Punch Churchill 1999 Vintage Cigar Experience

Punch Churchill, Cabinet of 50 1999 Vintage

Anytime we have the fortune to enjoy an older cigar, it is always a special occasion.  Today’s is even a little extra special as this cigar has a few aspects it carries that are personal soft spots for me.  This 20 year old Churchill comes in a cabinet of 50, and it comes from a time where cigars were still released on the market without a band.  Opening up a wheel like this, just feels right, feels real.  No shiny cigar band that takes up half the cigar, just a straight up no nonsense Julieta No. 2 factory size vitola. 

THE BRAND – PUNCH

Punch is just a cool cigar brand.  Their logos, artwork and overall raison d’etre are non-pretentious and have a fun vibe about them.  In 1840, a German named Stockmann registered the brand Punch.  History has two theories of the origin of the name.  The first is that it was named after the very popular character in a UK show named “Mr. Punch”.  The second is that it was named after the British comic magazine “Punch”.  In either case, as the name suggests, the cigar had a relatively strong “punch”, and became very popular in the UK market.  For a brief history of the brand, we invite you to visit this page.

The Punch Churchill was introduced into the market just prior to 1960, and the cabinets of 50 have been discontinued since 2009.  The 25 count boxes of Punch Churchill were discontinued in 2010.

ABOUT THE CIGAR – PUNCH :: CHURCHILL from 1999

BOX DATE: EOG CCUC.  CCUC equals 99 / 09, so September of 1999.

SIZE:  47 x 7 inches.

FACTORY NAME: Julieta No. 2

The 50 wheel gives off very intense and rich aromas.  There is still quite a bit of oils on the wrapper.  The cigars feel firm, but you can see from the feet that they will draw just perfectly.

1st Part

Initial flavor is cedar.  The flavor is unique and not like many other cigars I have tasted.  The strength is medium and lighter than what I have come to expect from the Punch brand.

2nd Part

The cigar flavor remains consistent; however it has intensified and is creamier than it was initially.  It is evolving, however I would say more with the intensity and strength and less with the flavor.

3rd Part

This is an excellent cigar.  The cedar notes are still going strong and now combined with some cashew hints.  Taste buds are exploding on the palette!

SUMMARY

The late 90s was notoriously known as being bad years for the Cuban cigar harvest and production.  From my experience, smoking cigars from the 1998, 1999 periods today, is just a wonderful experience.  The tobacco may not have been at its peak back when they were rolled, but somehow, through the ageing process, the cigars from that era now taste wonderful.  If you have an opportunity to try Cuban cigars from that period, I strongly recommend it.  This Punch Churchill of 20 years was certainly a treat to smoke.

SCORE

Summary.

Construction  10 on 10.

Flavor: 10 on 10.

Evolution: 8 on 10.

Overall: 9 on 10

PAIRING SUGGESTION: 

Whenever there is a cigar aged like this, and giving off so many aromas before even lighting it, pairing it with anything is tricky.  Usually, I wait for the first 3^rd of cigar before deciding.  When it has this much flavor, I stick to water and nothing else.  You really want to taste how beautifully the cigar has benefited from age.