News: General Debuts Punch Signature

Punch Signature added as full time production line

A few weeks ago, General Cigar began teasing details about a new blend – Punch Signature.  The Honduran-produced line was released this week and will continue as a full time regular production item.

Master Blender Agustin Garcia said the blend “was inspired by the original Punch,” and that it “mixes tradition with modern tastes.”  He went on to say the team had “spent three years developing the blend.”

Packaging

The original artwork developed for the first Punch cigars in the 19^th century has been re-created for the current release.  On the reverse, the band features Mr. Punch and his dog Toby – harkening back to the original Mr. Punch character.

The Punch Signature box features both traditional and new attributes.  It is adorned with blocked coloration and an acrylic window that showcases the band, even when closed.  The lid carries the same script typeface as was originally used over a century ago.  Each cabinet-style box holds 18 cigars.

The Cigar

Subsequent to the packaging details, General revealed blend components.  Blender Agustin Garcia and team attempted to stay true to the original Punch blend by using tobaccos from the same countries of origin.  Garcia said, “Punch Signature is inspired by Punch original blend. Think of it as a brother who has a lot of fire in him, but also respects tradition and the family name.”

Wrapper

In 2012, the team found a small amount of Ecuadoran tobacco that they wanted to use.  However, this batch was in short supply to produce a full time addition to the Punch lineup.  They worked with a grower to cultivate a special Ecuadoran Corojo wrapper for the Signature.  This wrapper is related to the original Cuban Corojo seed, and has been processed and aged during the intervening time.  It reportedly has a great deal of natural oil, which gives it an elastic, silky texture and hints of cocoa with an earthy spice.

Binder and Filler Mix

The binder is a proprietary Connecticut Habano leaf.  No further details were available.  The filler blend is made up of both Dominican and Nicaraguan tobacco.  They are of the same variety as the original Punch blend, with one key difference:  Some of the components are quite aged, while others less so.  Leaves with more age are intended to bring flavor and balance, while the younger tobacco is meant to bring more strength.  This carries with the Punch Signature theme of delivering a mix of tradition and modern taste.

Availability

As mentioned above, the Punch Signature has already begun shipping.  The line is available in four vitolas:

Robusto (5” x 54, $6.79)

Gigante (6” x 60, $7.39)

Rothschild (4.5” x 50, $5.39)

Torpedo (5.75” x 52, $6.99)