The original Punch cigar was created in 1840 by a Cuban cigar manufacturer named Manuel Lopez. In an effort to attract the British market, he named the cigar after Mr. Punch, the cantankerous half of the Punch and Judy puppet shows, which also inspired the name of the famous British humor magazine. Produced in Honduras for Villazon Company under the direction of a great Cuban cigar master, Frank Llaneza, Punch has been a leading premium brand ever since it was first imported from Honduras in 1969.
Punch lives up to its name with a bold, full-bodied taste that appeals to men who follow their own instincts as opposed to following the crowd. The wrapper is a full-flavored leaf grown in Ecuador and the filler is a rich blend of Honduran, Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos. Not a conventional cigar, and probably not the first cigar for a new smoker to try, Punch is the straightforward, no-nonsense cigar it would have taken to bring a smile to the otherwise curmudgeonly face of Mr. Punch himself.
Following the successful introduction of Punch Deluxe in 1990, cigar master Frank Llaneza decided to create a counterpoint to that richest of Punch cigars. The result, Punch Grand Cru, was introduced four years later to give smokers another taste to enjoy within the Punch family. Often called the pride of the Punch line as well as the silkiest of Hondurans, Punch Grand Cru owes much of its smooth-smoking qualities to its elegant Connecticut Shade wrapper and its unique blend of super-premium Honduran tobaccos. In addition, the Maduro versions of Punch Grand Cru are made with the darkest Connecticut Broadleaf wrappers.
Source: www.cigarworld.com