Vitola: Robusto Gordo- 5.5” x 55 ring gauge
- MSRP $8.99
- Purchased from Small Batch Cigar
Background
Last week I looked at the Punch Store Press Broadleaf, in what will be 3 installments of a series. I don’t want to repeat myself too much…if you want to read all about it, check out the previous review…but this was a 2019 release from the General Cigar-owned Punch brand that has 3 different blends, each in a single vitola, each box-pressed and delivered in a box that is similar to a box-press mold. Today I’m looking at the Mata Fina version.
To start off with, the Mata Fina is in a size I consider reasonable, at 5.5” long and 55 ring gauge. I’d rather see it be 5.25 x 52, or even 5 x 50, but I can live with the 55 ring in a shorter size like this. It uses Nicaraguan filler and binder leaves, along with a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper.
This is the third time I’ve smoked this blend and I purchased review samples from Small Batch Cigar, a Leaf Enthusiast sponsor. Background was taken from halfwheel’s news story.
Prelight
Even though the blend has nothing to do with the Punch Signature, that’s the band they are using for the main band on these releases. The secondary band here is a green with “Mata Fina” in gold foil on it. For other packaging details, I refer you once again to the first review in this series.
The wrapper leaf was a dark chocolate brown with some lighter mottling and some gnarly veins in some places. The cap had a ragged seam line and the leaf was overall just kind of ugly…although that’s kinda what I’ve grown to like in a cigar…rustic and ugly. Especially when the aroma is so potent, reeking of earth and leather and anise, with just a touch of cocoa powder. The foot of the stick had a more even mix of earth and cedar.
I cut the head with my Xikar Xi straight cutter and got a very good draw that had flavors of cinnamon, cocoa powder, and earth.
Flavor
The Punch Store Press Mata Fina started off with heavy flavors of cedar and earth, backed up with a slight dark fruit sweetness, anise, and some pepper spice. The retrohale had some cedar and sweetness in it, as well, but was really heavy on the cayenne pepper, although it didn’t last long. The first third got sweeter along the way with a nice bittersweet chocolate flavor.
The second third continued that trend with dark chocolate notes taking over the primary flavor component; earth, cedar, and pepper came in behind and rounded it out nicely.
The last third of the Store Press Mata Fina had earthy notes coming up strongly in the blend, with chocolate flavor receding quite a bit.
Construction
I had a very good draw, even burn line, and solid ash.
Value
I found this installment of this series to be an excellent value.
Conclusions
In the end, the Punch Store Press Mata Fina was a very good example of a Nicaraguan blend with a Maduro wrapper. The Brazilian Mata Fina in this case had plenty of spice and chocolate along the way, while allowing the woody and earthy notes off the Nicaraguan leaf to come through, as well. Of the three, this is the one I would most like to see become a regular production item…it really falls well into my wheelhouse.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
