Staff Reviews

There’s a lovely young lady that stops by the CI Super-Store from time to time and, for the sake of anonymity, let us refer to her as “Lola”.

Lola is an avid Gurkha fan and has a way of pushing the brand on me (keep in mind, I’M the cigar salesperson and she’s the customer!) Days ago, she graced us with her presence at the shop and, while it’s tough to get my male co-workers to focus on other customers, it’s always a joy to have her in, no matter how much she busts our stones!

I'm enjoying a cigar that remains unnamed when that zealous Gurkha fanatic asks me, “Brock, what are you smoking?”

I briefly reply to her question, then as fast as I could take another puff, she scathingly states, “When you’re ready to smoke premium quality cigars, I will show you some Gurkhas.”

A Gurkha fan myself, I pay no mind to her contemptuous banter and continue with my daily routine.

Several days after my encounter with Ms. Lola, I'm in the squeaky clean stadium parking lot in Philadelphia tailgating with one of my best friends and his family. “Herby” and I are enjoying some fine tailgating cuisine, cocktails and people-watching as we're wearing our favorite jersey, #20, which is being retired at halftime.

As the smoke from the grill flourished into the air like the burgeoning smog in the Philadelphia city skyline, it's about that time to put some smoke of my own into the air.

Before I could pull out a cigar from my Diesel 2-Finger brown leather carrying case, Herby busts out his 15-count herf-a-dor and offers me a puro of his own.

There were some tasty morsels in there…5 Vegas Cask-Strength, Man O’ War Ruination, Punch Bareknuckle and so-on-and-so-forth. However, I recall my encounter with the Gurkha faithful days prior and spot a beautiful Connecticut Shade cigar known as the “Gurkha Beauty.”

Not wanting an extremely full-bodied cigar, I pass up on the aforementioned offerings and divulge my interest into that eye-catching Gurka Beauty. A corona guy, I tend to stick with thinner vitolas but there’s something about that rotund 6.5” X 58 size that has me dribbling all over my green football jersey.

After I toast the foot, I fire up this Nicaraguan gem with my double flame butane lighter. On a side note, I will never touch the flame of a butane torch directly onto the foot of the cigar as this can detrimentally char a significant portion of your wrapper leaf, thus, inhibiting the desired flavor. Plus, the wrapper is damn gorgeous!

The stunning, chestnut Connecticut-seed wrapper is grown in Ecuador, and then aged 7 years before being applied. It encompasses a rich blend of unidentified 5-year aged fillers.

The first half inch of this tasty treat features a bready flavor accompanied by an effortless draw. Into the middle third of this cigar, the flavor changes into a creaminess which is complemented by a nice, natural sweetness in the smoke. As I pass about 25% of the smoke through my nostrils, it is smooth and painless. 

Between puffs, I take sips…well, take a drink…ok, a better word, quaff…ok, let’s be honest…I guzzle my rum and cokes while heckling the opposing fans in “blue” that walk by our tailgate party. It’s the kind of treatment one should expect if they come into Philadelphia wearing colors other than green. 

As my jeers persist, so does the ever-increasing flavor and enjoyment I receive from the Gurkha Beauty. As I make my way into the final third of this well-aged masterpiece, I get a clean, slightly zesty finish which builds to the very last puff. Upon finishing the elegant Gurkha Beauty, I forcefully spike the remainder of my cigar on the withered, cracked pavement of the parking lot as if I just scored a touchdown. However, this smoking experience was worth much more than just six points.

If you like mellow, Connecticut Shade cigars such as Montecristo White, Ashton and Davidoff, this blend is for you. My smart shopper advice to you is this…never, I mean, NEVER purchase the Gurkha Beauty on its own. It’s fairly high-end and expensive but is available in numerous Gurkha variety samplers as affordable as $3.00 a piece!

In conclusion, I saw my Gurkha-smoking friend Lola a few weeks after enjoying that Gurkha Beauty.

I tell her, “Hey. I had a Gurkha Beauty the other day.”

Elated, she responds, “Awesome! How was it?”

My answer, “Meh. It was alright.”

Brock’s Rating: “90”

Expert Philosophical Insightful Inspirational Thought for the Day for your Personal Edification and Enlightenment: Before kickoff of this divisional football contest, the “normal” referees who had “locked out” for more money and a bigger pension ran out of the tunnel and took the field. Disgusted with the incompetent “replacement” officials who botched calls and altered game outcomes in weeks prior, the Philly faithful cheered the men in stripes. However, I, for one, did not cheer them and, as a matter of fact, I booed them. I yelled, “Why are you people cheering for these imbeciles!?!? Boo!” Collectively, I received the question back, “Why are you booing them?” My response was, “You will see.” Literally, after two minutes into regulation, the zebras made a call in favor of the visiting team and, ironically, the enlightened folks in Section 101, Row 9 said, “Hey this kid was right! Bring back the replacements!”

“Pequeno” in size, “Grande” in flavor…

For those who pay attention to detail, I whipped up this review the day after CIGARfest 2012, still jacked up from the weekend’s festivities.

