In honor of Perdomo’s 30th anniversary in the cigar industry, the company released the 30th Anniversary cigar line to celebrate. With humble beginnings starting in 1992, the 30-year anniversary was officially in 2022, but in true Perdomo meticulous fashion, these cigars were released in 2023, thus paying homage to the full 30 years. Released at the 2023 PCA Trade Show and Convention, the 30th Anniversary Sun Grown was one of the trifecta to also include a Maduro and Connecticut versions. The 30th Anniversary cigars pay tribute to the dedication of the Perdomo team to quality and their continued commitment to their customers.

Under the Lid

There is no doubt this is a Perdomo cigar when I first laid my eyes on it. Smooth and silky with the elegance always apparent with Nick’s cigars. The labeling is flashy in a classy way and encompasses the iridescent colors noted in the latest iterations of their cigars, to include the 10th Anniversary Box Pressed Sun Grown and Maduro. The cigar is easy in my hand and the Epicure vitola is comfortable with its soft box press and silky wrapper.

One thing that always impresses me with Perdomo cigars, is the lack of veins seen in the wrapper. The light has to hit very brightly to really notice them. With a medium brown wrapper that has a slight golden tone and some red in the background, the wrapper shows off a velvet like sheen. The cigar seems delicate yet substantial at the same time. The filler is fairly dense, but I do notice 3 different spots that are not as dense. This was the case in all three samples I smoked. It seemed like a combination of using the entubado technique with the more modern bunching. The cap is well rounded, symmetrical, and smooth.

After a straight cut, the dry draw produces more of the same aromas noted in my initial inspection of the cigar. The foot is like sweet straw with a hint of spice. The dry draw is sweet with a taste of honey on the lips and a hint of baking spices. Some cedar is also noted. There is a smoothness to the aromas, much like butter.

• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown (15-year-old bourbon barrel aged)
• Binder: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan
• Filler: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan
• Vitola: Robusto (5 x 54), Epicure (6 x 54), Churchill (7 x 54), Gordo (6 x 60)
• Factory: Tabacalera Perdomo
• Release Date: November 2023
• Number of boxes released: Regular Production
• MSRP: Robusto $12.00 ($360 / box 30), Epicure $12.50 ($375 / box 30), Churchill $13.00 ($390 / box
  30), Gordo $13.50 ($405 / box 30)

Performance Notes

First Third: The cigar has an immediate base note of nuts and baking spices. Even as I was drawing at the start of the smoke, I noticed the cigar has a smoothness even with the slight hint of black and red pepper that are ever so lightly coating my pallet. The retrohale reminds me of the smell of a kitchen when baking is going on. It’s almost like the smell of fresh dough. This smoke produces a ton of smoke which I wonder if it is related to my earlier observations about the filler. I am a sucker for a cigar that produces nice billowy smoke as I feel there is more exposure to flavor. About an inch in the pepper dissipates but a tiny reminder is way in the background if one is paying attention. Notes of cedar are also lurking in the background. The initial nuttiness has also subsided, and I am left with a creamy, smokey, baking spice with a drop of honey.

Second Third: The cigar has settled in, and I am quite enjoying the cigar at this point. Easy to smoke and very relaxing. I especially appreciate the smooth and buttery melding of flavors. For me, some sun grown cigars can have a bit of an acidic mix to the flavors. This is not present in this cigar, and it leaves a nice aftertaste, which lasts for quite a while, and is reminiscent of baking dough and bread mixed with some honey. Mild wood notes remain in the background. The label removed easily without any damage to the wrapper. The construction of the cigar is flawless. The soft box press makes the 54-ring gauge feel smaller and more comfortable. The second third seems to be the sweet spot for me in this smoke.

Final Third: Final third: Nothing changes substantially going into the finish. The cigar remains smooth, creamy, and rich with the right balance of sweet, woody and creamy spices. The initial nuttiness re-emerges in the last third blending nicely with the other notes to give the cigar a little something extra. The sweetness of honey remains also. Strength has not picked up and remains a medium smoke for me throughout the entire experience. The body becomes just a little soft at the end but never gets hot to the touch. I definitely nub this cigar as the consistency of great flavors remains even down to the finish.

Core Flavors: Baking Spices, Dough, Butter, Honey, Cedar
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium to Full
Complexity: Medium

Smokin Experience: What can I say. Nick Perdomo and his team got it right with this cigar. From cut to finish I enjoyed the heck out of this smoke. I was tentative in expecting a few transitions that would reveal that acidity that I have experienced in other Sun Grown cigars, but it was never there. There are several flavor note combinations that really hit my pallet, and this is one of them. The creaminess of the cigar was like smoking butter but the smokiness opened up the draws to take in a lot of well-balanced flavors. I go back to my original observations about the filler and although I may be off base, these little pockets of more open filler help the cigar to be a smoke machine. I worried about the draw becoming too loose, but it never did. The only downside I saw was the slight softening of the body in the last third. Obviously, it did not affect the burn and flavors as the cigar never got hot or bitter nor did the notes get thrown off. Construction was great and the ash was light and fluffy without being delicate. I could routinely tap at 1 – 2 inches. The burn line was crisp and had a nice dark edge around the wrapper. I never touched up the cigar and it burned mostly straight. This combination of good draw, great construction, and well-balanced flavors made this cigar stand-out for me.

Purchase Recommendation: Box-worthy; do not let the box price scare you as each has 30 cigars, making the individual price of the cigar pretty good for the quality.

Smokin Facts:

• In the beginning, circa 1992, Perdomo Cigars was known as “Nick’s Sticks”.
• All Perdomo cigars use bourbon barrels to age their tobacco leaves. This additional step is said to create the smoothness of their cigars.
• Perdomo is one of only a handful of companies to be vertically integrated. This means they control all aspects of the process from farming, harvesting, and fermenting, manufacturing, making boxes and any other step needed for the finished cigars.

Smokin Wrap:

Cigars smoked for the review: Three
Average smoking time: 80 minutes

SCORE: 92

Diana (Dee) Pitman – Product Reviews

Diana Pitman, known in the cigar world as “Dee” or “The Queen Of Cigars”, was born and raised in southern New Jersey. Her lifelong dream of joining the military became a reality at 43 years young. She served in the US Army Nurse Corps as an ER Nurse and deployed in support missions for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. It was during her military service in 2004 that she first smoked cigars. Upon her Honorable discharge at the rank of Captain in 2010, she continued smoking cigars and it slowly progressed from a coping tool to a hobby, and finally to a passion. She resides in South Jersey with her Service Dog Finn Ezekiel and looks forward to retirement from her position of Director of the Cumberland County Department of Veterans Affairs and traveling the country visiting cigar lounges and her many friends she has made through the cigar lifestyle.