Punch Diablo Diabolus

Punch is one of the oldest Habano brands, founded in 1840 by Don Manuel Lopez of Juan Valle & Company and intended for the booming British market. The name Punch is drawn from a famous puppet show called "Punch & Judy"; the clown, Mr. Punch, is still seen today on every Punch cigar box with his sly smile and cigar. With the Diablo, we’re sure Mr. Punch is smiling for the ‘punch’ of flavor that will hit you with this smoke. Debuting at the somewhat recent IPCPR (International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association) 2018 trade show, the Diablo is the result of Punch deciding that they needed a newer and bolder smoke to complement their already stellar portfolio. To create this devilish stogie, they called upon none other than the legendary AJ Fernandez. Normally, Punch smokes are handmade in Honduras, but this smokes hails from AJ’s home base in Estelí, Nicaragua. Featuring a stunning four-country blend, the Diablo boasts a bold array of Nicaraguan and Honduran ligero that has been aged for four years, a Connecticut broadleaf binder that has been aged for six years, and a dark and toothy Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro wrapper that has been aged for 4 years. Together, this four-country blend has full-bodied, spicy notes of wood, earth, and leather. This Cigar Aficionado 93-rated powerhouse pairs beautifully with your favorite whiskey, such as Eagle Rare 10 Year.

The Nicaraguan cigar industry originated when Cuban cigar makers escaped the revolution and re-established their livelihood in Nicaragua with Cuban-seed tobacco. Blessed with dark, rich soil, their new home was ideal for tobacco cultivation and Nicaragua quickly became known for cigars that rivaled Cuban quality. Unfortunately, revolution and war came to Nicaragua in the 1980s and devastated the industry, but it’s rebounded dramatically and is once again producing tobacco considered by many to be the finest in the world.

The Esteli Valley is in many ways the heart of Nicaraguan production and is known for its very powerful and spicy tobacco. The Jalapa Valley produces arguably the finest tobacco in the country: somewhat sweeter and less intense than Esteli, but extremely complex. The tobacco of the Condega Valley is often described as a blend of the other two regions.