Video review HERE.
(Description provided by General Cigar)
Punch is rolling out a new look for its “Signature” line of cigars. The revamped packaging began hitting stores this month, housing the same, award-winning blend that made Punch Signature a fan favorite in the Punch portfolio.
Ed Lahmann, senior brand manager of Punch said, “Punch Signature represents the best of Central American cigars. It has a great blend and a medium-plus profile that people really love. This blend was out of stock recently while we updated the packaging so with pent-up demand and the new box design that really pops at retail, we’re sure Punch Signature is going to fly off the shelves.”
The new look of Punch Signature eschews the acrylic window from the original, wooden-box packaging and replaces it with bi-fold panels that tell the story of the blend and expand the brand vista, optimizing the box for display on retailer shelves.
Punch Signature debuted in 2015. The five-cigar collection pays tribute to the original Punch blend by using tobaccos from the same countries of origin, adding layers of complexity through a blend of proprietary aged and younger tobaccos.
Development of the Punch Signature blend began in 2012 when the HATSA team worked with an independent grower to cultivate a special Ecuadoran Corojo wrapper exclusively for this cigar. Related to the original Cuban Corojo, the aged wrapper possesses abundant natural oil, with a lustrous look and silky feel. In a nod to the classic Punch blend, the blend for Punch Signature uses filler leaves from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, this time in both aged and newer varieties to deliver a unique, balanced strength. A proprietary Connecticut Habano binder completes the blend. This is a flavorful cigar, with hints of cocoa and an earthy spice.
Punch Signature is a full-time line handcrafted at the HATSA factory in Danli, Honduras, and is available in 18-count boxes in the following sizes:
Robusto 5 x 54; SRP per cigar $8.59 REVIEWED 3/22/15
Gigante 6 x 60; SRP per cigar $8.99
Rothschild 4.5 x 50; SRP per cigar $6.89
Torpedo 5.75 x 52; SRP per cigar $8.89
Pita 6 x 50; SRP per cigar $8.19 REVIEWED TODAY
The Punch Signature Pita is a medium brown and has a nice feel in the hand.
The test draw after cutting the cap was very good. The initial flavors at light up were very pleasing; cedar with light citrus notes, brown sugar, light cinnamon, dry nutmeg, leather, and black coffee. Nice black pepper rated at 7 1/2. Nice start. The flavors sort of remind me of a sweet wafer or cookie.
At the first third (37 minutes) the flavors are much like they started but a tad better. The citrus notes are a little more pronounced. The cedar is still the lead flavor but the citrus notes are elevated. The leather gives the cigar some bottom flavor but it is not intrusive. Neither does the coffee. It makes a nice base but you don't fixate on it. The dry nutmeg is also non-intrusive but makes a nice bridge flavor from the very sweet cedar, brown sugar, and citrus through the leather to the black coffee. The cigar is medium bodied. The finish is cedar, brown sugar, and nutmeg with average lingering black pepper. The flavors in this cigar are very pleasing. I rated the first third 93.
As I moved through the second third (1 hour 10 minutes) not much changed with the Pita. The overall appeal of the cigar dipped just a bit with the elevation of leather and black coffee. The cigar is still very sweet and very nice. Not much changed with the finish or strength. The cigar is still very good but not quite to the level of the first third. I rated the second third 92.
The Punch Signature Pita lasted 1 hour 31 minutes. A very good burn time. In the final third the flavor balance bounced back. The cigar's nice, sweet cedar, citrus, and brown sugar are back to the level of the first third with the nutmeg, leather, and black coffee also back to their original amount. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is a lot of nutmeg and brown sugar. Very sweet. The lingering black pepper is very nice. Overall, this is a very good cigar and something that you could easily smoke every day. Nice price point too. I rated the final third 93. You can purchase these cigars HERE.
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