Sometimes I just sit and ponder my 23, almost 24 years, of cigar smoking and I think back to all of the brands and blends that I have seen come and go. During the boom there were just scads of cigars out there, most of them crap, and anyone could buy and smoke just about anything (if you were willing to smoke rolled dung that is). There are very few companies that have survived the test of time and for the Perdomo family to be celebrating their twentieth year in the business is just very, very impressive. I remember their humble beginnings and I remember some of the great blends of theirs that have, sadly, come and gone. I wistfully long for the days of the La Tradicion Cabinet Golf Edition, what a splendid cigar. I yearn for the La Tradicion Cabinet Exclusivo, one of my favorites from about eight or ten years ago. I still salivate over the rare and expensive Edicion de Silvios. It is fair to say that I have had a long relationship with Perdomo cigars, and while I have had some disappointments, for the most part the relationship has treated me very well.
This anniversary blend was met by me with some anticipation. I had heard hype about this cigar, I love sungrown wrappers, I typically enjoy Perdomo cigars, in short there were a lot of up checks here for me. About the only down check I can find at this point is the damn ring gauge, 56 is a real gagger for me and I don't care for cigars of this size usually just based on principle, in this instance though I will clear my mind and get to smoking.
The cigar presents nicely, if simply, without the standard anniversary adornments that so many other companies lavish upon their smokes. I like Perdomo's MO here, keep the cost down by eschewing all of the fancy crap and just give the consumer a cigar to smoke, for this I give extra points (by the way, this cigar was $8, a real steal for an anniversary cigar these days). An inspection yields my usual concerns about thick ring cigars, it just feels too loose to me and when a cigar is loose I am always worried about combustion issues and heat. The pre light aroma is a heady mix of dusty earth tones and there are some sensational hints of dark fruit and caramel here as well. The pre light draw shows some wispy coffee flavors and leaves a slight hint of anise on the tongue.
The cigar opens with a profile that has miles and miles of depth and complexity. I will not hesitate to say at this point that I think the cigar is going to be something really special, and I am starting to believe that the Perdomo's may be quickly becoming the masters of the sungrown application. The core profile has a wonderful array of coffee, caramel and toasted marshmallow flavors that really come rushing home right away. The nuance here amongst flavors that are bold is really striking and the melange of tastes can really not be overlooked. The back of the palate and through the nose show some very solid flavors of light wood and rich earthy textures that complement the sweet elements of the core profile wonderfully. It is rare that I experience so much in the opening moments of a cigar, and this is a stunning performance. The draw is a little bit too loose for me, but large ring cigars almost always are in my world. The burn is very nice and a solid ash is forming without issue.
The first half of the cigar is, simply put, magnificent. The core profile settles into a wonderful game of point counterpoint between flavors that are well developed and full of depth and complexity. There are notes of coffee that are wonderfully balanced with a caramel tone that leads to a vanilla flavor that is complemented in a fine way by continued notes of toasted marshmallow. I am not much of a coffee drinker, but I think you could order this array of flavors as a drink from some barrista somewhere. The back of the palate has also shown some transitioning elements. There are still some light wood and earth notes, but a nice raisin flavor has come in here as well and it provides a smooth and evening tone to the effort. The draw is still too loose, but I am not picking up any heat yet so I am ok. The burn is still very solid to this point.
The final half of the cigar really delivers the goods and has me thinking classic cigar. The main body of the profile begins to move into something a touch more robust, yet still full of nuance and depth. The core flavors are of white pepper, coffee and raisins and this eclectic mix actually touches off a real palate extravaganza as flavors that should not mix well just do. The back of the palate continues to offer some light earth tones, but the real star now is a rich and intensifying dark wood flavor that carries the main profile along beautifully. The draw is too loose to the end and it does cause some heat in the last third. The burn was also great until the last third when a run developed, but it evened out without too much effort from me.
The finish is a rich array of coffee, pepper and wood flavors that linger thickly on the palate, like a warm blanket, for several minutes.
