The Punch Rare Corojo is coming back again, and this time the annual cigar is coming back in a size from the past. The Punch Rare Corojo 2022 will be an Arisocrat size, a 6.125 x 40/54 figurado. The size was originally made at the at the Villazon factory, commissioned by Frank Llaneza, founder of Punch Cigars in Honduras. Frank made what he referred to as a baseball bat-size cigar for Red Auerbach and Art Rooney, two sports legends.
"I don't usually go for the bigger cigars but this was excellent start to finish. The sweet cocoa at the beginning that morphed into buttered toast and warm cinnamon at the midway point was perfectly balanced by charred oak and black pepper on the retro. The final inch or so got a little heavy on the wood notes but I would definitely smoke this one again after a big dinner with a nice rye to pair." -Vance T. (Vance)
STG, parent company of General Cigar and Cigars International, has announced a slew of holiday items for the 2022 season. Releases include a CAO advent calendars, Diesel Sideshow, and special 4 packs from Punch and El Rey del Mundo.
Punch Rare Corojo annual trip to retail shelves on February 1st. Over 20 years ago, a shortage of the wrapper leaf used caused the blend to remain off shelves for a few years, then, Punch Rare Corojo was reintroduced in 2001 and became one of the first cigars on the market to see an annual release.
General Cigar has announced a new addition to their Punch Knuckle Buster Habano line, Punch Knuckle Buster Habano Stubby. Punch Knuckle Buster Habano has been on the market since March 2020 and was geared as a value-oriented line. Now that line is getting a short gordo.
The Punch Knuckle Buster was introduced in February 2020 as a budget friendly cigar. Now that cigar is getting a maduro version, Punch Knuckle Buster Maduro.
General Cigar has detailed a new cigar from Punch called “The People’s Champ.” This cigar was created with input from thousands of Punch fans called The Punch Brotherhood, an online-based group of Punch brand enthusiasts from across the US.
Punch is celebrating The Year of the Rabbit with a limited-edition cigar: Spring Roll. This latest release marks the fifth edition of their Chinese New Year Series which previously has included: Fu Manchu (2022), Kung Pow! (2021), Chop Suey (2020) and Egg Roll (2019).
"The cigar was pleasing enough, but with the bunch and the draw it certainly took away from the experience. the cigar did have some bitterness. the last third really shined with the brown sugar joining it was a completely different experience." -Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
General Cigar has announced a new regular production line to the Punch brand. Punch Golden Era was designed to celebrate corojo tobacco that had a starring role in the “golden age” of cigars. Corojo had been used as the wrapper of choice on many cigars until tobacco diseases and mold brought the tobacco to the brink of extinction.