Cuban Punch 8-9-8 Lonsdale Hits Asia Pacific Market – Cigar Aficionado

The new Punch 8-9-8 is a long, slender cigar that measures 6 3/4 inches by 43 ring gauge.

It isn’t often you see a Lonsdale size in Cuba’s Regional Edition program—or in the entire Habanos portfolio for that matter—but the new Punch 8-9-8 made exclusively for the Asia Pacific region is precisely that: a long, slender cigar that measures 6 3/4 inches by 43 ring gauge. 

Known as a dalia in Cuban cigar factories, the Punch 8-9-8 shares its dimensions with other Lonsdales such as the Cohiba Siglo V and the Partagás 8-9-8. The new Punches are available now and retail for HK$338, or about $43 each.

Traditional 8-9-8 cigars are so named for the way they’re packaged. Rather than two layers of cigars per box of 25, they are arranged in three layers: eight cigars on the bottom, nine in the middle and eight on top. The Punch 8-9-8 cigars, however, do not adhere to this format and are simply presented in a 10-count box.

Only 8,888 boxes will be produced. Although they have just recently arrived to the Asia Pacific market, the Punch 8-9-8 is officially cataloged as a 2018 release.

Cuban cigars are imported to the Asia Pacific region through Pacific Cigar Co. Ltd., the official Habanos distributor for most of Southeast Asia, including Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia North and South Korea, Vietnam, New Zealand and Australia.