Punch is one of Cuba’s oldest brands, and it turns 185 this year. The new Princesas size is an Edmundo vitola, 5 3/8 by 52. The cigars will come in boxes of 20. This is the second of what’s expected to be a trio of Limitadas for 2025, joining the Montecristo referenced above. The third remains a mystery at this point.
The Brand:
Punch was first registered as a cigar brand in Cuba in 1840 by a German named Stockmann, making it one of the oldest Cuban cigar brands still in production today.
It is often claimed that the brand was named after the humorous British magazine Punch, but since the magazine was not first published until July 1841, this seems unlikely. Nevertheless, Punch magazine became a British institution for more than 150 years, which no doubt helped Punch cigars become the firm favourite they have been among British smokers for even longer
In 1931, Punch became associated with Hoyo de Monterrey, and the two brands have been made at the same factory ever since. Today, that factory is La Corona, located on Avenida 20 de Mayo in Havana, Punch’s distinctive medium flavour is created from a blend of filler and binder tobaccos grown in the Vuelta Abajo zone. All sizes are tripa larga, totalmente a mano — long filler, totally handmade.
The Cigar
Punch Princesas Edición Limitada 2025 was released by Habanos S.A. to commemorate the 185th anniversary of the Punch brand. This important milestone is reflected in a specially designed main band created to honour the anniversary.
The presentation is completed by an additional foot band bearing the Punch name. The cigars are presented in four rows of five in a specially designed box that recreates the traditional colours and visual identity of the brand. As with every Edición Limitada released by Habanos S.A. since 2007, all the tobacco leaves used to make these cigars have been aged for a minimum of two years.
This additional ageing allows the dierent components of the blend to develop greater harmony, producing more subtle and refined flavours, including notes of cedar, wood and caramel. These flavours, combined with the natural sweetness of the dark wrapper, which undergoes an additional fermentation process, create a well-rounded and balanced taste that develops across the palate throughout the smoke.
