Punch Gran Puro Santa Rita
Consider the Punch Gran Puro Santa Rita a love letter to Honduras. It is composed of Honduran tobacco, made in Honduras and serves as a good example of how vibrant Honduran smokes can be. General Cigar Co. which manufactures this brand at its STG Danlí factory, grows a proprietary tobacco in the San Agustín area of Honduras near the Guatemala border, so this blend is a very quaint expression of a region-specific terroir. And with a suggested retail price of $5.29 (before local taxes), it's also a phenomenal bargain.
Punch is a heritage cigar that's been in General's possession since 1997. While it parallels Cuba's Punch brand, these non-Cuban versions are only sold in the United States. This isn't the first time that the Punch Gran Puro Santa Rita has been on the Cigar Aficionado Top 25 list—it made an appearance back in 2012. Over the last four years, the price increases have been minimal yet the quality has remained quite high. The brand debuted in 2003 when the demand for strong, full-bodied cigars had yet to reach its potential. Perhaps it was ahead of its time. It's certainly the most powerful of the Punches in General's portfolio.
