Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
Binder: U.S.A. Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: U.S.A. Pennsylvania Broadleaf, Dominican, Nicaraguan
Size: 4.75 x 50 Robusto
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $11.95
My cigars came from the Luxury Cigar Club Monthly Subscription Service.
Of the three sizes: Robusto, Robusto Larga, and Corona Larga, LCC has the Robusto Large (5.5 x 54) for your purchasing needs. And you get 15% of with the promo ‘katman.’
BACKGROUND:
From Luxury Cigar Club:
“Ponce is a very new cigar company that debuted in early 2021. Started by Frank Vazquez, a former cigar retailer, with the help of MJ Frias Cigar SRL in the Dominican Republic. These blends are a breath of fresh air…covered in a rustic Mexican San Andres wrapper. Underneath you will find a Broadleaf binder sourced from the USA, with fillers from Nicaragua, USA, and the Dominican Republic. This is a bold and beautiful blend. You will find hearty notes of chocolate, espresso, wood, mixed nuts, and a delicate spice.”
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
I like a cigar that is well constructed, and the Ponce Maduro offers up a nicely rolled cigar.
The draw is right on the line between a bit too tight and it’s OK with me. If after the first puffs, I feel that I’d prefer a more open Holland Tunnel effect, I will grab my PerfecDraw draw adjustment tool and go to work.
The cigar turns out to be a bit tight, so I use my PerfecDraw and snag the plug near the cigar band area of the cigar. One day, someone is going to tell me why this is the most common point for a plug.
An immediate balance of self-doubting black pepper and creaminess. It has that fettuccini alfredo thing with lots of black pepper covering the creamy noodles. Garlic toast would be nice.
Complexity is front and center just moments after the first puffs. The only thing I can say at this point is it is very AJ Fernandez even though he had nothing to do with it.
First notes are black licorice, green mint, bittersweet chocolate, malt, strong espresso, a creamy fruitiness that includes pears and cantaloupe (Another acid flashback that comes more regularly as I get older), brown sugar, baking spices, and a hot fresh buttered biscuit.
I love it when the complexity wastes no time. Transitions are a swift boat, and the finish is slightly spicy with the creamy black pepper riding the first elephant in the parade.
Construction is top notch. The char line is dead nuts.
Strength is a potent medium.
My most fervent compliment is that this blend is smooth and transparent; it leaves everything on the table ignoring none of the aforementioned flavors. Once again, I find that this is my favorite type of cigar in which the whole shebang is the star.
The AJ thing disappears quickly as this cigar becomes its own man. The blend intertwines with the interesting choices of tobacco.
Slow as she goes…which is another proof of life that the rollers knew what they were doing.
1-3/4” in and I’m at the 20-minute mark. I am an official bona fide fan of Ponce Cigars.
The sweet v. savory balance is in play.
Strength moves gracefully to medium/full.
I love this blend. All hail Frank Vazquez.
The sweet spot arrives with almost 3” to go.
Sips of water reinforce the planetary rule that certain tobacco blenders reign supreme over most others struggling to do the same thing.
And now I can do the reveal…only one month of naked humi time.
The $12 stick has now become the ruling class of price points for new cigars. Only 5 years ago, it was $8-$9 a pop.
Transitions move up the evolutionary scale to momentous. Whizzing by like crows chasing ferrets for dinner.
I don’t think I would have tried this cigar if not for it being in the Luxury Cigar Club monthly subscription service. Ben Rotem makes some very good choices. This cigar didn’t get much P.R. and is not easy to find.
The cigar band slides off like a silk stocking held by garters. I’m so glad I waited till I was 35 to get married.
I dated a sex surrogate back in the day. First time I was up against an insatiable woman. I got dragged around like a sex toy. Thank God I was young.
The medium/full strength doubles down on the smooth element that defines this blend.
Sophisticates and newbies will absolutely love this cigar.
It’s taken 40 minutes to get to the halfway point…my kind of cigar.
My palate does the Macarena. Even though this old body is only capable of doing the Dad Dance.
Normally, the cat looks for the exit if I light up a cigar. But Sammy is mellow yellow while lying at my feet. The aroma doesn’t have that typical cigar stench that most cigars possess. It is sweet like candy.
The burn has been a work of art.
I see nubbing in my future.
You guys and gals must try this cigar. A fiver at least. This is a heavenly experience.
See…I’m not always an asshole. All a blend needs to do is deliver the goods. My sarcasm, and sense of humor, flies out the window.
Interference from nicotine is mild and blindness isn’t on the menu.
The flavors I’ve described have not retreated; rather, they work in harmony to make smoking this blend a beautiful treat for all the senses. Good work, Frank.
I stop writing and head over to LCC and snag a fiver. I want delicious in my humidor.
The 15% off promo code katman brings the price down to $10. I like that a lot.
1-3/4” left and not a hint of heat or harshness. The blend is singing to me…off key, of course.
My PerfecDraw makes for a perfect roach clip.
Word of mouth is going to spread like crazy in the next couple of months and it’s going to be hard to find these cigars online.
Always a treat discovering a new blend that hits my G spot.
Thank you, Luxury Cigar Club, for bringing this cigar to my attention.
I will stop intruding on your time by just kicking back and enjoying the last vestiges of this spectacular blend.
RATING: 96
Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
Cigar Reviews by Phil 'Katman' Kohn 
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