Tag Archives: Mata Fina

by Craig Vanderslice | February 26, 2020 · 8:38 pm

A Visit to Black Horse Cigars and some Punch Cigars

Yesterday I took a drive to Sicklerville, New Jersey and paid a quick visit to Black Horse Cigars for a smoke. My wife was doing some research at the library at Rowan University about 6 miles away, so it was a good excuse for a visit. The Black Horse Cigar Shop is at the end of a small shopping center and has a well appointed walk in humidor with reasonable prices for New Jersey. I selected a Punch Store Press Mata Fina and their own Aniversario cigar in a Lancero size and went to check out the lounge. They have a really nice lounge with all the amenities, a bar area, comfy seating, several hightop tables and TVs. I settles into one of the leather couches (and hoped that I could get up after sinking in!) and lit up the Punch. They had recently had an event featuring the Punch Store Press series, and the line was prominently displayed in the humidor, so it caught my eye. The 5½”x 55 Mata Fina not only looked like it was the right size for my time allotment, but the Brazilian Mata Fina Wrapper was a beautiful dark brown and looked tasty. They are displayed in trays with wooden dividers like they use to press the cigars in the factory to create the box press presentation. The lounge has lighters and cutters liberally sprinkled throughout the place, of course, I carry my own tools. The Punch Store Press Mata Fina started off a with little odd flavor, almost sour, but developed nicely over time. It sweetened slightly, but was more on the savory side for the most part. I really liked it and hated to put it down. Just before I had to leave one of the members came in and was very friendly and had he been there when I came in I can imagine that I would have spent the entire time having a great conversation with him. I was impressed with the shop and look forward to the next time I’m in the area and can stop in and spend some more time in the lounge.

When I got home I took my evening walk with the Black Horse Aniversario Lancero, which is a 6½” x 40 San Andrés wrapped cigar with and Dominican Binder and filler. OK, so it isn’t really a Lancero, it’s Lancero-ish, they also had a Gordo. I probably should have picked up their Connecticut version as well, it’s something for the next time I go there. They were tight-lipped about the factory where this is made, I asked, but my question went unanswered. This cigar has a dark maduro wrapper, and a pigtail cap. The burn and draw were perfect and I enjoyed it for a good hour and a half. It was earthy and on the milder side of medium, with some espresso flavors. I found it to be quite enjoyable and the $10ish price-tag was not out of line.

Speaking of Punch, this news came out last week:

PUNCH TO LAUNCH FULL-TIME LINE CALLED “KNUCKLE BUSTER”

Punch is set to launch a full-time, wallet and palate-pleasing line called “Knuckle Buster.” The three-cigar collection will begin shipping to retailers in March.

Named for a phrase made famous by a university basketball coach who described a rough and tumble physical game as a “Blue Collar Knuckle Buster,” the Punch Knuckle Buster was created to deliver a hardworking blend for hard working people.

Ed Lahmann, senior brand manager for Punch said, “Punch is committed to staying true to what the brand has represented over the last six decades: a consistent, well-made, no-nonsense cigar at a price that’s fair and reasonable. Punch Knuckle Buster honors this commitment with a solid, enticing blend for the people who work hard to enjoy the good life.”

Punch’s blending team at the HATSA cigar factory set out to make a medium-bodied cigar that would appeal to both new and seasoned smokers. They selected only Habano-seed tobaccos from Nicaragua and Honduras to deliver when it comes to balancing flavor and strength with complexity. Knuckle Buster has a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper, a Nicaraguan Habano binder and its filler tobaccos are from Nicaragua and Honduras.

Punch Knuckle Buster will ship to retailers on March 9 in these three sizes:

Robusto (4.5” x 52); SRP per cigar $4.99; Available in 25 count boxes

Toro (6” x 50); SRP per cigar $5.49; Available in 25 count boxes

Gordo (6.25” x 60) : SRP per cigar $5.99; Available in 20 count boxes

Lahmann continued, “Our hope is that Punch Knuckle Buster becomes a ‘go to’ blend that cigar smokers can rely on time and time again, without having to think twice when they hit the cash register or click on their carts. We want it to be the perfect smoke for walking the dog or mowing the lawn or enjoying with cigar smoking friends. Because after all, a cigar is not about money or status or boutique cigar makers. It’s about removing those barriers and enjoying a moment of well-earned relaxation.”

