Perdomo Champagne Sun Grown
Thursday, September 19th, 2013The Perdomo Champagne is a staple breakfast or lunch smoke for me. I reach for a Champagne Noir for a reasonably priced, fuller bodied cigar. When I found out that this cigar was available in a sun grown wrapper, I had to try it. Off to the shop I went, and here are my thoughts.
Side note… I often use a punch for larger ring gauge cigars like this. It tends to cause just enough restriction in the draw, which helps keep the smoke volume up.
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown
Binder & Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Super Toro 6 x 60
Price: Around $7.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The reddish brown wrapper had a nice, oily sheen. The smell reminded me of hay, and rich soil. Overall, the cigar was evenly packed, with a slight give when squeezed. The draw had slight resistance, with a flavor of earth and cedar.
The burn required a few minor corrections, and the ash held for just over an inch.
Flavor:
The first third had a core of wood and pepper. After a few puffs, coffee entered the picture. The smoke feel was dry, and the aftertaste lingered for quite some time. Right before entering the second third, I picked up a note of nuttiness.
The smoke feel became a bit creamier in the second third. Somehow, at the same time, it was crisp. Otherwise, it continued to have pepper, coffee, wood, and nuts. From time to time, I picked up an unidentified sweetness.
The last third became a bit more creamier, with less of that crispiness than before. Otherwise, it was a mixture of pepper, coffee, wood, nuts, and from time to time, sweetness.
Conclusion:
This was a good medium to full bodied cigar. I wouldn’t call it complex, but it had enough to hold my attention. I think it hits the asking price. I could smoke this at any time of the day, much like the Noir. The regular Champage, that tends to be just for breakfast or lunch. I’ll smoke more of these.
