History Punch Cigars and Its Popular Brands

Learning about Punch cigars is a great thing one should do since they are the leading cigars produced in Cuba by Habanos SA. This is a Cuban owned company that specializes in manufacturing top quality cigars. The punch brand cigars have a great history.

 They were first registered in 1840 and named after one of the character featured in the European puppet show. The brand soon became a household name and also did well in countries such as Great Britain where it was sold in great numbers. 1874 witnessed the first change of ownership of Punch brand Cigars. The brand was purchased by Luis Corujo . 10 years later, the brand was sold again. This time round, it was purchased by Fernades Lopez Manuel.

Up to this date the boxes bands of the punch cigar still bears the name of Fernandez Manuel. Lopez retired in 1924 but died after a short while. Before he died, he had passed ownership of the brand to Comas Esperanza Valle who held it for a few years before the crash of the stock market in 1929. It should be noted that the punch cigar brand experienced losses way back in 1930 when the cigar industry in Cuba faced financial hardships.

During this time, the brand was purchased by Palicio y Cia who made sure that it become one of the companies that dominated the cigar industry by specializing in cigar margues. The company manufactured other brands such as Hoyo de Monterrey, La Escepcion and Belinda. This made the company retain its popularity in Britain and it became very popular with British smokers. The embargo set on Cuba by the United States made things difficult for Fernando Palicio and as a result he fled from Cuba and settled in Florida. While in Florida, he sold his cigar lines to Dan Blumenthal of Villazon Co. and Frank Llaneza . The duo have continued to manufacture Punch, Belinda Cigars as well as Hoyo de Monterrey.

Meanwhile the production aimed for the American market was being undertaken by Honduran tobacco. When Cuba nationalized the tobacco industry, Punch continued to produce its brand. Up to now, it is still popular and produces Cuba cigar line. Some of the brands that are associated and produced by the company include Churchil, Double corona, eponymous Punch , Connoisseurs, and super selection no. 2.

In addition, Punch produces two machine made cigarillos that includes Cigarritos Reserva and the Cigarritos. Although Punch has not been selected for any edicion Limitada, it is a popular brand for the edicion Regional series of cigar manufactured by Habanos and which are meant for the local markets. When you learn more about Punch Cigars, you will understand why its brand are valued and loved by smokers ever since they were introduced in 1969. The reason for the popularity of the cigars can be attributed to the fact that Punch cigars are classic and the fact that the brands are known to live to their name.

The full flavored taste associated with the punch cigars was derived from Ecuadorian wrapper, Dominician tobaccos Nicaraguan tobacco, and a rich blend of Honduran tobaccos. Cigar insider, Cigar aficionado have particularly praised the brands with Champion front marks and the large –ring Magnum being awarded 91 and 90 ratings respectively. Cigar Cyclopedia has also recognized the collection and has awarded them A rating. In fact the two are often referred to as the pride of the Punch cigar lines and are thought to be the best of Hondurans. The smooth smoking qualities that the punch Cigars have results from Connecticut shade wrapper not forgetting the blend it receives from the premium Honduran tobacco.

The cigars are not strong and chances of overpowering new smoker are not there. The Punch Gran puro is a top brand made from proprietary tobacco selected from San Agustin Valley in Honduran. It is a big cigar loved by the smokers because of its size. It has a satisfying taste, spicy flavors and is sweet.

The cigar has received praises and A rating from cigar cyclopedia. In the street, it is referred to as a best buy cigar On the other hand the Pura Rare Corojo is not only a rich tasting, but is a cigar of distinction. It is reddish brown with shades of lustrous. It is medium in size, round and has a rich finish.

 The cigar is delicious and has received an eye rating of 92 from Cigar Aficionado. It has a rich flavor and was developed according to taste and preferences of smokers. It contains the rich Nicaraguan Ometepa tobacco cultivated for upper cut. Punch Grand Cru is another brand that is tenured by smokers. It is bold; full flavored and is a top selling cigar. It is one of the brands that is thought to bring more revenue to the company.

Photo Credit:  Mike Oliveri via Flickr.com

How To Combine A Cigar With Alcohol

Some people make a living by combining fine wine with all sorts of food. On the other hand, there are also people that are very interested in combining a certain drink, whether that may be beer or wine, with different cigars. Especially beer is a well loved drink that grows particularly well with cigars. It does so by affecting the flavor of the cigar in a special manner. It is not that difficult to find your favorite cigar that tastes well with different brands of beer. That being said, there are a few guidelines you should follow if you want to find perfect combination of alcohol and cigars. We will discuss these guidelines in more detail in the article below.

A particular habit that seems hard to break for many cigar lovers, is that they start to drink their favorite beer or wine simultaneously with smoking their cigars. However, a premium cigar may effect the way your taste buds experience the different flavors of both your drink and your smoke. It is a mistake to light your favorite cigar, inhale its delicious aroma that is flavored with a hint of spiciness, and then start sipping from your wine or your beer.

Something else you need to keep in mind when you are looking to combine a fine drink with your favorite smoke, is something fairly simple. It seems so logical to combine your favorite have a drink with your favorite mild cigar. However, this is a crucial mistake. The reasoning behind this is that both the cigar and the drink would be heavy, they would be too overwhelming and your taste buds would not be able to enjoy them to the fullest. However, by smoking a strong cigar, also known as a full bodied cigar, and having a light wine, the flavor of the cigar will overpower the wine. Therefore you should always aim to combine a mild smoke with a mild drink and a full-bodied smoke with a stronger brew. In fact, if you combine a full-bodied cigar with a strong beer, you may even start to notice that both of these flavors will be enhanced rather than pushed aside.


If you were so lucky that you already found a great combination between alcohol and cigars, always remember to make a note of this combination. Maybe you want to share your new findings with friends or fellow cigar fans, but whatever the case may be, you always wanted remember your newfound combination. By writing it down, you also have starting point in finding new combinations you might enjoy. On top of that, once you start sharing a beautiful combination of cigar and alcohol with your fellow friends and cigar fans, they might even be willing to share their own secrets with you, giving you new ideas on what would be a great combination. This will lead to plenty of opportunities when it comes to pairing alcohol with your favorite cigars.

If you plan to have a drink at night and are also in the mood for a nice cigar, it is always best to have a few milder cigars on hand that you enjoy smoking. You should always start with a stronger drink, because most strong or full-bodied cigars have the tendency to overpower the flavor of the drink. Therefore, this is not a good starting point. That being said, full-bodied cigar goes beautifully with a dark and rich beer. Nonetheless, it is better to always keep a pair of milder cigars at hand just for this special occasion. The perfect mild cigars are beginner cigars, as they go very well with light beers or light and flavorful wines. Some people preferred there appears to be sweet and pail, which calls for a light cigar.

Something else that might be a good idea if you want to combine drinks with your favorites stogies, if the glass of water at hand to increase your enjoyment. This is also frequently done if people enjoy coffee or espresso. The goal of drinking small sips of water in between, is to clean your palate so that it is able to taste new flavors again. Alternatively, you can also use a light sorbet or anything else that cleans your palate. Either way, you always need to find something that works for you. Whereas some people might do fine with glass of water, that does not mean that that has to be the same for you.

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