Punch cigars are handcrafted at General Cigar’s HATSA factory in Danli, Honduras.

A few weeks ago Punch released the limited Edition Chop Suey, following up last year’s Egg Roll. I never did get around to trying the Egg Roll, not sure why I didn’t pick some up. The Chop Suey is a 7” x 37 Panatela with a 1” shaggy foot. I receive a pair of these from General a few weeks ago and figured tonight was a good night to give one a try. This has an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers, and retails for around $6. They package the bundles of 25 in boxes that look like Chinese take-out, and the bands have fortunes on the underside, mine said “Avoid people who take cigar fortunes too seriously”. I guess that’s better than “Help. I”m being held captive in a fortune cookie factory”. The first inch of this, without the wrapper, tasted pretty good, when the wrapper caught, it didn’t seem to change a whole lot. The draw tightened a bit, and when this happens I usually check the foot to see if there’s a tar build up, and there was, and I’m glad I cleaned it off with my finger before it hit my lips or tongue. If you’ve ever had that tar hit your tongue, it about ruins a cigar, or anything else, for the rest of the night. I re-cut the cigar and fixed the tar problem, sometimes cutting the absolute bare minimum off the cap just isn’t enough. The rest of the cigar smoked well, it tasted fine with leathery flavors. It lacked the sweetness I expect from Sumatra wrappers, but the higher combustion temperature from the. smaller ring might have something to do with that. I’ll give this cigar another try under different circumstances.

That’s enough for today, until the next time.

CigarCraig

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Filed under Review, Stores

Tagged as Black Horse, Chop Suey, cigar, cigars, Mata Fina, punch, Store Press

by CigarCraig | December 15, 2011 · 6:54 am

CigarCraig’s 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways Day 4: Monte Pascoal

Wow, another record breaking day! Â People sure like a chance to win cool stuff! Â I’ve once again consulted the Random Number Generator and the winner of a one year subscription to Cigar Journal is comment number 30, which was Elliott! Â Congrats! Â Please send me your address so I can pass it on to the folks at Cigar Journal to get your subscription started! Once again, it’s time for the Day 4 offering:

Today on CigarCraig’s CigarCraigâ€™s 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways we have a sampler of Monte Pascoal cigars courtesy of Tabacos Mata Fina USA, Â Included here are a 3 pack of Belicosos, and one each of the Minuto, Corona and Robusto. Â These are Brazilian Puros and they are delicious and was awarded “Best Brand from Brazil” by Cigar Journal!

Many thanks to Wesley Gensel from Tabacos Mata Fina USA for providing these fine cigars!

You know what to do! Â Leave a comment to enter and good luck!

Until tomorrow,

CigarCraig

44 Comments

Filed under Contest

Tagged as 12 days, Brazil, cigar, cigars, Contest, Mata Fina, MataNorte, Monte Pascoal, tabacos mata fina usa

by CigarCraig | November 6, 2011 · 9:19 am

A Bunch of Cigars, A Shop Visit, and A Contest!

After a busy few weeks of chronicling my trip to General Cigar Dominicana, it’s time to try to get back into a normal routine. I haven’t smoked too many cigars since my return. When I got back I had a terrible cold, so I didn’t waste too many cigars, and the ones that I optimistically tried tasted pretty bad. I kept it to cigars that I knew pretty well to gauge my taste buds. After a week or so, I was pretty well back to being able to enjoy a cigar.

One of the first cigars I had was a sample from the IPCPR show. I ended up with a bunch of cigars from Brun Del Re, a cigar maker from Costa Rica. This was a cigar from their Don Corazza line, which is a cigar made from Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos. The size was a 4″ x 60 which isn’t listed on their website. The cigar started with a nice, unique flavor, which turned a bit sour in the second half. I have a robusto in this line yet, as well as robustos in three or four of the other lines. Unfortunately, I have some pre-conceived notions about show samples from companies like this. It’s not fair, I know, but there have been so many cigars I’ve smoked in the past that have just been “same old, same old”, and failed to impress. These are nice looking sticks and I’ll certainly smoke them with an open mind. I may not get to the rest of the samples until spring, as I smoke fewer cigars in the colder weather, and tend to stronger ones.

