Vitola: Pita- 6” x 50 ring gauge
- MSRP $6.99
- Provided by General Cigar
Background
I did a full review on the Punch Signature when it was a brand-new product near the beginning of 2015. I rated it fairly high and liked it well enough that I suggested it be brought into the store where I work. We brought it in and it has sold quite well, so when a new size was announced at this year’s trade show, I figured to once again recommend we bring it in. Here is what General had to say in their press release:
Punch Signature is the most popular Punch collection to date. With a 91 rating from Cigar Aficionado and an appearance on three “best of” lists in 2015, including the magazine’s “Best Buys of 2015,” it’s no surprise that cigar lovers continue to flock to this full-bodied line. This year, the brand welcomes its first new vitola with Pita, a Toro-sized smoke that’s a top seller across the Punch portfolio. The Ecuadoran Corojo-wrapped Pita will hit retail in August. Pita is a 6 x 50 smoke that will sell for a per-cigar SRP of $6.99.
I burned one of the samples General sent me a few days ago and I really enjoyed it. Because I did do a full review before, I thought I would treat this to the “Cigar Extra” format and just hit some highlights.
Notes
The aroma from the wrapper had strong earthy and leather notes, along with natural tobacco goodness. The foot was mostly just pungently earthy. The wrapper had a nice oiliness in my hand. The cold draw was excellent and had lots of earth, lots of natural tobacco, some sweetness and some grassiness.
The Punch Signature Pita opened with a mix of earth and cedar, with just enough pepper on the palate to make it interesting. The retrohale was cedary and peppery.
The Signature continued on with notes of leather and natural tobacco, with the cedar and pepper fading as time went on.
All in all, this is a really good addition to the Signature line-up, although I wish they had opted for a slightly smaller ring gauge. The 50 makes this more of a Toro, rather than the 46 to 48 I would expect in a “Pita” size. If, like me, you like the original sizes of Punch Signature, you will like this; if not, this isn’t going to convince you otherwise.
