Perdomo Habano Corojo
Size: 6.5 x 54 (Torpedo)
Tobacco: Nicaraguan puro
Price: $9

I've smoked probably 3 or 4 of these over the years, but oddly enough I've never reviewed one.  These are very good cigars, albeit a little pricey, and the construction is flawless like just about every other Perdomo I've ever had (bar the very young fresh-rolled bundles at Cigars International).

I don't normally go for the hyperbole you find on cigar websites, but Tabacalera Perdomo sums up the taste almost perfectly:  a "bold assortment of deep flavors, including earth, almonds, and a sweet, oak-filled spice".

Just reading that description brings vivid memories of the Perdomo Habano I smoked at a cigar lounge in Rome, Georgia one night last year.

This is what you expect from a Nicaraguan puro (although, in truth, I don't know if its technically a puro since the tobacco comes from three different regions:  Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa Valley).  Pairs well with a complex single malt or a rich, thick draft stout.

Perdomo Slow Aged #826 Glorioso
Size: 6 x 52
Tobacco: Nicaraguan with a Connecticut wrapper
Price: $2.50

Labor Day Weekend, 2009. Michelle and I went to Gulf Shores Beach, AL with the Brannens and Friedmans. It was a great trip. Fond memories include:

1. Sitting on our 14th floor balcony, drinking beer, watching a small shark try to eat a small child on an inflatable raft.

2. Bama coming from behind in the 4th quarter on Saturday night to defeat Virginia Tech. As it turns out, that victory was a catalyst to a National Title run.

3. Tossing Brian a can of Bud Light Lime from the 14th floor balcony. Brian ran and it exploded when it hit the sand.

4. Shaun gave me my first Perdomo Slow-Aged 826. A Churchill. Full-bodied and full-flavored. I couldn’t believe a $2 CI bundle cigar tasted like an $7 cigar.

After the trip, I bought a bundle of the Slow-Aged 826’s, aged them a year. I have only two left now (aged 18 months), having consumed most of them in the last 3-4 months.

Construction on this cigar has been very good. I can’t remember any canoes. I only needed to touch-up once or twice, and that was usually due to a high wind. The salt-and-pepper ash is flaky, not firm. Draw is perfect. The cigar burns slow, but you have to make a conscious decision not to puff too fast, or it will get hot and can develop an unpleasant bitterness.

I noticed some inconsistency in taste from cigar to cigar. A few were slightly bitter. A few were slightly mild. One or two hit that same full-flavored “sweet spot” that I remembered from the beach. I think the two best ones were the last two I smoked. Maybe this indicates 18 months is the perfect length of time for aging this particular cigar?

But most of the 826's never quite reached that same level; they were more medium in body and flavor. Final verdict: A very good value cigar, but not dependable enough to be a go-to smoke.

No new reviews today, just a quick note. It's Saturday morning, Oct 30, 70 degrees and sunny outside. I'm watching SC vs Tennessee on the laptop and smoking a Tio Pepe churchill. 19 months in the humidor has solved all the burn problems with these cigars. They're a decent medium-bodied smoke, but still no where as good as the Perdomo Fresh-Rolled, which has become my standard recently when I need an inexpensive knockaround smoke in the backyard.

Speaking of Perdomo, I'm down to my last Fresh-Rolled. I would order a new cuban wheel, but I'm trying to phase out one of my 6 humidors. Too much capacity, not enough demand...

It's a big day for football. Bama has a bye, but 5 teams above us in the BCS rankings play games on the road this afternoon. Bama has a great opportunity to move up in the polls...

A few quick reviews from my trip to Columbia, SC, where Alabama's dream run at a repeat National Championship was crushed by a very physical South Caroline Gamecock team.

The game was bad, but the tailgating and cigars were still a lot of fun. I only wish I had paid more attention (and perhaps drank a little less) so I could give these stogies proper reviews.


1. Quesada Tributo

This is a new cigar from MATASA, made with a hybrid Ecuadorian wrapper bred from four different strains of tobacco leaf. It got a 4* review of StogieGuys.com. It was a very solid medium-bodied cigar, with great construction, but it was not the powerful full-bodied beast I was expecting. I had paired it with an acidic stout, which unfortunately overwhelmed the cigar a bit. In the end, I'd give this one another try, but was somewhat underwhelmed.










