Punch sets sail for the New World Connecticut by A. J. Fernandez.

This has a screened satin ribbon foot band and a beautiful U.S. Connecticut Shade wrapper — two things that really stand out in a value priced offering such as this at $5.50. A tabled cut gives a loose-plus draw of nutty tobacco.

The binder is Mexican San Andres, and the filler is from Brazil and Nicaragua.

I’m outdoors on a windy afternoon, so I had to use a torch instead of my preferred soft flame. As a result I’m afraid I may have scorched the foot; whatever the reason I’m getting a slight harshness here at the beginning. Otherwise the flavor is a mild-medium intensity of old leather, a hint of bubblegum and a very slight citrus bright note.

This is a fast burner. After ten minutes I’m already an inch in. As I suspected, the bitterness is gone. The flavor intensity is up to medium with the complexity blooming to an interesting, rich, earthy/vegetal profile which I find hard to describe. I’m going to say it is a mix of bubblegum and brussels sprouts. Having said that I may have scared most potential smokers away from this stick, but I just call them as I see them and I don’t find it off-putting at all. The vegetal flavor lingers long on the finish. The ash dropped at 1‑½ inches. Before the end of the first third the intensity has built to medium-full. This is not a classic, wimpy, connie.

By the half-way point the fireworks have subsided and the intensity is back down at mild-medium. I, for one, am grateful for that, as staying at that high intensity of bold flavor would be fatiguing if it continued a lot longer. Here the profile is still vegetal with a bit of menthol freshening the finish. This afterglow continues through the smokable part of the last third.

This New World Connecticut Corona Gorda lasted a full hour and provided a pleasant, and satisfying, smoking experience. The flavors started with a mild-medium intensity of old leather, bubblegum and citrus and progressed to a crescendo of medium-full intensity with a vegetal, brussels sprouts, bubblegum complexity, before coasting into a mild-medium vegetal/menthol conclusion. At $5.50 this is a no brainer, excellent value, for a dang good premium smoking experience.