Perdomo - Lot 23 Maduro
Vitola: Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Pairing: San Francisco Bay Fog Lifter coffee

This is another stick that my wife picked up for me because she liked the way it looked. She knows that I like maduros and she will pick up things that catch her eye from time to time. It's actually an interesting study in marketing in that she is buying based on nothing other than the color of the wrapper and a band that appeals to her. So far, I am lucky to say, she had done very well with this strategy. The only one she ever bought me that I really didn't like was a Ghurka (don't remember which one). Anyway, this one has been sitting in the humidor for about 9 months so it is nicely comfortable.

Fit and Finish: Nice dark wrapper, not really oily at all but not dry or brittle. A nice cocoa nose on it. Small veins, good seam, nice cap. It's actually very attractive with the plain wrapper. The lack of shine to the wrapper makes it look rustic somehow...

Draw: V-cut is excellent, nice even draw with cocoa and just a little spice on the cold draw.

Toast/Light: It's been resting at 65% RH for nearly a year and so it lights easily and evenly. Excellent smoke on the initial light with a great cigar smell to it. Very mild spice on the puffs to light after toasting.

First third: Paired with one of my favorite coffees, this cigar is predominately cocoa and coffee on the palate with a nice smoke and just a hint of sweetness to it. There is no real pepper to be found and it is not terribly complex, but it is tasty and very enjoyable as we watch the sunset.

Second Third: The cocoa and coffee profile continue without change. It is a very uniform smoke without any real wow factor. Neither does it have an "Ugh" factor. The flavor is pleasant and the smoke prodigious. I do get a little bit of an uneven burn as I head toward the last third, but it is easily corrected and the correction doesn't seem to alter the taste profile.

Final Third: I don't even think about whether the profile will change by this point. It doesn't. But it really doesn't matter. The cigar has faded into the background as the conversation dominates. I occasionally think "this is a really tasty cigar" but nothing more than that. The burn continues evenly and as I finish my coffee I allow the cigar to go out with about 1 1/4 inches remaining.

Final Thoughts: Sometimes you just want a pleasant smoke that doesn't consume your attention and this cigar fit that bill for me quite nicely. It was nice. It is NOT a cigar to make you think "Holy crap! Where has this been all my life?" But if you want something that you can just puff on while enjoying other things going on around you it may be just what you're looking for.