Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Maduro – Reader Review
Reviewer Name: Kekoa Kai
Cigar Name: Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Maduro
Size: 7 x 54
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
This cigar celebrates the 10 year anniversary of the introduction of the Perdomo Reserve line and was first produced in 2008.
Appearance and Construction
The medium brown wrapper of this substantial maduro double corona was stunning with a rich oily look and feel, and a few very delicate veins. The cigar wasn’t visually perfect as it looked slightly uneven in girth, perhaps a little lumpy over it’s length giving it a less refined look. The pack was very firm with absolutely no give whatsoever.
A guillotine cut was used on this cigar and the pre-light draw offered quite a bit of resistance. Pre-light flavour was slightly sweet and the nose was a light milk chocolate.
Flavour
>From the start, this Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro offered a lightly spiced white pepper smoke which gave a slight tingling sensation on the lips and tip of the tongue. The draw was quite restricted, as was the amount of smoke given off. The first third of the cigar gave light tones of milk chocolate with hints of clove. The ash hung on for two inches before I removed it with a firm tap, as being covered in ash is not my thing. By the second third of this Perdomo, the volume of smoke had increased substantially and became slightly more complex with additional flavours of wood and leather becoming apparent. In the last half of the cigar the clove flavour built along with hints of dark chocolate, while the white pepper flavours faded out.
Burn
The burn on this cigar was good overall and while not perfectly even the burn always corrected itself, no touchups required. The band slid right off when the time came, no problems there. This cigar provided a smoke time of just under two hours.
Overall
The Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Maduro is a well balanced blend, offering subtle flavour changes throughout which can easily be overlooked if you don’t pay attention to it. The initial draw and minimal smoke problems corrected after the first third. This is a medium bodied cigar, leaning more towards the lighter side of medium. The strength of the cigar is also in the medium range. I would describe this as a ‘sophisticated’ smoke with refined flavours. If you like cigars with a punch, this one is not for you. But, if you prefer medium body/medium strength cigars with subtle flavours give this stick a try.
Cubao No. 6 Natural Robusto – Reader Review
Cigar Name: Cubao No. 6 Natural Robusto
Reviewer Name: Kekoa Kai
Size: 5 ½ x 52
Wrapper: Ecuadorian-grown Sumatra Oscuro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Introduced by EO Brands in 2008, this cigar was blended by Don Pepin Garcia and is rolled in Nicaragua. As for the name of the cigar, company literature reveals that:
It is believed that the name “Cuba” comes from the Taino word “cubao” which can be translated into either “where fertile land is abundant” or “a great place” (coabana.)
Appearance and Construction
This was a beautifully rolled cigar with a slightly oily feel, and no visible flaws. Wrapper had several visible veins giving it a slightly rustic look, but was smooth to the touch. The triple cap was perfectly done. The pack of the cigar was firm with no soft spots.
A guillotine cut was used on this cigar. Pre-light draw was effortless, and my first thought was that the draw was loose and might burn too fast but that remained to be seen. Pre-light, this Cubao had a slightly sweet and earthy aroma.
Flavour
The cigar gave nice bright peppery spice right off the bat, not overpowering but very apparent. Leather and wood tones were dominant in the aroma/flavour. The spiciness became less apparent after the first third, but never went away entirely. Nice overtones of coffee and mocha came into the picture from time to time particularly towards the last half of the cigar. This cigar was a flavourful one offering a good degree of complexity to the smoker.
Burn
After a rather shoddy light job on my part due to the strong breeze, the burn line evened itself out within the first half inch. From that point on the burn was not perfectly even, but any slight deviations from a straight burn continued to self correct throughout the entire smoke. No touchups required. By the last inch, this stick made it apparent that it was done as it started producing minimal smoke and the draw became restricted. This robusto provided a smoke time of just over an hour, although it may have lasted a little longer without the strong breezes that were blowing.
Overall
This is one flavourful, complex and very enjoyable cigar with excellent construction. I would put it firmly in the medium/full segment of the strength continuum. I wouldn’t smoke this one early in the morning or without having eaten something beforehand. Draw ended up being near perfect from my point of view. As a special bonus, when it came time to remove the band it came off effortlessly with no damage to the wrapper underneath. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this cigar to any but the most inexperienced palate. Kudos to EO Brands on this one.
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