Smoked: Punch Diablo Scamp

Smoked at: Sharonville, Ohio

Punch Diablo Scamp is an AJ Fernandez blend featuring Nicaraguan and Honduran filler, a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and a very dark brown toothy gritty Ecuadoran Sumatra Oscuro wrapper. The Scamp vitola is 6.125 inch by 50 RG.

Cedar, spice that gives way to more pepper before the first third ends, a musty vegetal earthy note, leather, hazelnuts and hints of sweetness that’s hard to describe – somewhere between molasses and cotton candy. This is very much a wood, musty earth, vegetal, leather-driven cigar with a backdrop of espresso, licorice and dark chocolate trying desperately to sneak forward. The flavors are there, but very much in the background. The retrohale has the aroma of wood, musty earth (like mushrooms), black pepper and leather.

This is a well-constructed cigar. The draw was a shade tight to start, but opened up easily with the Perfect Draw. The white ash held on tight. Smoke production was solid. In hand, the cigar is firm with just enough give hen squeezed.

Punch Diablo is dark, rich, bold, robust, full bodied and full strength with no real transitions. What you taste during the first third is what you get to the nub. No complaints. I like the flavor profile. If you’re into rich, full-bodied, full-strength sticks, this should be in your humidor.

When you see the box, notice the depiction of Mr. Punch and the wording “the dark side of Punch.” This would be a good Halloween smoke – I guess if you want to scare off the trick-or-treaters. Ir’s unlike any Punch I’ve experienced to date. It’s also the dark side of AJ Fernandez. It reminds me of another AJ I’ve smoked recently and also enjoyed – the Hoyo La Amistad Black, which is also cloaked in an Ecuadoran Sumatra Oscuro wrapper.