BRAND: Perdomo

NAME: Lot 23 Maduro

TYPE: Belicoso

RATING # 3

LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 5.75 x 54

COUNTRY: Nicaragua

WRAPPER: Nicaraguan Broadleaf Maduro

BINDER: Nicaragua

FILLER: Nicaragua

DATE OF PURCHASE: 4/17/2008

DATE OF RATING: 8/18/2010

TIME IN HUMIDOR: 2 years 4.4 months

LOOK AND FEEL: 90

FLAVOR AND AROMA: 90

BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90

OVERALL SCORE: 90.0

STORAGE CONDITIONS: The Lot 23's are packed in cello at 20 cigars to the box.  These cigars have been aging for over two years now in my Aristocrat humidor, which is maintained at 68-72°F and 67%RH.

BACKGROUND: This is the third review of the Perdomo Lot 23 Maduro. All the tobaccos for this cigar were grown in 2001 on a 103 acre plot of land near Estelí, Nicaragua code-named “Lot 23”. This tobacco was aged in bales in the Perdomo warehouses until 2005, when it was rolled using a Connecticut shade wrapper. In 2007, the wrapper was changed to Nicaraguan Shade, or Nicaraguan-grown Broadleaf Maduro. After an additional 6 months of aging, these cigars are shipped for distribution.

The triple-cap that is no match for my Palio' cutter and after trimming an ample portion of the head, I took a pre-light pull, and was rewarded with ripe tobacco flavor within the firm draw.

TASTING NOTES: This cigar starts off with large amounts of smoke with light wood and spice characters. The spice is noticeable on both the palate and the retrohale, with a light sweetness that is detectable in the aftertaste. This spicy nuance is short-lived, and only continues into the first half inch, where it rapidly diminishes. The sweetness however, remains within the profile.

Into the end of the first third, this cigar continued to provide flavors of coffee and wood. I can only describe the wood-like flavor to be reminiscent of hickory. It is a pleasant flavor and hangs lightly on the palate.

By the halfway point, the strength and body of this cigar were medium-full, while the flavor becomes full with dark roasted coffee and hickory flavors. A hint of leather is also detectable at this point, hanging ever-so-lightly on the palate. Purging the cigar reduced the heavier flavors, but they slowly increased again by the finish of the cigar

The finish of this Lot 23 is long, with characters of coffee, wood, and a hint of leather that became increasingly detectable throughout the finish. The body and flavor were maintained at a solid medium-full.

As expected, the Perdomo Lot 23 produced a firm white ash. There was minimal cracking within the structure, and it remained solid when removed. No burn issues were noted, with no scalloping or canoeing. The burn line remained even and no blistering was noted.

This cigar produces some wonderful flavors while not being overly complex. It has maintained its core characters, while opening up on some other nuances through long-term aging. It might not be for the experienced smoker since it is not very complex, but can offer the regular, or novice smoker a challenge, or at least the enjoyment of a good cigar. It comes at a very affordable price for the everyday smoker and is widely available from most tobacconists. We'll rate this cigar again after 6 months of additional aging and assign it an “Aging Potential Score”

~Blake