Add Punch to the list of iconic blends, master blender AJ Fernandez will have his footprint on. At next week’s IPCPR Trade Show, General Cigar will showcase the Punch Diablo. The Punch Diablo was developed by Fernandez and is also produced at his factory in Estelí, Nicaragua – making it the first Punch branded cigar to be produced outside Honduras.

The concept for Punch Diablo was to produce a powerful offering under the Punch brand. Ed Lahmann, Senior Brand Manager for Punch commented, “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 blend consists of a dark Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro wrapper over a Connecticut binder and a combination of Nicaragua and Honduran tobaccos. The cigar is available in three sizes: Scamp ( 6 1/8 x 50), Diabolus (5 1/4 x 54), and Brute (6 1/4 x 60).

General Cigar has worked with the name “Diablo” before. The Diablo name has been featured on a vitola under the Punch Rare Corojo line. It also was the name of a brand in the General Cigar Company portfolio that was introduced in 2004 that was called “Diablo Cigars.” That cigar used similar blend components to the Punch release.

Fernandez is also making the Hoyo La Amistad line for General Cigar along with the Foundry Time Flies, Diesel Grind, and Diesel Whiskey Row.  Ramon Allones, another brand name that General owns, is now being produced by Fernandez as well as being distributed by Fernandez’s AJ Fernandez Cigars.

At a glance, here is a look at the Punch Diablo:

Blend Profile

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (Tabacalera Fernandez)

Vitolas Available

Each of the three sizes is available in 25-count boxes except for the Brute which is available in 20-count boxes.

Scamp: 6 1/8 x 50 (SRP $7.19)
Diabolus: 5 1/4 x 54 (SRP $7.79)
Brute: 6 1/4 x 60 (SRP $8.19)

Photo Credits: General Cigar Company