Vitola: Box-pressed Toro- 6” x 50 ring gauge
- ~$6.00
- Purchased at Burns Tobacconist
Background
Dr. Fu Manchu is described in Wikipedia as a “supervillain introduced in a series of novels by English author, Sax Rohmer, beginning shortly before World War I.” He became an archetype of the evil genius or mad scientist and inspired the name for the long, thin mustache…and sometimes beard…that has become synonymous with the character.
Punch Cigars decided to use the name for their 4th installment of an annual cigar series celebrating the Chinese New Year. They produced 6,400 boxes of 20 sticks, so 128,000 cigars for this release. This year’s blend uses a Honduran Habano wrapper or an Indonesian binder, and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Mexico.
I have purchased probably half a dozen of these and smoked several before this review sample, which I purchased at Burns Tobacconist in Chattanooga.
Prelight
Packaging is a highlight of the Punch Chinese New Year series, with previous years’ packaging resembling Chinese takeout containers. This year is no different with a cardboard soup container, decorated with Asian artwork and a tiger. It’s a fun and cool look that carries through to the band, which is primarily a dar blue background, but with a splash of red (considered lucky) in the center of the band and copious amount of gold foil.
The most interesting feature of the wrapper leaf is the “Fu Manchu beard” piece of tobacco extending from the cap, under the band and about halfway down the cigar. This isn’t exactly a new trick anymore, with other companies releasing cigars with “fuses” and other ornamental pieces of tobacco in places like this, but it’s still fun and creative.
The main part of the wrapper was a milk chocolate brown with plenty of oiliness and an almost leathery feel under my fingertips. It smelled of earth and toasted wood. Above the band, there is a different wrapper in evidence, a lighter-colored one almost the color of a Shade leaf. It had a slight earthiness and a touch of sweet grass to it. The cap over it was the darker tobacco again. The foot was rich in notes of chocolate and earth, with a touch of bell pepper and coffee mixed in.
Once clipped, the prelight draw was very good and had notes of cedar, dark cherry, and earth.
Flavor
I fired up the Punch Fu Manchu and immediately got solid cedar up front, accompanied right behind with chili pepper spicy heat, earth, and a slight chocolate sweetness. The retrohale was even more spicy, with an intense red pepper flake overlaying roasted nuts and more cedar. As I got toward the end of the first third, I noted that the pepper had died down quite a bit on both palate and nose, while a more floral note started to come through.
Getting into the second third, there was an increase in cedar and spicier notes came back, producing an almost cinnamon heat. The sweetness played around in the background in a supporting role.
In the last third, the Punch Fu Manchu saw the pepper decrease again until it was just a low burn while the earth and cedar notes took over. The sweetness was far in the background at this point.
Construction
I had a very good draw, even enough burn line, and solid ash.
Value
The price tag on these is excellent, especially since they came out before inflationary pressures caused prices to skyrocket. Therefore, they are a bargain smoke that performs more like an “averaged-priced” cigar.
Conclusions
The original Punch Chinese New Year release, Egg Roll, is still my favorite of the series, but the Fu Manchu is definitely a very good addition. It had far more complexity than you would expect in a $6 cigar and was enjoyable the entire way as a result. Don’t let these pass you by.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
