Perdomo Mistakes

Ya'll have probably read my review on cigars called Mistakes many moons ago.  Well, these are different, so don't get your panties in a knot thinking that I'm writing about the same cigars from years ago.  I'm often afraid that Alzheimer's has kicked in early, but luckily I haven't lost my mind yet.  These Perdomo Mistakes are different, oh so different.  You can read the full story here, but the short of it is that these are the original Perdomo 2 Milenario size in a round shape rather than a box-press.  I'm not sure how many of you tried the Perdomo 2, they're dandy cigars with a terrific spice and subtle strong flavor that can knock you down if you've you've got an empty stomach.  They're extraordinarily well-made, slow-burning, and filled with a ton of rock'em, sock'em Nicaraguan tobaccy.

OK, now, why are these so special?  Well, to be brutally honest....they're cheap, and they're even smoother.  "What!  Gonz, are you telling me that I get the same damn thing for $50 cheaper."  Um, yeah!  In fact, the burn and draw on these is so tremendous, that I've smoked a dozen just for "research" to make sure they're for real.  I might get the cheapskate award of the century, but I dare not steer you wrong.  I've smoked 6 of each - Nicaraguan maduro and Cameroon natural.  My preference is the maduro, the wrapper gives it a subtle sweetness that softens the bite off the strength.  This weekend we opened our new 5,000 sq ft retail Super Store, and in the 2 hours I was over there, I had 2 customers come up to me and ask for the Perdomo 2 Mistakes, and I recommended the same to another 2 customers - all of which said "Hey, you're Gonz, why haven't you written these up yet?"  There you have, my impetus for another Gonz's pick.

The Cameroon wrapped Mistake is spicy and dry with a smooth burn that wreaks of supremely aged tobacco.  The bite of the Cameroon wrapper is evident - a flavor that seems to be a love'em or hate'em relationship with some folks.  I like an occasional Cameroon, but often, the flavor tends to overpower the underpinnings of the cigar (yes, it's almost flavor-heavy).  A dry character and back of tongue quality lingers on the finish.  The Nicaraguan maduro, albeit with the same strong character under the wrapper, has a softer approach to the full-bodied cigar.  The spicy-sweet flavor hits the middle part of your tongue and lingers much less with a moister (less-dry that is) quality that doesn't dry out your mouth.  It's terrific, and the price tag is terrific too.  High quality and low risk.

That young chap Nick Perdomo knows how to make a damn fine cigar, lemme tell ya.  Some of his latest brands, like Edicion de Silvio and Perdomo ESV are knock your socks off good.  But, if you're looking for something that's a little more reasonably priced with a terrific flavor, and super-premium quality, you simply cannot go wrong with this doozy for just over $2 a stick.

Light'em up,

- Gonz

I decided to pick up the game of golf this summer. I call it a game simply because it’s always playing with my mind. One day I’ll do well, the next day I’ll go through $25 in balls. Although I can’t always control how I play on the course, I can control what cigars I’ll be burning while looking for my ball. I’ve always been told never to have ‘good’ or expensive cigars while golfing, since I won’t be able to appreciate them. Look, when I have a cigar, I know I am having a cigar. Regardless of what I am doing, I’ll be able to appreciate it, considering it’s worth appreciating. But, this does make sense on another level, since I find myself dropping or stepping on my cigars quite frequently. And as you probably know, witnessing a pricey stick fall victim to the ground or shoe can be quite painful. The idea: go cheap but keep it enjoyable. The answer: Perdomo² Milenario ‘Mistakes’.

If you haven’t tried the Perdomo² line, I suggest you do so. Nick is a damn good cigar maker, and is responsible for some of today’s most flavorful blends. Perdomo² is one of his veteran brands; a staple in boutique cigar shops from coast to coast that only seems to be getting better with age. Box-pressed and available in either natural (Cameroon) or maduro, the ‘Squared’ is robust and complex, thanks to a man-sized portion of Piloto Cubano Nicaraguan tobaccos that have been aged in cedar casks for a minimum of 5 years. So what are these Mistakes I speak of? A long time ago, in a kingdom not so far from here, the Perdomo factory accidentally shipped unbanded, unbox-pressed Milenarios, a size within the Squared line, to the US. Nick couldn’t watch these quality smokes go to waste, so he sold them to us at a ridiculously low price as a one-time deal. Well, that one-time deal did so well it turned into an ongoing project, called Perdomo² Milenario ‘Mistakes’: same blend, same aging process, same Perdomo² goodness, but well under half the price. A fortunate mistake on Nick Perdomo’s part and a gem of a golf cigar for me. Now I can enjoy the rich, robust spiciness of Perdomo² without babying the cigar for fear of it falling off my cart or crawling underneath my shoe. The cigar part is gravy. Now if I could just fix my horrific slice I’d be all set.