2. LFD Double Ligero Chisel
Size: 6 x 54
Tobacco: Dominican, with sun-grown Ecuador wrapper
Price: $7

I've reviewed this line before, so I'll keep this short except to say this was the powerhouse I was waiting for. The chisel head was a nice novelty, and my feelings alternated between enjoyment and annoyance. Unfortunately, that acidic stout I was still drinking gave this cigar an odd aftertaste, like soap. It was actually a good bear, and still a great cigar, but they didn't complement each other. At all.

















Perdomo Lot 23

The first Perdomo that I didn't like. I lit it up in the morning, as Shaun and I unpacked the tailgating supplies, paired with some Lord Chesterfield Ale. This was a very blah cigar, with burn problems and a bitter aftertaste. Highly disappointing, especially considering my love of all things Perdomo.

I followed it up with La Herencia Cubana (a definite improvement) and then after the game with a Gurkha Master Select (still an exquisite experience).

La Tradicion Cabinet Series Perdomo Reserve Cameroon R
Size: 5 x 54 (Robusto)
Tobacco: African Cameroon (wrapper), Nicaragua (filler)
Price: $7.00

I initially had low expectations of these two cigars, which I got in a CBid sampler for about $2 each. First, I'd never had a Perdomo. Secondly, I have a bias against cigars with long redundant names. This brand is sometimes known as "La Tradicion", or "Perdomo Reserve" or "Perdomo Cabinet Series" or some combination thereof. It wasn't until I ran across these in The Tinder Box and saw they retailed for $7 apiece that my curiosity was piqued. I found out this line of Perdomo was rated "91" (Outstanding) in two consecutive issues of Cigar Aficionado and honored as "Cigar or the Year" by the Robb Report and the European Cigar Cult Journal.

Still, the appearance of this cigar didn't help my skepticism: it had numerous long prominent veins. The head of the cigar felt dry and was packed noticeably tigher than the foot. The wrapper had small bluish splotches all over it, which couldn't be seen through the cellophane but became noticeable in the sunlight.

However, my impression turned once I lit this cigar. It started off strong for about five minutes, with tastes of pepper and leather. It mellowed somewhat after its initial blast; there was no mistaking either the tang imparted by the cameroon wrapper or the Nicaraguan flavor of the filler tobacco. This cigar remained on the full side of medium for nearly two hours. It had a good draw, with a slight tendency to canoe, and a robust finish that stayed with me. It paired well with a belgian-style Pale Ale and lasted me throughout a 150-page novella I was reading. By the end, I was very very impressed. How have I missed this brand?

I had a second one two weeks later and it was just as good, if not better when paired with a single malt.

Perdomo Fresh-Rolled Double Corona
Size: 7.0 x 50
Tobacco: Nicaraguan puro
Price: $1.98

I have a friend Holt who loves to chew cigars. He rarely smokes them, sometimes he doesn't even bother to light them. He just chews and spits, chews and spits, for hours. I've never really understood the appeal of it, until now. Because if ever there was a stogie made for chewing, the Perdomo Fresh Rolled is it.

This cigar is sold exclusively through Cigars International. According to their copy, the idea resulted from the fact that, during various marketing events, Perdomo employs a beautiful young woman to hand-roll free cigars for the customers. The customers can watch the cigar as it is "born" and then smoke it, still-wet, while the sales guys hawk Perdomo's more coventional, higher quality, higher margin products. But the fresh cigars were so popular that CI decided to sell them directly to the public. They are sold in "cuban wheels" of 50, with no box, no bands, just tied together by a small brown ribbon. The CI price for an entire wheel: $99.

Of course, like most of the things you read at CI, this story isn't quite true. According to several magazine articles, Perdomo first started selling fresh-rolled cigars back in 2003, under the moniker Perdomo Fresco. Back then, they came in decorative boxes with a trading card featuring the name and likeness of the roller. Each cigar sold for about $4 apiece.

These churchills have all the problems you would expect from wet tobacco: erratic draw, prone to canoe, goes out if you leave them unattended. This is probably why they're so cheap (plus, Perdomo can reduce working capital if they don't have to store them in inventory during the 6-month aging process). Interestingly enough, no matter how many times I've had to relight, these cigars don't become bitter or harsh: no need to purge.

