Our reviews for today will get the week started with a closer look at the Punch Bareknuckle and the Paul Garmirian 15th Anniversary.

Punch Bareknuckle Elites

The Bareknuckle moniker is certainly a bold one for this line from Punch Cigars, and the folks in the marketing department didn’t come up with it by mistake.  The Bareknuckle is marketed as a strong cigar that packs a punch (no pun intended).  Of course, Punch is no stranger to powerful cigars, so the Bareknuckle falls in line nicely with the brand’s tradition.  Since the Bareknuckle carries the reputation of being a full-bodied cigar, I made sure I had something to eat before lighting up one of its Elites offerings. 

The Elites is just one of many offerings in the Punch Bareknuckle line. It measures 5.2 x 45.  Other sizes include the 4.5 x 50 Rothschild, 5 x 50 Mini Belicoso, and the 6.1 x 50 Pita.  The cigar's interior contains Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos.  Its exterior, meanwhile, is made up of an Ecuadorian Habano Sun Grown wrapper.  As I mentioned earlier in the intro, the Bareknuckle’s strength is said to be full-bodied.

In terms of appearance, the Punch Bareknuckle looks good. The oily wrapper has a great dark chocolate color and is on the toothy side. There are only a few modest veins that appear, but no sizable imperfections. The cigar seems firm to the touch without any soft spots. A nice band at the foot adds to the cigar's aesthetics. It features the Punch Bareknuckle name over a mostly blue color scheme. Just before lighting, there is a spicy cold taste and an earthy aroma.

The Bareknuckle proceeds to impress once it is finally ignited. The draw is just right. Attractive gray ash is created that is sturdy and keeps my shirt good and clean. The burn is really even and needs no touch-ups or re-lights. Plenty of smooth smoke fills the air during the gradual burn that lasts a little over an hour.