New Punch Signature Hits Stores in Early March (Updated)
General Cigar Co. is now shipping the new Punch Signature.
The cigar is being made in Honduras, presumably at the company’s STG Danlí factory, and features the iconic Mr. Punch character and his dog, Toby, throughout the project. It uses an Ecuadorian corojo wrapper that General Cigar Co. claims was blended exclusively for this release. A proprietary Connecticut habano binder is used over a blend of fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.
It comes in four sizes: a 5 x 54 robusto (MSRP $6.79), 6 x 60 Gigante ($7.39), 4 1/2 x 50 Rothschild ($5.39) and 5 3/4 x 52 torpedo ($6.99).
Agustin Garcia, blender of Punch Signature, said that “Punch Signature is inspired by the 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.”
Updates about the cigar will be released weekly on a new website created for the cigar, signature.punchcigars.com. Through the website, Punch is encouraging cigar smokers to interact with Mr. Punch, who will be creating custom memes on cigar-related photos submitted via Twitter or Instagram–both @PunchCigars–and with the hashtag #NiceBurn. Consumers can also submit photos via e-mail to [email protected]. Mr. Punch’s memes will be featured on the site as well as on the Punch Cigars Facebook page, which will also feature details about the cigar.
The band on the Punch Signature band is a re-creation of artwork developed in the 1800s for the first Punch cigars, with the back of the band featuring Mr. Punch and Toby, which is a throwback to the original Mr. Punch character.
The box mixes old and new, using bold color blocking and an acrylic window to showcase the band, even when the box is closed, while the lid features the script typeface that was originally used in the 1800s. Each box holds 18 cigars.
A company spokesperson said that more details about the Punch Signature will be released in the coming weeks, though as can be seen in the photo above, it appears that the Punch Signature line will feature a 6 x 60 Gigante vitola.
Update (March 2, 2015) — Added blend info. The cigar is now shipping.
Patrick Lagreid
I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.
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