Perdomo Double Aged Vintage Sun Grown Staff Review

I always look forward to smoking cigars from the Perdomo portfolio, and the Double Aged Vintage Sun Grown is a blend I’ve been wanting to review for a while, now that I’ve smoked the Sun Grown versions of Perdomo 20th Anniversary and the oversized Perdomo Inmenso Seventy, two extremely popular cigars blended by Perdomo brand founder and cigar-maker Nick Perdomo. I’m smoking the Double Aged Vintage Sun Grown in a chunky 6-by-56 Epicure.

Perdomo Double Aged Vintage cigars are available in Nick’s traditional trio of wrappers: Connecticut, Maduro, and Sun Grown. The Sun Grown is drawn from an oily Nicaraguan wrapper, grown under direct sunlight, and vintage Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos. All the tobaccos are bale-aged for ten years before they finish resting an additional two years in bourbon barrels, which creates a layer of sweetness in the profile. Nick is especially proud of his bourbon-barrel-aging process, a technique he repeats in multiple lines across his portfolio, but few feature tobaccos that are already a decade old, like the Double Aged Vintage, before they’re transferred to the barrels.

Many Perdomo cigars straddle two worlds: budget-friendly everyman cigars you can add to your regular rotation, and cigars you can enjoy for a special occasion. That’s because Perdomo cigars exhibit a high level of consistency and quality, but they’re not overpriced. Nick Perdomo has been a premium cigar-maker for over thirty years, and he’s able to offer a high-quality product at a lower price because his company is vertically integrated. He owns his own tobacco farms and cigar factories in Nicaragua, and he's in charge of his own distribution.

When I extract a Perdomo Double Aged Vintage Sun Grown Epicure from the top row of a new box, the cigar glistens with a caramel-brown sheen. Few brands can match the uniformity Perdomo cigars exhibit too. Every cigar in the box is rolled to the same meticulous standards the Perdomo brand is famous for. A thick black-and-red cigar band with gold accents fits perfectly around each cigar. After I clip the cap with my big ring cutter, Perdomo Double Aged Vintage Sun Grown comes to life with tangy notes of wood and leather in the cold draw.

I don’t smoke big ring gauge cigars regularly, but I’m okay with a fat Perdomo once in a while because Nick’s been blending fatter cigars for most of his career, and he knows how to coax the most flavor from the wrapper in a chunky shape. When I toast the foot of my Double Aged Vintage Sun Grown Epicure, smoky and spicy notes of cocoa powder and cedar introduce the profile with a silky, smooth texture. The binder, filler, and wrapper tobaccos achieve an even burn right off the bat.

Tasting notes of smoked almond and pepper arouse my taste buds with a subtle hint of steak sauce. Double Aged Vintage Sun Grown is a savory smoke. It’s got the right amount woodiness and spiciness without overwhelming my palate in one direction. Plus, the flawless construction and wide shape ensure the cigar sustains its creamy texture. Hints of sweetness, courtesy of barrel-aging the tobaccos, create balance with a well-rounded aftertaste.

Smoke Perdomo cigars in the Epicure size when you’ve got some time on your hands. It’s a slow-burning shape, and you’ll be in no rush to get to the end as the taste develops. More than an hour has come off the clock by the time I’ve peeled off the band and am savoring the last inch. The finish is vigorous, peppery, and just a little sweet – a stronger version of the way Perdomo Double Aged Vintage Sun Grown began. Add this classic Nicaraguan smoke to your humidor. I’m giving it two thumbs up. And consider the Perdomo Sun Grown Connoisseur Collection if you want to taste the full range of Sun Grown cigars in Nick’s portfolio today.