.
Pros:
It's cheap for a long cigar.
Cons:
It tastes cheap, extremely bitter and hard to keep lit.
The Bottom Line:
Save your $3.50 toward a better tasting smoke!
|
|
Overall Rating:
|
 |
|
Author's Review
The technical stuff (according to the Punch web site)-
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan and Dominican Republic.
Binder: the predictable Connecticut Broadleaf.
Wrapper: Ecuadoran Sumatra
Ring Gauge: They say a 46 but it looks more like a 48 to me.
Length: A bit over 7 1/8 inches.
In general, I have had good experiences with non-Cuban Punches. I have reviewed the Punch President Maduro on Epinions and the Punch Champion (by definition a Maduro) is one of my top ten favorites. I find the After Dinner Maduro to be just plain horrible. I have never smoked a Punch that could not hold a burn well - until the After Dinner Maduro. It takes constant puffing to keep it lit. Then again, you probably will not want to keep puffing as the After Dinner Maduro tastes like a strange, overwhelming blend of rosemary (kind of pine-like) and lemon. Obviously since it can't hold a burn, the draw is very tough. It must be like sucking a marble through a straw. The construction seems flimsy to the fingers which I am sure does not help.
I wish I could describe how long one lasts but I have not been able smoke one past the first one-third - which is enough for an evaluation when dealing with a cigar of over 7 inches. For the same reason, I cannot claim that the After Dinner is an overly strong Maduro since I have not given one the chance to make my head spin. While it is a cheap for a long smoke, I would advise "saving" for a similarly sized Puro Indios or Honduran Sancho Panza.
I cannot speak much for presentation as the two After Dinners I purchased were not from the original Punch box yet were bought from two separate cigar shops I trust completely (I should have asked about the cigars both times, huh?). My guess is that they are packed in the normal Punch cardboard box. It is a bit lighter in color than the other Punch Maduros I have had - the Champion and President. Also the color was not as uniform, the chocolate brown was spotted with lighter spots. Why this cigar is literally much a lemon, I have NO idea!
I am just shocked that the President at just over an inch longer (and granted almost three dollars more in price) is so much better. In theory, the components are the same unless Punch uses "reject" tobacco for the After Dinners as BOTH the Champion (which is a shorter robusto) and the President are more expensive. To whom is Punch marketing this stick? Someone who wants the Punch label minus the quality/flavor? It certainly would not be a smoke I would take out at a club to hand to a friend and share.
I think the Punch After Dinner Maduro barely makes a two-star rating.