But here's the real rub: Despite the construction issues (which may calm down in time), they actually taste good, they never taste cheap. They're Nicaraguan puros, burn very slow (90-120 minutes), full of hearty earthy flavors. But they don't taste like any other Nic puro I've had. They are dense, rich, and woody. Lots of flavor on the draw, but no aftertaste. The adjective that keeps coming to mind is doughy. Like as a kid, when I would eat mom's biscuit batter out of the mixing bowl.

I've had a couple of these so far, and every time I am done, I didn't feel satiated, like I do with a Pepin or a Fuente, but instead I want to immediately chew on another one.

I'd definitely give this a thumbs-up in both taste and value. It will be interesting to see what happens after 6 months of aging.

Today's reviews come from the back porch, lounging by the pool, while smoking the last of my Flor de A. Allones bellicosos. This cigar, with 10 months age on it, has grown richer and spicier. A definite winner.

Before I commence with my latest batch of reviews, I wanted to post my latest internet cigar haul. I just bought a 300-ct glass-top humidor and this is how I plan to fill it up:

from Cigar Bid
1 Box 5 Vegas Miami by Pepin Garcia ($57)
1 Box Sol Cubano Cuban Cabinet by Oliva ($51)
1 Box Gran Habano #3 Corojo ($45)
1 Box Padilla Hybrid ($43)
1 "cuban wheel" Perdomo Fresh-Rolled ($69)
-- i.e, 50 puros that have not been aged, with no bands, no box, no cellopane

from JR Cigars
1 Box Flor de Murias ($39.50)

from Cuban Crafters
1 Box-Don Kiki Brown Churchill ($54)
1 Bundle-Tio Pepe ($34)

That's 205 stogies, at an average price of $1.92. All are well-known premium brands, except Flor de Murias and Teo Pepe. (All prices include shipping).

I need to win two more auctions to make sure the humidor is set for a year: a box of Legends by Pepin and a 60-ct chest of Omar Ortez Originals. Unfortunately, it's getting harder to find the really cheap steals. Everybody is stocking up because in two months, the new $0.40 federal cigar tax is coming.

Update 03-15-09: I added a crate of 60 Omar Ortez Originals ($130) and a box of Ramon Allones Reserve ($43). I didn't win the Pepins. But this gives me 285 cigars in the new humidor, plus my current inventory (about 115 cigars). My goal is to let most of them age for 9 months. At current rate of consumption, this should give me enough smoking supply to last until late 2011.




Africa by Don Lino
Size: 5 x 50 (the "Duma")
Tobacco: Africa, Honduras, Nicaragua, DR
Price: $6.00

Each size in the Africa by Don Lino line has been ascribed the Maasi tribal name for a famous exotic animal on the continent. In addition to Duma, there is Kiboko, Kifaro, Kuro, Punda Milio, and Tembo.

The cigar is very attractive, with a shiny, oily dark brown wrapper, for the most part free from veins or bumps. It has a soft earthy pre-light aroma, with almost no pre-light taste. The draw is smooth, the burn slow and precise. It is medium in both body and taste. In the first half, the primary flavor is earthy with a slight spicy bite on the finish. In the second half, the spiciness is replaced by a dominate coffee flavor

I smoked this one last night over at Shaun's house. I was loopy from some cold medicine I had taken, so I did not pair it with any drink. It was a solid, enjoyable cigar; it didn't blow me away by any means, but I would certainly smoke one again.



La Herencia Cubana
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Nicaragua (regions: Jalapa, Condega, Esteli)
Price: $5-$7

I bought a 20-cigar sampler of this brand on CigarBid for around $36, that included the robusto, lonsdale, toro, and torpedo sizes. I don't know that I would have ever noticed this little boutique cigar from AJ Fernandez, until I read this glowing review on another blog.

This cigar is a very good everyday, after-dinner treat. It is fairly one-dimensional, but has a lot of pepper-spice flavor with a healthy finish. Pairs well with scotches, bourbons, and lagers. I've never had any problems with the draw or the construction. Despite having a Sumatra wrapper and being (nearly) a Nicaraguan puro, it does not have the same rich flavor as other Nicaraguan puros like Padron and Omar Ortez Originals. There is a very faint, bitter, almost acidic, undercurrent while you smoke it. Hard to describe and very unique; I'm not sure I've ever tasted it before.