Appearance- 91 simple and elegant, this company lets the cigar speak for itself
Taste- 98 just an absolute winner here, so much depth and nuance
Construction- 88 my only low score for the smoke, the draw was too loose and there was a burn issue late
Strength- 97 an absolutely wonderful medium smoke
Overall- 93.25 short of classic because of the construction score, but still way above average and a downright excellent smoke
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Reinado Core Blend Churchill (7.625x48)
It has been some time since my last blog, I'm not quite sure how you have all lived without my blustering pontification for so long. I'm sure with a well planned regimen of brown liquor and prescription pills you are all doing splendidly after my hiatus. You see, I had to have oral surgery and after recent experiences I can tell you that nothing interferes with smoking like having your mouth violently stretched out and chopped open for slicing and dicing. This forced cigar vacation was some of the worst time in my adult life and I am glad it is now over and the smoky cloud of cheer can come back into my life.
This cigar is something of a mystery to me. I am friends on FB with the manufacturer, but I had never smoked one. I have seen reviews and heard stories, but I have never smoked one. I have never smoked one because, up until a few months ago, I had never seen one. That all changed in my favorite New Orleans B&M some months ago when I came across this big guy. There really is something about smoking a churchill that gets me fired up. Maybe it's because I like the majestic look. Maybe it's because I know I am in for two plus hours of opening up a big box of squat and sitting on my large and lazy canister doing a fat lot of nothing. Whatever it is, I like churchills! My problem is finding the time to smoke one. The opportunity finally came along the other night when I cleared my schedule for da Bears game and settled in. No optimist, I was prepared for the Bears to get smoked while I smoked, but alas that was not to be! The Bears performed in spectacular fashion. The cigar? Well you know what's coming right?
The cigar presents well, but simply. The band work is blocky and not well thought out, but the simple presentation is not off putting either. I get the impression from the visuals that this could be a knock around smoke. The wrapper is rustic looking, with some veining and some dryness to the touch. The band is work a day. The application of the wrapper and the overall visual impression is lumpy. These are not attributes that kill a cigar, hell Padron's are tasty and ugly, but it always gives me pause because it may indicate that the manufacturer does not pay attention to detail, and that can be very problematic. The pre light aroma is a nice array of cocoa and dark fruit. The pre light draw shows some light pepper, earth and cocoa flavors.
The cigar opens with a profile that is by no means work a day. The core flavors range from cocoa to earth with pepper and dark fruit, and the level of complexity is very nice for so early in a cigar. There is some lacking cohesion amongst the flavors that cost some complexity, but the overall impression is very nice. The back of the palate and through the nose show some fantastic dark roast coffee flavors and some nice wood notes as well. The draw is a shade too tight for me, but I am able to work through it without too much issue, it's just not as fluid as I would like. The burn is solid to this point and a nice ash is forming early.
The first half of the cigar was really a very strong experience. The core profile becomes more cohesive and I can see the vision of the blend now. The flavors are cocoa and pepper with some creamy textures of fruit in the back drop. This particular profile is one that I have not experienced in a cigar before and the fruit flavors are helping mute the pepper, which might have been overwhelming without temperance. The back of the palate continues to show nice earth flavors, but the wood notes have become more muted as the smoke moves on. I am thinking now that this is a very accomplished medium cigar. The draw is still just a bit too tight, but I am working with it. The burn is off in a couple of spots, but the issues seem to work out without any intervention from yours truly.
The final half of the cigar had the chance to really push the envelope and range this cigar into the high excellent or classic ranges, but it come up wanting in some areas towards the end. The core profile weakened (while it should have been strengthening) significantly. The main flavors of pepper and cocoa are still there but they fade and become more of an afterthought to some really clean tobacco flavors in the final third. While clean tobacco flavors are not bad, I prefer them to be complementary of other flavors and this flavor tries to stand on it's own here. The back of the palate and the nose still show some nice earth and wood flavors, but there are just some light bitter notes coming in during the last third that detract from the smoke. The draw stayed too tight until the end, but it was not a huge issue, just an annoyance. The burn was solid after some issues in the middle.
