Perdomo Habano Bourbon Barrel Aged Connecticut

Purchased: Gordo (6 X 60)
Price: $10/stick (?)
Buy Again: Probably
Box Worthy: Yes.
Experience Rating: 89

I’m going to come clean. I didn’t buy this stick. My son who lives in Texas purchased it and brought it, along with a few others, to California for Thanksgiving. But they were a little dried out, so we stuck them in my electric “coolidore” to rehydrate, and we smoked from my stash for the week he was here.

When I first saw them, I remarked to him that I hadn’t had a Perdomo and he replied that he didn’t like them. But he bought them based on a recommendation from a tobacconist at a shop he visited. I told him that was interesting because I had heard nothing but solid feedback on these and the Perdomo brand in general. He said that it seemed a little harsh to him. Oh well, everyone’s palates are different…

As for me, I love this cigar! I’m not really into connies, but this cigar is tits (as my surfer friends would say)! First off, it’s a beautiful cigar. The wrapper is smooth, with a velvety texture. The construction is spot on with no soft spots, and very few veins poking through the wrapper. The draw has been incredible with just a little resistance and a dead-even burn.

At light-up, I got an immediate dose of cedar and pepper; not harsh at all. Strength is on the mild to mild+ side, though there is a bit of a nicotine hit. I’m not sure if this is from the bourbon barrel, but there is a tinge of sweetness. And maybe it’s my imagination, but I’ve been tasting a little bourbon on the finish. It’s very subtle.

And subtle is a great word to use when describing this stick. With mild smokes, it’s often difficult to pick out flavors. But here’s what I’ve tasted so far (I’m about half way through the stick as I write this): Honey, cedar, mild black pepper, flowers, grass, toast, cream, malt balls, burnt sugar, a touch of leather.

While I’ve tasted several things, as I mentioned, they’re subtle. I had to stop and think about what I was tasting. It’s like trying to profile a Riesling wine. With a great Riesling, there’s invariably a lot going on with it. But the flavors are so subtle and delicate that they’re easy to miss. The same goes with this particular cigar. There’s actually a lot going on with it, but it requires one to take their time and suss them out.

And even though there’s quite a bit of flavors on offer, this isn’t a cigar with any transitions. It’s one of those sticks that says, “Here’s what I got, I ain’t gonna change much. If that’s your thing, then we’ll get along fine.” For me, I enjoy sticks like this. They’re no-frills, but they’re just enjoyable from start to finish.