It is, indeed, similar to some of Pepin Garcia's stuff -- at a fraction of the price. Something tells me the CBid samplers won't be going for $2/stick very long.



Omar Ortez Original Bellicoso
Size: 6.12 x 52
Tobacco: Nicaraguan Puro
Price: $5 (Tobacco Corner in Memphis)

I don't know who Omar Ortez is, but his namesake cigar is, right now, my new favorite cigar in all the world. It started, I'm sure, as Altadis' answer to the ever-popular Edge brand. Like Edge, the Omar Ortez Originals came unbanded in massive crates of 60 cigars. Once Rocky Patel started putting a foot band on his Edge, then Omar Ortez came out with a similar-looking foot band as well. This was clearly supposed to be a knock-off product. But here's the kicker: it's better than Edge. A lot better.

I smoked my first one about a year ago, and loved it. But I didn't have room to buy a box of 60. I remember back then, some of those crates sold on CigarBid for $80-90. However, the word is now out. Now that I have the storage capacity, those same crates never go for less than $136. JR Cigars sells them for $160. SeriousCigars sell them for $142.

This is one of the ugliest cigars I've ever seen on the market. The dark brown wrapper that is covered, head to foot, with "tooth" and veins. The pre-light taste of the wrapper is nondescript, leading you to think maybe it is not a strong cigar. But when you light this puro, the initial blast is strong, spicy, and harsh. Very "Pepin-esque" (although I hate that term). After a few minutes, though, the harshness subsides and then this cigar becomes very similar in taste to a Padron-- a lot of spice, a lot of earth, a little coffee perhaps, but never dull and never bland. The only negative to this cigar, if there is one, is an overly loose draw.

If I can get this cigar at around $2-$2.50 on CigarBid, this will become my staple after-dinner smoke. And my posts to this blog will decrease. Because once you've found what you're looking for... why keep looking?

Postscript 03-20-09: I recently learned the Omar Ortez Originals are named after a prominent tobacco grower who has survived and prospered in Nicaragua under both the sandinistas and the current government. They are manufactured in the NATSA (Nicaraguan American Tobaccos S.A) factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. The factory is jointly owned by Lew Rothman of JR Cigars and the Oliva family in Tampa.

No new review today. Last night’s cigar was a disappointing JR Alt-Monte #2. But the disappointment was my fault—not Lew’s. I had to let the cigar die 5 minutes in, because Kedron woke up from her nap early. When I returned an hour later, the wrapper started to unravel and split, which led to burn and draw problems. This marred an otherwise fine night of heads-up, no-money-wagered poker with Anthony on the back porch.

This brings me to tonight’s subject: I first became a fan of the JR Alternatives line in 2004, because they were the only quality hand-rolled, long-filler cigars that could be obtained for a buck. Yes, there are cheaper buys, but they are either segundos (which by their nature are inconsistent) or mixed-filler sandwich cigars, like Riata and Mister B’s. Back in 04, a bundle of JR Alt-Monte #2 cost $21.95, plus $2 shipping, or $1.20 per smoke.

But over time, Lew’s inventories dropped and shipping costs rose. Today, that same bundle costs $26.95, plus $2.63 shipping, or $1.48 per smoke. Still a great bargain for a very good smoke.

However, I recently found a site called CigarBid.com where boxes of name-brand cigars are routinely placed on the auction block at less than $10 and a feeding frenzy ensues. This site seems to specialize in new and boutique labels that became popular in the boom of the late 1990’s. I see more cigars with “by Rocky Patel” or “by Perdomo” in the name than Montecristo or Punch. Most boxes end up selling for 70% of retail; some even sell for higher than MSRP. But sometimes you can get a steal: I bought a box of Legends Series Camachos and a 20-cigar sampler of CAO, Gurkha, La Perla, and Puros Indios for almost the same price as the JR Alts ($1.68 per smoke, after shipping).

I’m excited about this, because it will mean more variety than what I find at JRCigars, at my present costs. I’ll post reviews soon.