The finish was a little too short and showed some over brewed coffee flavors and some overwrought earth that seemed wet.
All in all I would smoke this again, I might just take a pass on the last third.
Appearance- 87 not pretty, but ok
Taste- 86 some real issues in the last half make this slightly above average
Construction- 86 also slightly above average after taking points for draw and some small burn issues away
Strength- 88 a nice medium in my book
Overall- 86.5 slightly above average, but it could have been great if the last half did not fail so miserably
This cigar is something of a mystery to me. I am friends on FB with the manufacturer, but I had never smoked one. I have seen reviews and heard stories, but I have never smoked one. I have never smoked one because, up until a few months ago, I had never seen one. That all changed in my favorite New Orleans B&M some months ago when I came across this big guy. There really is something about smoking a churchill that gets me fired up. Maybe it's because I like the majestic look. Maybe it's because I know I am in for two plus hours of opening up a big box of squat and sitting on my large and lazy canister doing a fat lot of nothing. Whatever it is, I like churchills! My problem is finding the time to smoke one. The opportunity finally came along the other night when I cleared my schedule for da Bears game and settled in. No optimist, I was prepared for the Bears to get smoked while I smoked, but alas that was not to be! The Bears performed in spectacular fashion. The cigar? Well you know what's coming right?
The cigar presents well, but simply. The band work is blocky and not well thought out, but the simple presentation is not off putting either. I get the impression from the visuals that this could be a knock around smoke. The wrapper is rustic looking, with some veining and some dryness to the touch. The band is work a day. The application of the wrapper and the overall visual impression is lumpy. These are not attributes that kill a cigar, hell Padron's are tasty and ugly, but it always gives me pause because it may indicate that the manufacturer does not pay attention to detail, and that can be very problematic. The pre light aroma is a nice array of cocoa and dark fruit. The pre light draw shows some light pepper, earth and cocoa flavors.
The cigar opens with a profile that is by no means work a day. The core flavors range from cocoa to earth with pepper and dark fruit, and the level of complexity is very nice for so early in a cigar. There is some lacking cohesion amongst the flavors that cost some complexity, but the overall impression is very nice. The back of the palate and through the nose show some fantastic dark roast coffee flavors and some nice wood notes as well. The draw is a shade too tight for me, but I am able to work through it without too much issue, it's just not as fluid as I would like. The burn is solid to this point and a nice ash is forming early.
The first half of the cigar was really a very strong experience. The core profile becomes more cohesive and I can see the vision of the blend now. The flavors are cocoa and pepper with some creamy textures of fruit in the back drop. This particular profile is one that I have not experienced in a cigar before and the fruit flavors are helping mute the pepper, which might have been overwhelming without temperance. The back of the palate continues to show nice earth flavors, but the wood notes have become more muted as the smoke moves on. I am thinking now that this is a very accomplished medium cigar. The draw is still just a bit too tight, but I am working with it. The burn is off in a couple of spots, but the issues seem to work out without any intervention from yours truly.
The final half of the cigar had the chance to really push the envelope and range this cigar into the high excellent or classic ranges, but it come up wanting in some areas towards the end. The core profile weakened (while it should have been strengthening) significantly. The main flavors of pepper and cocoa are still there but they fade and become more of an afterthought to some really clean tobacco flavors in the final third. While clean tobacco flavors are not bad, I prefer them to be complementary of other flavors and this flavor tries to stand on it's own here. The back of the palate and the nose still show some nice earth and wood flavors, but there are just some light bitter notes coming in during the last third that detract from the smoke. The draw stayed too tight until the end, but it was not a huge issue, just an annoyance. The burn was solid after some issues in the middle.
The finish was a little too short and showed some over brewed coffee flavors and some overwrought earth that seemed wet.
All in all I would smoke this again, I might just take a pass on the last third.
Appearance- 87 not pretty, but ok
Taste- 86 some real issues in the last half make this slightly above average
Construction- 86 also slightly above average after taking points for draw and some small burn issues away
Strength- 88 a nice medium in my book
Overall- 86.5 slightly above average, but it could have been great if the last half did not fail so miserably
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