General’s New Look Sancho Panza Heading to Stores

The second reworked line from Matt Booth, the newly-appointed creative director for General Cigar Co., is now heading to stores.

This time, Booth, Justin Andrews and the team at the STG Danlí factory in Honduras have reworked three different Sancho Panza lines. Both the blends and branding have changed, the latter of which is said to be inspired by the Latin culture of West Los Angeles.

There are a trio of lines, each offered in three sizes, though not exactly the same three vitolas. The Sancho Panza Original will now use a Connecticut-seed wrapper grown in Honduras over a Mexican San Andrés binder and Brazilian mata fina, Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. The company describes the blend as medium-bodied.

• Sancho Panza Original Robusto (5 1/2 x 50) — $6.69 (Box of 20, $133.80)
• Sancho Panza Original Toro (6 1/2 x 52) — $7.09 (Box of 20, $141.80)
• Sancho Panza Original Gigante (6 x 60) — $7.59 (Box of 20, $151.80)

The Sancho Panza Double Maduro is described as medium-plus. It uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over a binder from Estelí, Nicaragua and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

• Sancho Panza Double Maduro Robusto (5 x 50) — $7.49 (Box of 20, $149.80)
• Sancho Panza Double Maduro Toro (6 x 52) — $8.49 (Box of 20, $169.80)
• Sancho Panza Double Maduro Gigante (6 x 60) — $9.49 (Box of 20, $189.80)

General Cigar Co. says the Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte is the strongest of the trio. It uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over a Connecticut broadleaf binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

• Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Robusto (5 x 50) — $7.49 (Box of 20, $149.80)
• Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Toro (6 x 52) — $8.49 (Box of 20, $169.80)
• Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Gigante (5 7/8 x 60) — $9.49 (Box of 20, $189.80)

“The re-launch of Sancho Panza marks an exciting turning point for this iconic brand, said Booth in a press release. “By elevating brand aesthetics, investing ourselves into the realization of intelligent blend expressions and putting the force of our ground pounders behind this brand in the streets, we are taking Sancho Panza to a new lifespan and beyond. I am extremely proud of the work that the entire team has done to bring these new expressions to life. And I look forward to witnessing the brand’s newfound potential.”

General Cigar Co. says the company began shipping the new Sancho Panza lines this week.