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Perdomo "Reserve 10th Anniversary Champagne"

Drew Estate "20 Acre Farm"

Macanudo "Estate Reserve Flint Knoll No. 2"

Perdomo 20th Anniversary Connecticut $62.15 $68.36

Single$13.81 $13.81 / cigar 5-Pack$62.15 $12.43 / cigar Box of 25$281.72 $11.26 / cigar

Add to Cart $62.15

Wrapper

Connecticut Shade (Ecuador)

Binder

Cuban-seed (Nicaragua)

Filler

Cuban-seed (Nicaragua)

Origin

Nicaragua

Initial Smoke

Wholegrain salted crackers are all over the place upon light, and with smoke texture already hitting levels of creaminess that go beyond the norm, light-up makes for a splendid first impression. Buttery and biscuit-like, with a creamy meringue finish that has just a tickle of spiciness, this medium-sweet starting point is what many of us look for in a Connecticut shade cigar. As I stated on-camera, a punch or V-cut is all you need to get this smoke up and flowing, with body already being medium in nature by this point. 

1st Half

Burning super clean and cool, this thick robusto guides the taste buds toward a field of flavor, with that lemon cake and biscuit dough being the top tasting notes. Sweet, creamy, milky, and dotted with tastes of oak and hay, Connecticut shade smokers are in for a treat with this one. Even if it isn't all that unique a series of cigar flavor profiles, there's cleanliness, depth, and sultry smoking pleasure behind every puff, with those oak-heavy retrohales and satin smoke textures being top selling points.

Gradually, the cigar grows a fuzz boozy in nature as it burns, so that barrel-aging process can be detected if you search hard enough for it. But this is secondary compared to the sweeter, doughy top notes of pound cake and that delectable lemon icing. That said, there is a stronger push toward the tannin-rich tastes of oak, and it rests neatly beside that bourbon sweetness. While flavor has increased to medium by this point, body hasn't moved much, with strength sitting a few strides back. 

2nd Half

Bitter black coffee comes out just in time to mix with some sweet cream, together forming a latte cigar flavor profile in the center of the second third that begs to be savored. Oilier and notably stronger in its delivery of cedar tastes, the blend exposes a side that hasn't been seen yet. This has more to do with magnitude than new flavors or big transitions, and the cigar seems to settle into a richer, darker routine that can be felt after each exhale. 

Eventually, this leads to some warm baking spices, with cinnamon and nutmeg riding up front, and the fatty, tangy taste of buttercream sitting in the backseat. As dried hay grows in potency, the oak gets a touch of toasting, adding a heartier flavor profile to the finish that is bigger than before. This leaves the smoker with a crisp series of tasting notes on the tongue and nose, and a buttery, chewy set of aftertastes once the smoke leaves the palate and nostrils. It's the best of both worlds, and extremely tasty, if but a touch hot on the tongue at times.

Parting Puffs

Spicier sides of the cigar wait until the last minute to show themselves, and when they do, it is more of a hybridized concoction of cinnamon and dry wood heat, mixed with a crack or two of pepper than anything else. Despite being unexpectedly stronger and darker than advertised, the final dozen puffs remain milky in texture and are enjoyable to the point where they can be savored all the way up until the blend goes bitter on you. 

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

We'll be adding this blend to the ever-expanding list of great burners from Perdomo Cigars. Beyond a little ash flake at times and the need to smoke slowly in the final third and beyond to keep heat levels and bitterness under control, this fatty robusto required little upkeep. These combustion perks allow you to focus more of your attention on the medium-bodied smoke itself, which for much of the time remains creamy, clean, and cool on the tongue and nose. 

Final Thoughts

Although Perdomo's 10th Anniversary Champagne Connecticut was the shade-grown smoke that put bourbon barrel aged tobacco on the map, I find the 20th Anniversary version to be a superior cigar. Not only is it less grassy and peppery, but it also has a far better smoke texture and provides a series of smells and tastes that are smoother and more refined. The blend also tastes sweeter to me every time I compare the two, and I like how cool it burns when puffed slowly. 

That's not to say that this more heavily aged, bourbon-soaked alternative doesn't have its flaws, for it does miss the mark when it comes to transitions and magnitude at times. Nothing against straightforward cigar flavor profiles, but there are far more complex Connecticut shade smokes in the Klaro collection that out-compete this stick when it comes to depth. 

What this blend does do extremely well, at least from a flavor standpoint, is keep those butter pound cake and citrus tastes at the top, and not once does it seem to lose its ability to produce sweetness. That alone makes this light-colored, medium-bodied cigar more than worthy of consideration, keeping it at the forefront for many cigar smokers looking for a shade smoke that delivers every time its foot is set afire.