As we wrapped up the CIGARfest 2012 aftermath, I was embarrassed, humiliated, and appalled at the fact that I didn’t smoke many cigars. Between drawing raffles, running between the band stage and the main stage, chatting with cigar customers and vendors, striking out with the lovely CI models, and performing my alter-ego “Cornelius Quincy Corne” for 3,000 people, there just wasn’t much time for me to enjoy a fine puro.

The life-saver for me was a tiny little morsel I like to call “CI Knock-Offs Cohiba” (Note: Cohiba is a registered trademark of General Cigar Corporation.) The size I prefer in this blend is called “Pequeno” which literally translates into English as “small” or “little”. These small 4.2 X 34 pequenos provided a nice, quick burn while I was on the fly. These little guys are a great value as they come in small bundles of 30 sticks for a little under a buck a cigar. 

The Cohiba Knock-Off uses a chestnut Cameroon wrapper which exudes a hint of spice with ample sweetness. [Insert educational portion of cigar review here, Brock.] Ok folks, I’m being informed that I must “learn” you on tobacco in this portion of my analysis. The Cameroon wrapper is a rare wrapper leaf literally cultivated in small growing regions in the country of Cameroon, Africa. It is quite difficult for tobacco buyers and brokers to purchase this tobacco and, furthermore, requires a high level of carefulness during production. Due to its delicateness, only the most skillful “torcedores” (rollers) in a cigar factory are permitted to roll cigars utilizing Cameroon tobacco.

In many cases, Cameroon tobacco is used as binder due to its ugly appearance and lackluster vein structure. When used as a wrapper, numerous manufacturers use cedar or tissue paper to cover up the ugly vein structure and spottiness. However, the Cohiba Knock-off Pequeno uses no cigar band.

This Dominican treat is mellow in body but very flavorful. My only problem is the majority of these are rolled fairly loose which produces an easy, yet quite hot draw. 

Let’s cut to the chase, I like this brand because it’s cheap, flavorful and has a true Cameroon taste. The flavor presents a hint of spice with an ample natural sweetness and just a small fraction of nuttiness. No bones about it, this is a good every day, coffee break cigar.

If you’re a fan of Cohiba, Rocky Patel Cameroon, or any kind of cigarillo that comes in a tin, this value is for you.

Brock’s Flavor Rating: “80”

Brock’s Value Rating: “92”

Expert Philosophical Insightful Thought for the Day: “Guy walks into a bar. Ouch!”

If you’re on our mailing list, you’ve likely seen Punch Bareknuckle on the cover. Eye-catching, no? Rightfully so, because I’ll say it up front: the mighty Punch brand was desperate for a blend like this.

Years ago, Punch was among the strongest blends on the market. Times have changed, new makers have entered the fray, powerful new tobaccos have been produced, and Punch quickly evolved into a classic brand with a classic flavor profile. All things considered, it is best described as medium-bodied, but incredibly consistent and expertly well-made. Unfortunately, today’s enthusiast demands more, and the Punch portfolio hasn’t grown to meet these demands.

Bareknuckle changes all that. At play, a dark and leathery sun-grown wrapper grown from Habano seeds in Ecuador, overtop a long-leaf blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran long-fillers, laced with ample ligeros. While the use of these powerful tobaccos aren’t sugar-coated with rare growing techniques or proprietary fermentation processes, when blended by the masterminds inside the legendary Punch factory and combined with said factory’s unrivaled quality control, the possibilities are endless.

I’ve selected the Belicoso. Why? Well, surprisingly enough....it’s the first Belicoso ever to boast the mighty Punch band. Surprising, I know, but pleasantly so. The cigar opens in brutish fashion, dishing out a bold, meaty array of aggressive flavors. Earth, black tobacco, and leather smack my palate with each puff, followed by a long, toasty finish with (surprisingly) subtle spices. The cigar is rock hard but delivers a perfect draw, leading to a very slow and cool burn. About 10 minutes in and I’ve burned through less than an inch, and the flavors have gradually toned down, allowing more subtle nuances to surface....flavors that were no doubt hiding in the background. I now note a touch of oak and a soothing trace of coffee bean, just before the long, toasty finish sits on my taste buds each time I put the cigar down for a temporary rest. Complexity....something I’ve been wanting from Punch for some time.

But, what’s even better about this cigar is its underlying strength. Punch Bareknuckle is no doubt full-bodied, but deceivingly so. There’s a ton of flavor, which many folks will confuse with strength....but pay close attention to your gut, because you will feel the ligeros there. Your head won’t swim throughout the burn, but the methodical increase in strength from the first inch and beyond will leave you satisfied, as if you just polished off a juicy steak or plate of ribs.

The final leg is everything Punch should be. A rich, flavor-packed, bold bouquet with an interesting combination of noble and delicate flavors. Roll the smoke around in your mouth a bit before each exhale. Release some smoke through your nose. Focus on the warm, charcoal-like aroma wafting above. Three suggestions to truly appreciate this bold new face of Punch.

That’s my take on Punch Bareknuckle. A necessary blend to reinvigorate the legendary Punch brand, and reinstate its place among the industry’s premier full-bodied cigars.