General Cigar has a long history of crowdsourcing their cigar releases like this. They did it with the Cameroon Excalibur, a CAO release, at least those are two that immediately sprang to mind. None of these were actually named after the process from what I can recall. It sounds like a good blend, and good for them for keeping the price down, this seems to be Punches thing these days. We can all use a break, right?
A new cigar from Punch called “The People’s Champ,” will ship in early June. The cigar is the result of input from thousands of dyed-in-the-wool Punch fans who guided every aspect of the cigar and its packaging.
The Punch Brotherhood, an online-based group of Punch brand enthusiasts from across the US, started collaborating on The People’s Champ cigar in 2019, providing feedback to the Punch brand and cigar-making teams in the U.S. and Honduras. Three years later, with input on everything from the profile and the size of the cigar to its packaging, Punch will proudly unveil the limited edition robusto.
Punch brand manager John Hakim said, “We asked. They told. We crafted. This is the best way to describe how The People’s Champ cigar was created. While some may say we spent a lot of time on such a limited run of cigars, we beg to differ. We learned so much from Punch’s most devoted fans, and those insights will be incredibly valuable in guiding us on future releases.”
Crafted at HATSA in Honduras, The People’s Champ cigar features a five-country blend, made with a rich Honduran Habano wrapper from the Talanga Valley, with a Mexican San Andrean binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Brazil and Nicaragua.
The People’s Champ is a brick and mortar exclusive that will be sold to an elite group of Punch retailers across the country. The cigars will be available in both 5 and 10-count, paper-wrapped bundles which will ship to retailers on June 1. The cigar’s imagery will be revealed at that time via the Punch website.
The People’s Champ (5” x 50); SRP per cigar $6.49
The medium bodied experience begins with a hint of sweetness and builds to notes of nuts and leather, with a white pepper finish.
About Punch Cigars
Punch cigars are produced by General Cigar Co. Inc., which manufactures and markets handcrafted cigars for the premium market. Committed to delivering cigars of the finest quality, General Cigar also produces Macanudo®, Cohiba®, Partagas®
Hoyo de Monterrey®, Excalibur®, La Gloria Cubana® and several other leading premium brands. In addition, the company grows its own premium Connecticut Shade wrapper tobacco, as well as natural and candela wrapper in the Dominican Republic. General Cigar also operates Club Macanudo®, a cigar bar in New York City. Based in Richmond, VA, General Cigar sells through tobacconists nationwide. For more information, please visit www.cigarworld.com.
