Perdomo Double Aged Vintage Maduro Staff Review
Nick Perdomo produces close to thirty unique blends in his popular Perdomo portfolio, and he’s been at it for thirty years now. Today I’m smoking a Perdomo Double Aged Vintage Maduro in a chunky 6-by-56 Epicure to give my full-fledged impression of its taste and performance. Previously, we’ve reviewed the Double Aged Vintage Sun Grown and Double Aged Vintage Connecticut cigars from Perdomo. It’s only fitting we follow up with Nick’s third wrapper option, the Maduro, in this well-known series.
Nick is well known for barrel-aging the tobaccos he uses for his cigars, especially in the Double Aged Vintage blend. What distinguishes the Maduro in particular is that it’s finished in a Cuban-seed Nicaraguan wrapper Nick grows on his own farms. Underneath is a full-flavored blend of premium Cuban-seed long-fillers that Nick also grows in Nicaragua. Double Aged refers to Nick’s proprietary aging process. Every leaf is bale-aged for ten years before the tobacco spends two final years resting in spent bourbon barrels. This time-consuming and labor-intensive technique results in an unparallelled flavor you can only taste in tobacco that is matured for maximum smoothness.
When I open a new box of Double Aged Vintage Maduro cigars, it’s inconsequential which one I select because Perdomo cigars are among the most uniform you’ll come across. Nick’s been obsessed with quality control his entire career. His company is vertically integrated so he can control the entire production process, from planting the seeds to growing, harvesting, aging, and rolling all of his own tobacco. Double Aged Vintage Maduro is a fine example of his attention to detail.
A deep bouquet of aged tobacco, raisin, and hickory emanates from the foot of the Epicure once I’ve got the cellophane off. This dark and oily smoke looks as enticing as it smells. Many of today’s best Maduro cigars are blended with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper or a San Andrés wrapper. The Nicaraguan Maduro that Nick grows imparts its own distinctive taste and aroma. The cold draw is nutty, dark, and peppery after I clip the cap with my big-ring cutter and enjoy a quick preview of the Double Aged Vintage Maduro.
A big spice fills my nose in the initial draws as I toast the foot and bring the cigar to life. The Epicure is a fairly chunky shape with its 56-ring gauge, and it takes a few minutes for the binder, filler, and wrapper to combust evenly, but it’s worth the wait. Nick was well ahead of the curve, gearing his portfolio toward fans of big-ring cigars more than three decades ago. Barring a few exceptions, the thinnest size he offers in most of his blends is a 54 ring, which is still fat if you’re accustomed to traditional formats. The wide format affords a copious and cool draw that fills the room with a substantial volume of smoke.
Creamy and dark notes of coffee bean and pepper mingle with woody hints of the bourbon barrel the tobaccos were aged in. Double Aged Vintage Maduro is powerful but not abrasive. It’s sweet enough to keep the blend’s nicotine content and charry intonations from taking over. Subtle notes of figs and caramel come into play throughout the middle.
Black pepper, roasted coffee bean, and malted chocolate layer the palate as I peel off the band and prepare to fully absorb every morsel of flavor I can glean from the nub. Perdomo Double Aged Vintage Maduro is very well made, and it takes a while to smoke the whole thing. The Epicure easily carries me past an hour. However, the whole profile offers deep, delightful taste and aroma that stays smooth. The finish is complex and sweet. The final puffs resonate with scintillating spices while my ashtray boasts a dishful of firm ashes.
When you’re paying around $12 for one cigar, it’s fine to have high expectations. I’ve smoked plenty of cigars at that price point that offer a meandering burn or inconsistent flavor. Not Perdomo Double Aged Vintage Maduro, though. This is a stellar Nicaraguan handmade you won’t regret smoking. Try it in the Perdomo Maduro Connoisseur Collection, too, to sample Nick’s most popular Maduros in one assortment.