I enjoyed a Monte Pascoal Robusto as well last week, courtesy of Wes Gensel, of Monte Pascoal cigars. This is a Brazilian puro, was awarded the best Brazilian cigar by Cigar Journal Magazine at their awards ceremony last July in Vegas, and is a very nice smoke. Perfectly constructed and a pretty cigar with a nice flavor. This is the first larger vitola I’ve smoked and I actually liked it better than the petite corona. On the full side of medium, this is a cigar you should try if you get a chance.

Last weekend we had an unusual October snowstorm, which dumped about 4 inches of wet snow on our area. We were fortunate to not lose power as many in the area did, nor did we have any limbs down on our property. I took my usual Saturday walk with a Cuban Crafters Powerhouse. I chose this because it was a cold and nasty day and I wanted something that would cut through the crappy weather. I mentioned somewhere that if I’m going to have my cigar get wet while I’m smoking it, I prefer it’s on a 90 degree day in a pool. As rotten as the weather was, this strong cigar was quite enjoyable. Any cigar that can hold up to wet snow and still provide a satisfying experience must be OK. This is a 6″ x 54 pigtailed toro that has a Nicaraguan Ligero binder, which strikes me as unusual. This is probably the first Cuban Crafters branded cigar I’ve really liked, but certainly not the first from Tabacalera Estili and Don Kiki Berger.

Halloween is always a traditional stogie night for me, and this year I opted for one of the coronas that I blended at Cigar Safari. The first one of these I smoked was at the 3 month mark, and it was spectacular. This one, while really good, was not as good as the first. I suppose as these age they will certainly change, I’m hoping that they will get better rather than worse. I shared one of these with my son yesterday and he enjoyed it. Seven left.

My mid-week walk got off to a late start so I stuck with a shorter smoke. A Gran Habano Habano #3 that was sent to my by one of my readers, Lloyd Ladrillono. I’ve been seeing these in catalogs, and they had a really interesting booth at the trade show which I never managed to visit, and the cigars look great and seem to be priced well. Lloyd was kind enough to share these with me and I appreciate it. I really enjoyed this robusto, it had a sweetness that I like a lot. This cigar hit me just right, it worked the way it should and tasted great.

I finished off the work week with a Murcielago Toro Grande which I bought at the Delaware Cigar Festival from Eddie Ortega. I like Eddie a lot, and I like the Murcielago more. The San Andreas maduro wrapper is beautiful and delicious. This one went a little sour at the band, but I think some humidor time will solve that problem. If I can keep my hands off the couple I have left, I’ll see if that’s the case, but this is a perfect cold weather cigar for me.

Saturday I took a drive to Pottstown, Pa. and paid a visit to Cole’s Tobacco. My wife had seen a picture of the store on one of the local radio station’s websites and did some research which led us to the visit. They have been there for a century and it’s the first I’d heard of it. In addition to a reasonable sized walk in humidor, they sell roll-your-own tobacco, candy, all kinds of stuff like an old fashioned news stand. They had the largest selection of Lars Tetens cigars I’ve seen in 15 years, we picked up a bottle of Lars’ Steak Sauce for the heck of it, I certainly wasn’t going to smoke any of his cigars! Anyway I walked out with a couple of Kristoffs that I hadn’t seen before, and had a nice chat with the proprietor, a young guy named Courtney. No lounge that I saw, but not a bad place to get some cigars if you find yourself in downtown Pottstown, PA.

To wrap the week up I smoked a Oja Anniversary perfecto on my Saturday walk. This is a semi-box pressed cigar with a Brazilian Samba wrapper that is rustic and oily. It has a very dark, rich flavor and burned well, despite it’s rough appearance. This was a sample sent to me by Luis Garcia, the brand owner. This is one of the cigars made by Kiki Berger in Nicaragua that I alluded to earlier that I really like, the whole line is good, but this anniversary edition is really nice. It commemorates the brand’s first anniversary, which is a little odd, but the cigar works, so who cares?

I haven’t had a contest in a while, so I have a Drew Estate cap and a Liga Privada cutter to give away this time. I might as well throw in a Stogieboys.com Cigar Journal along with it as well as a C-Gars Ltd. ring gauge card. I can’t be trusted NOT to include a cigar or two in a prize package. Leave a comment for a chance to win, and a Tweet with a link to this page (mentioning @cigarcraig so I see it) will get you an extra entry. I’ll draw a name at random next Sunday, November 13, 2011. Good luck!