Perdomo 20th Anniversary Maduro Cigar Review

Perdomo 20th Anniversary Maduro Look & Feel

• Wrapper Hue: Vernished Oak
• Rolling Consistency: Mostly Straight
• Spring: Firm
• Aromas: Tonka Bean, Charred Oak, Molasses

The cigar has a somewhat matte finish and the wrapper isn’t overly oily. Its veins are minimal and the roll is relatively straight. As it’s a box-pressed cigar like the Sun Grown, it does feature a few soft spots. Neverthtless, its spring is far firmer than the aforementioned blend.

Meanwhile, its aromas consist of tonka bean, charred oak, and molasses. Its odour is silky and embracing in a very inviting way.

Perdomo 20th Anniversary Maduro Review

The Perdomo 20th Anniversary Maduro cigars smoked for this review had been stored using a Boveda acrylic humidor for three weeks. Humidity was maintained with Boveda 69% packs and closely monitored with a Boveda Butler.

Pre-Lighting Experience

• Draw: Ideal Resistance
• Aromas: Agarwood, Tonka Bean, Walnut

The dry draw offers just the right amount of resistance, which reduces the airflow in a pleasant way. The flavours are very rich bolstered with aromas, which this case consists of resinous agarwood, tonka bean, and fresh Walnut. The latter adds a touch of liveliness to this otherwise deep verbose dry draw.

1st Third Smoking Experience

• Notes: Cinnamon, Tonka Bean, Rosewood

It’s quite rare that a cigar will deliver flavours that are so strikingly similar to what you experienced on the dry draw or even off the body. Normally, you can more or less decipher what you may experience but it’s unlikely that it’ll be so similar.

Indeed, the first third consists primarily of tonka bean, which is one of the notes experienced on in both the look and feel and the dry draw. Meanwhile, there was cinnamon, which tingled the nose in the retrohale. Furthermore, fragrant rosewood delivered substance to the overall blend.

So far the cigar was quite delicate and complex. It was not overpowering as can be the case with some maduro blends. Its mouthfeel was very smooth, velvety, and produced balanced palate stimulation. There were, however, some burning issues with runners on the first third.

2nd Third Smoking Experience

• Notes: Agarwood, Charred Bay Leaf, Pepper

The 20th Anniversary Maduro delivers a distinctive transition from the first to the second third. It becomes much fuller in body and develops a much richer flavour.

It is now dominated by agarwood, which consists of leathers and resinous oud. It is quite rich in spice and features a distinctive charred bay leaf flavour as well as black pepper. the latter leaves a thick texture on the tongue and can also be detected through the retrohale.

As I hoped, the burn line improved without any touch-ups. The balance in its flavour profile had drawn towards the centre of the palate, but it didn’t cause too much salivation or dryness.

Final Third Smoking Experience

• Notes: Oak, Pepper, Charred Bay Leaf

The agarwood had all but subsided, leaving deep oak notes in its wake. Nevertheless, both the pepper and bay leaf are still very much present. Aside from the oak, it’s quite similar to the second third but it’s punchy rather than fragrant. Indeed, there was far greater depth and intensity during the final third.

Overall, the cigar is relatively complex. The first third was definitely the most impressive moment out of the full smoking experience. The mouthfeel is quite velvety all the way through. It leaves a slight residue on the palate. It’s balanced and there is no overall over salivation or dryness on the tongue.

It does focus towards the centre of the palate a lot more as you progress through the cigar. The lifecycle is a little linear between the last two thirds. While there is some evolution in flavour, it isn’t quite as expressive as you’d hope.

The finish is quite long on the cigar, largely due to the pepper note. Therefore, you may want to enjoy finishing this with a palate cleanser. As for the residual scent in this room, it’s not as acris as you’d expect from a maduro.

Overall Burn

• Ash Backbone: Flaky
• Burn Angle: Wavy
• Temperature: Cool
• Draw: Ideal Resistance
• Final Smoking Time: 105 Minutes

The draw is consistently pleasant throughout the whole cigar and provides you with a cool smoke. However, the burn angle had a tendency to be rather wavy. Indeed, it needed touching up between the second and final third despite managing to correct itself earlier. Similarly, the ash backbone is quite flakey and drops off easily as well.

Overall Experience

Although I’m fond of the band, it’s quite large and I do wonder whether it would have been better to separate it into two. However, it’s more attractive than the other 20th Anniversary blends. On this occasion, the black colour is more understated. The gold colours of the Connecticut were quite ostentatious in comparison.

Rather than a 20-cigar box, I had a small five-count presentation box. Each cigar is individually packaged, which offers excellent presentation and potential as a gift. Similarly, it’s ideal for taking to a special event. Being a full-bodied cigar, it’s best reserved for events like bachelor parties and New Year’s Eve.

That being said, it’s not an overly accessible cigar for beginners. Therefore, it’s best reserved for more experienced cigar smokers.

It’s a tad more experience than the other blends, which are $9.50 each rather than $9.25. Indeed, it’s not a huge difference. Meanwhile, you can get them for far less online if you buy a whole box. Individually, they can come down to $6.25 each when buying a box of 20.

Perdomo 20th Anniversary Maduro Pairings

First of all, consider cured ham like jambon de Bayonne or prosciutto. Since there’s a fresh walnut note, consider pairing those with the cigar as well. This pairing of flavours could be particularly pleasant during an evening next to the fireplace. Otherwise, very dark chocolate would also be a good choice.

As for beverages, Nikka Whisky From The Barrel is a potent expression that would marry well with the 20th Anniversary Maduro. Meanwhile, an Islay scotch would be another possibility. Needless to say, you can’t go wrong with espresso here, but an Americano will provide you with a longer experience.

Finally, a red Zinfandel from California or Puglia in Italy would be an intriguing combination with this cigar given its potent character. Of course, white Zinfandel is best avoided!

Closing Thoughts

Verbose and potent with deep flavours, the Perdomo 20th Anniversary Maduro rewards experienced cigar smokers. Kick back and enjoy it with a late nightcap, especially during the winter months.

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