News from General Cigar late on a Friday! A long time ago they had a brand called “Diablo”, it was short-lived, and now they are using the name on a Punch line extension made at AJ Fernandez. I happen to know that the folks who actually make the cigars don’t really care for the name, generally. Catholicism tends to be heavily practiced in cigar making countries, and the locals can get a bit squirrelly about invoking the antichrist’s name. That’s not my problem, however, it looks like a blend that I’d appreciate.
Punch beckons you to the dark side without fear of losing your soul with the release of its newest collection called Diablo.
Punch Diablo marks the first time that a Punch cigar will be made outside of Honduras, where the brand has been made since the 1960s.
Ed Lahmann, senior brand manager for Punch said, “When it came time to select the blend for Diablo, we decided that we wanted to make the fullest-bodied Punch to date. AJ Fernandez is a master when it comes to developing full-bodied cigars, so we asked him to create a blend using aged tobaccos, one that has strength and bold flavor to complement the rest of the cigars under the Punch umbrella. We’re confident that the blend he delivered will be a great new option for classic Punch smokers and that Diablo will give all full-bodied smokers another reason to experience Punch.”
The unofficial brand spokesman, aka the snarky Mr. Punch character, chimed in to say, “With Diablo, we wanted a powerful smoke. So if you’re a pansie or a snowflake or whatever PC term they use these days, this is not a smoke for you.”
The devil is in the details, so Master Blender AJ Fernandez has left nothing to chance with this tempting four-country blend. Befitting of its diabolical name, Punch Diablo is made with a blend of four-year-aged Nicaraguan and Honduran Habano leaves and is wrapped in a deep, oscuro Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper, also aged four years. A bold Connecticut Broadleaf binder that’s been aged for six years seals the deal to deliver a sinfully indulgent smoke that’s spicy, intriguing and destined to leave you spellbound.
Notes of wood, earth and leather abound in this medium-plus to full-bodied smoke.
Handcrafted at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez, Punch Diablo will make its debut in packaging that features the brand’s new look and feel. These three sizes will be available, beginning in late July:
Scamp (6.125 x 50); SRP per cigar $7.19; 25 cigars per box
Diabolus (5.25 x 54); SRP per cigar $7.79; 25 cigars per box
Brute (6.25 x 60); SRP per cigar $8.19; 20 cigars per box
