Perdomo Grand Cru – Corojo
I bought a box of these cigars based on some samples. The price seemed right, and lately I seem to reach for some kind of Perdomo cigar almost on a daily basis. I think this is mainly due to Perdomo reducing some prices despite everyone else jacking theirs up. Almost every cigar company has, or is, raising prices and placing blame on everything but themselves. Sure, the SCHIP tax is real, but does it really account for such huge price gouging? I think not. I’d rather you admit that you are after a quick buck. I can respect honesty, just cut the bullshit. Even if Perdomo is full of crap, I am buying it hook line and sinker, and I feel good about it. So back to the review…
The Grand Cru comes in a Maduro, Connecticut, or Corojo wrapper. The tobaccos are said to be from 2004 and obviously well aged. As always, I paired this cigar with water and offer you my thoughts.
Wrapper: Corojo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Toro 6 x 50
Price: $4.70
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The nice tan wrapper looked good, with a slight toothiness and a few veins here and there. Those who are extra picky may notice slight color variations in the wrapper, but who cares… It also had a good hay-ish earthy smell. The foot had that same smell combined with a natural tobacco odor. Overall the cigar was evenly packed, and bounced back to shape when squeezed. The pre-light draw had a slight resistance with a sweet earthy taste.
Flavor:
The first third began with earthiness with a nice peppery punch. After about an inch I started to pick up black coffee. The smoke was pretty thick, as was the mouth feel. As this third came to a close, an ever so so slight sweetness came into the background.
The second third kept that nice peppery punch. It wasn’t over the top and did not burn. It just had a nice medium kick. Earthy and coffee notes were the main flavors. But the sweetness I mentioned before developed into something similar to mocha. It lingered and coated the tongue long after the smoke was expelled. At about the half way point the smoke became creamy and everything seemed to really come together nicely.
The last third saw the sweetness increase in strength, and it definitely was mocha. The earthiness fell to the background, and the coffee stood out with the mocha. That nice peppery zing remained but smoothed out a bit. The smoke feel remained smooth and creamy with a long aftertaste.
Conclusion:
This was a good medium to full bodied cigar. It had a nice start and built from there. I found it to be relaxing and satisfying. Factor in the price point, and I think Perdomo has a winner. I could see this pairing up nicely with a variety of beverages. So pick a few up and see what you think.
