Review of Punch Knuckle Buster CigarBy: Gary Manelski Punch Knuckle Buster cigars are made in Honduras with a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan Habano binder, and a blend of filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and Honduras. These cigars hit the market on March 9, 2020 in three sizes, including a Toro (6 x 50) which was sampled for this review, and priced at a suprisingly affordable $5.49 per stick. For more information about Punch Knuckle Buster cigars, check out the press release. As advertised, the Punch Knuckle Buster cigar is medium-bodied. The cigar began with a very enjoyable naturally sweet tobacco flavor. After a relight was required at the 10-minute mark, the sweetness faded a bit as a nutty caramel flavor also emerged, but the cigar was still enjoyable. About 20 minutes later, a touch-up was needed to keep the burn even, as the sweet and nutty flavor began to fade, with the taste becoming more leathery. The flavor was still decent, though no longer very good. At this point, the Knuckle Buster began to taste more like a five-dollar cigar. My smoking session lasted for another 30 minutes, resulting in a total smoke-time of one hour. I smoked the Knuckle Buster down to just over two inches of cigar remaining. The sample cigar was well-made and had a good draw, mostly even burn, and held a medium-to-long ash. It is noted that this brand new cigar rested in my humidor for only four days prior to this review, and has the potential to improve with a little more age. When considering the value factor, I rate the Punch Knuckle Buster cigar with a very good overall rating of 4 points on a 5-point scale. The taste was superior for the first 10 minutes, very good for the next 20 minutes, and good-to-average for the last 30 minutes. Knuckle Buster should appeal to most cigar smokers, from beginners to experienced connoisseurs. Not a cigar for special occasions, but the first half is very enjoyable and overall it is still a great value. Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. |