BRAND: Perdomo

NAME: Lot 23 Maduro

TYPE: Belicoso

LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 5.75 x 54

WRAPPER: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro

BINDER: Nicaragua

FILLER: Nicaragua

DATE OF PURCHASE: 4/17/2008

DATE OF RATING: 5/15/2008

TIME IN HUMIDOR (months): 0.9

LOOK AND FEEL: 89

FLAVOR AND AROMA: 90

BURN: 88

OVERALL SCORE: 89

STORAGE CONDITIONS: Packed and cello-wrapped in cedar boxes of 20, these dark beauties have continued their already long aging process in my Aristocrat humidor set at 70%RH and 74°F.

TASTING NOTES: This is the first review of the Perdomo Lot 23 Maduro here at Stogie Fresh. This cigar was originally released in 2006 using tobacco that was exclusively grown on a single 103-acre lot near Estelí, Nicaragua. This lot, Number 23, is its namesake.

The tobacco used for this cigar was harvested in 2001 and aged for 4 years in bales before being rolled into cigars. Six additional months of aging ensued before these smokes were shipped to Miami for distribution.

This sultry belicoso is wrapped in a chocolate-brown Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper. The wrapper surrenders the decadent aroma of cocoa and alfalfa when nasally probed, while light, distinct leaf veining is evident along its leathery and otherwise oil-sheened surface.

After clipping a generous portion of the cap, the pre-light pull provides a good draw with the light flavor of cocoa. After slowly lighting the foot of this cigar, I settle in for an interesting experience.

First off, gob's of smoke waft from this stogie. If it weren't for the wind to carry it all away, I would have been cloaked in a stratus of Nicaraguan delight. Following that initial distraction, I am met with mild flavors of cocoa, and a spicy blast that is short-lived. Soon into the cigar, the spiciness diminishes, only to be detectable in the retrohale.

A subtle sweetness is noticed in the aftertaste. This “sweetness” is present throughout the experience, never building in intensity, but remaining an undertone. By the one-inch point, an interesting nutty, “roasted peanut” nuance enters into the equation. The nuance comes and goes until just past the halfway point, then is lost in the stronger characters.

Hints of leather also begin by the one-inch point, gradually transforming the cocoa flavors into more refined flavors of leather and light coffee. The sweet undertone continues its presence, while the spiciness becomes sharper in the retrohale.

I continued into the last third where the leather character drifted away, and the coffee flavors started to dominate the smoke. Purging the cigar at this point sweetened the smoke, but it soon returned to the medium-full flavor of coffee after a couple of draws. At this point, the smoke also started to become somewhat hot, and I decided that this was the turning point of the cigar. Finishing with a long, medium-full body, this cigar produced full, recognizable flavors and characters without being overpowering.

This cigar produced an almost pure, white ash, with some smattering of gray in the mix. It was slightly cracked as the burn progressed, but held the ash nicely. The burn line sometimes would become scalloped, or burn to one side, but always self-corrected. I was disappointed early on to pull out very short, sharp stems from the filler at the head of the cigar. These small, but sharp points were distracting while I was drawing on the cigar.

Overall, I think that this is a cigar with loads of character and flavor. If you didn't know it was Nicaraguan, you might swear it was Dominican. New and experienced smokers may enjoy this without being over-challenged in detecting all the flavor and nuances that it will provide. They come with two years additional age to them since being released, and we'll rate their continued progress after three months.

~Blake