Cigar Review: Perdomo 20th Anniversary Maduro

Cigar: Perdomo 20th Anniversary Maduro
Size: Epicure (Toro – 6×56)
Wrapper: Habano Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $10.23 at my local B&M; $37.00 per five pack at Cigars International

Perdomo is among the brands that I often overlook when buying cigars locally. It’s not that I have anything against them, but like many similar brands, they have enough cigars that are good but not great. My local B&M usually has in-house Perdomo samplers for a nice price, but even then, I’m usually looking for other things. During my last visit, I came upon a new Perdomo that I have not seen in the humidor yet: the Perdomo 20th Anniversary. The Perdomo website details the 20th Anniversary as:

Perdomo 20th Anniversary celebrates this rich, family history of Nicaraguan handmades. Each Perdomo cigar employs bold, Cuban-seed long-fillers grown throughout Nicaragua’s black, volcanic soils. Top-priming tobaccos from Esteli, Jalapa, and Condega….patiently aged and skillfully blended to perfection. But then there’s the wrapper. Where the fun really happens. Nicaraguan Broadleaf maduro wrappers from the highest priming, extra-fermented, cedar-aged, then barrel-aged in old bourbon barrels for 14+ months prior to being applied.

Anything involving bourbon barrels will have my undivided attention. Let’s get started with the review.

No construction issues were found during the pre-light examination. The pre-light aromas were interesting on the 20th Anniversary, consisting of straw and something akin to holiday spices. After the punch and light, I was greeted with a very open draw, giving a ton of smoke on the exhale. The flavor profile was the most interesting thing I found with the 20th Anniversary, giving me notes of spice, white pepper and something similar to cardamom. I had my wife try this as well and her thoughts reflected my own. Very different from what I would expect from a cigar hailing from Nicaragua. The strength level I would classify between medium and medium-to-full to start out. By the halfway point, the white pepper and cardamom mellowed some while the spice notes stayed in the forefront. I didn’t really find that the cigar gained in any strength until the last inch or so where hints of cocoa and mild spice finished it out, but even then, the strength for me only got up to medium-to-full. It also seemed to me like a slower burning cigar, finishing out at 1:42.

Besides a minor burn correction and one relight near the end, I had zero problems with the cigar.

By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 0.5/1
Total: 9/10

To recap the Perdomo 20th Anniversary Maduro:

• While I normally would overlook Perdomo for other brands, don’t overlook the 20th Anniversary. This is a great cigar with one of the most interesting flavor profiles I have had yet this year.
• This cigar can be enjoyed by all levels of cigar smoker.
• It’s just a hair over my preferred $10 mark but you can find better pricing of it via five packs online.
• This is definitely one I am going to be getting more of. In fact, I think I’m going to pick up a few for the weekend.

As always, thank you very much for reading and I look forward to the next time I can share my thoughts with you.