Perdomo Lot 23 Staff Review
The Perdomo family is renowned for pumping out some of the world’s finest value cigars. The owner and founder of Perdomo Cigars, Nick Perdomo Jr., is a true hero to the vast army of Liquidation Lizards and Value Vultures worldwide who demand the absolute best for the absolute least. Nick is able to keep his costs down by personally overseeing every step in the production process from seed to smoke.
For this much anticipated review, I’ve selected my personal favorite from the vast, expansive Perdomo portfolio of fine cigars. That’s right friends, I’ve chosen a Perdomo Lot 23 Toro from our seemingly endless array of exquisite cigars nestled away in our palatial state-of-the-art humidified warehouse. I like to think of this climate-controlled 9th wonder of the world as my personal humidor, but please don’t tell the accounting folks! Only my penny-pinching brethren will truly understand the sacrifice I routinely make to lead you like the pied piper to the best-in-class cigars on a modest budget.
The pre-light inspection showcases a lovely milk chocolate-hued wrapper devoid of noticeable veins. A pleasant straw-like aroma punctuated with notes of fresh-cut cedar emanates from the foot of the cigar. The cap separates easily under gentle pressure applied by my reliable guillotine cutter. A cold draw through the cigar reveals a nearly identical profile of straw and cedar with a prominent and pleasant earthiness. Noticeably missing was the signature tingle on the palate I often encounter with full-bodied Nicaraguan Puros. That’s not a fault or oversight, that’s by design. Perdomo Lot 23 utilizes a concept previously only exercised by winemakers. All of the well-aged tobaccos utilized in the creation of this cigar are cultivated from a single plantation to enhance and concentrate the cigar’s flavor profile.
After a brief toasting to ensure complete ignition, the flame dances on the foot of the cigar ushering in voluminous clouds of smoke which emit an alluring, crowd-pleasing room note. The first few inches of the cigar are remarkably consistent in terms of its snow-white ash structure, complimented by a medium-bodied palate-pleasing amalgam of cedar, roasted coffee beans and a restrained spice on the retrohale.
At about the halfway point, 30-minutes have elapsed. Here, the cigar exhibits remarkable consistency. It now offers much of the same lush tasting notes encountered earlier but with a deeper, darker undertone featuring freshly brewed espresso and cinnamon bark.
After another fifteen to twenty minutes go by, the cigar has reached the end of its serviceable life. The takeaway in this review, folks, is consistency. I admire the creativity behind the blend but I normally gravitate towards more knee-buckling, full-bodied smokes that exhibit gradual and sometimes sudden flavor transitions. I'm awarding the Perdomo Lot 23 Toro a well-deserved 90-point rating. For around $5 per cigar, it’s worthy of a spot in your humidor and in your smoking rotation. Fire one up and decide where it fits in our catalog of the best Perdomo cigars you can smoke today.
Until next time, long ashes to you!
