DogWatch Cigar Radio #272: It's Not a Nub; New Room, Same Crew

Cigar of the Week -  Cain Maduro

The Oliva Cigar Company and Sam Lecia introduced a new cigar during 2009, called the ‘Cain.’ It comes in three sizes:  550 Robusto 5.7x50, 654T Torpedo 6x54, and a 660 Double Toro 6x60.
The Cain is available in a Maduro or Habano wrapper. The CAIN is primarily ligero tobacco!
Sam Leccia (Mr. ‘Nub’) has challenged all of us to try this very interesting blend and see how it measures up to Oliva’s Serie V, which is a double ligero.The cigar is a blend of aged ligero tobacco from Esteli, Condega, and the Jalapa Valley in Nicaragua, some of the tastiest growing regions in the world. Tonight we focus on the Maduro which sports a dark, rich, San Andreas wrapper to the 25% Esteli Ligero, 27% Condega Ligero and 30% Jalapa Ligero blend (I am no math major but that leaves 18% unaccounted for).   

According to the Cain website:
Esteli Ligero is the strongest of all the Ligeros and as such needs to be tempered with other flavors or types of Ligero to prevent overpowering the cigar.  Condega Ligero is a medium body Ligero grown north of Esteli that exhibits complex richness and a tame strength.  Jalapa Ligero is the smoothest of these Ligeros and grown in the northern most area of Nicaragus. The Jalapa Valley is a unigue tobacco growing region that enjoys less direct sunlight and produces a full body leaf with a broader range of flavor.

Dark Side  - PUNCH ROYAL SELECCION NO 12

Length: 5 1/8 inches (129mm)
Ring Gauge: 42
Factory Name: Marevas
Shape: Parejo

A cigar of real substance that requires some aging for best results, 5 years being the recommended time.

The Punch brand was first registered in 1840 by a German named Stockman. This was at the beginning of an era that saw Cuba carved up by three major powers, US, Germany and Britian. The official Habanos web site skips over this part of history instead claiming the brand was founded by Don Manuel Lopez of Juan Valle & Co in the mid 19th Century with an eye to the booming British market. However, reality shows that the brand was transferred to Louis Corojo in 1874, the midst of the "10 Year War" for independence, one of many uprisings in Cuban history.

In 1925 Punch moved to the factory where Hoyo de Monterrey was made and this long association continues to the present day.

From then until 1930 the brand changed ownership twice finally settling in after the stock market crash of 1929 with Fernandez & Palicio y Cia S en C. . By 1958 Punch was a solid market cigar accounting for %13 of cigars exported. Punch shared the market with Belinda, Hoyo de Monterrey and La Escepcion. Punch has remained a leading brand of Habanos cigars since the 1959 revolution.

Many have claimed that the cigar was named for the famous British humour magazine Punch, however that magazine did not exist until 1841, one year after the cigar name was registered.
Punch’s distinct medium flavour created with a blend of tobaccos from the Vuelta Abajo region is available in a wide variety of sizes "totalmente a mano, tripa larga" - totally hand made, long filler.

Herf line submissions:    Angry Bill calls in to talk about the Nosotros cigar and the H. Upmann Magnum 50.  Call the Herfline, 321-594-4373! - or cigar.radio on Skype, and leave a message or a cigar review. You can also send email to theshow@cigarmedia.tv

What else have you been smokin' Dale?

La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Tabaqueros 650 - a new line from LCG, the 2nd edition in the Artesanos series. Unlike the Artesanos de Miami, this line is made in the El Credito factory in the Dominican Republic by a "hand picked group of 18 master cigar makers, chosen by Benji Menedez himself". The blend is all 5 year aged tobaccos from the DR and Honduras with a combination of Connecticut Shade AND Ecuadorian Sumatra wrappers. The lighter Connecticut wrapper covers about the first 3rd of the cigar, with the darker Sumatra wrapper visible from there to the head. The line is available in 3 sizes, named for their dimensions - 650, 652 Belicoso and 750, ranging from $8 to $9 before all the confiscatory tobacco taxes in your local area.

Punch Gran Cru Robusto Claro - This 5.25" x 50 beauty is filled with Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos, covered with a Honduras binder and wrapped with a Connecticut Shade leaf that is smooth, oily and aromatic. This is a cigar with tons of complexity in a smooth, lighter bodied style than other Punch lines. Lots of leather, sweet herbals and a touch of nuttiness. For me, a great mid-day cigar when you have the time to really let it carry you away.

CAO Brazilia Gol! - 5" x 56 - Bob mentioned this line last week and that reminded me to go back & smoke it again. I used to smoke these by the box a couple years ago, but with so many new cigars always coming out, had just not bought any in a while. Nicaraguan filler & binder are wrapped up in a dark Arapiraka wrapper from Brazil. Yummm!

What else have you been smokin' Bob?

Punch Uppercut Grand Corona - First thing I noticed was the sloppy application of the cap, certainly not a deal breaker and at $6.50 per stick I was wiling to overlook such a harmless defect. The interesting thing though was that it even registered with me since I don't normally notice such characteristics. Retrohale exhibits some interesting subtle spiciness which then becomes noticeable in the flavors. Noted a sour spice that is not like grass or straw but is really very pleasant with coffee.

Padilla Dominus Double Robusto - Corojo 2006 wrapper
Several complex savory flavors including spice and black pepper; this blend keeps your interest from start to finish. Excellent construction, great burn and has a long pleasant finish.

Graycliff Blue Label Profesionale PGX 6x50 - Smooth-burning, Indonesian wrapper and tobacco from Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The most pleasant Graycliff I have ever smoked. Brazilian, Nicaraguan, and Dominican fillers and a very tasty Indonesian Sumatran wrapper. One of the most beautiful cigars with no imperfections. Slightly more full flavored than other Graycliffs, I found this to be an excellent experience.

What's My Band?  - #911 from Liz:  Tabacalera Tropical Casa Fernandez JFR Connecticut

Music provided by 25 Smokin' Figurados and The Surfonics

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