JULY 28, 2021 - PHIL KURUT, COMEDY - CIGARS - MUSIC
PERDOMO 20TH ANNIVERSARY MADURO CORONA GRANDE (6 1/2 x 48)
WRAPPER: NICARAGUAN MADURO
BINDER: CUBAN-SEED NICARAGUAN
FILLER: CUBAN-SEED NICARAGUAN
A dark, beautiful, and flawless wrapper provide an excellent visual for the 20th Maduro. The band gives a two band look with a single band construction. One less band to hassle with, especially if they are applied with super glue.
Cherry and raisin kick from the foot, along with some barnyard, and dry hay with a muted chocolate grace my nose off the wrapper.
Equal helpings of barnyard, dark earth, and spice start out my experience with the 20th. Not sold on barnyard.
Cream, coffee, and bitter earth provide my nose with a fairly enjoyable experience. I’m guessing the bitterness will drop off.
Earth, a bit of coffee, barnyard, and spice mosey through the finish. A good mosey, but still not sold on barnyard. The spice sets up camp on the very back of my tongue and throat. Not overwhelming at this point, but now I’m awake for sure.
The draw and smoke output are absolutely perfect, and smoke billows off the foot during rests, producing a creamy, sweet, slightly dark, and cherry-laced aroma. Now, that’s nice.
A subtle dark cherry, dark earth, cream, a hint of dark chocolate, and a pinch of spice flow through the tobaccos in the first third. Adiós barnyard.
Leather and earth meander in the retrohale, both slightly salted.
The finish holds on to coffee, giving way to leather at some points, and dark chocolate and spice fade slowly at the end.
I’ve not had to touch up the burn, but it has required me to employ my trusted Smoke Roll™ to keep it playing nice. The Smoke Roll™ is the simple action of rolling the cigar during the draw. It tends to help me keep a burn in check that appears to be threatening unruliness. I didn’t invent it, but it appears I have named it. I have no sources at my disposal which prove or disprove this claim. Anyway.
The first third is a few shots short of blowing me away. The journey thus far has been okay. The draw and smoke output are the highlights for me at this point. The flavors are good, but they take some digging to get. Not a bad thing per se, but it seems like this cigar should be speaking a bit louder. Maybe I’m a little deaf today…if you’re along with me for that metaphor. Metaphor? We’ll go with that.
Smoke Roll™ - 2, Unruly Burn - 0. The burn in the second third acted up like a spoiled child, but it was no match for the Smoke Roll™. “Killing is my business, ladies, and business is good.” - Major Payne (Damon Wayans)
Flavors are dying out on me here. I think the burn’s losses are affecting the 20th’s self-esteem. Earth, a touch of toastiness and a muted cherry.
The retrohale offers up (or down, technically) clean earth and a toasted dark chocolate.
Earth, dark fruit, and an extremely watered down coffee in the finish don’t even take a seat before they leave the party. No goodbyes either. I get it. I try to leave parties in the same fashion.
The pull now drops a bit of sweetness under my tongue, a generous helping of clean earth fills the smoke, allowing just a touch of dark chocolate and cherry, which are here and gone.
Nuttiness, dark chocolate, and a quick vegetal note dash through the retrohale, and the finish is a bitter combination of leather and coffee. It’s drying me out a bit here in the final third. And, yes, I’m hydrated.
The burn gave up its rebellion and performed beautifully here at the end.
For me, the draw and smoke output were 20th’s heavy lifters.
SMOKE TIME: 1 hr. 58 mins.
RATING: 2 / 4 - Didn’t come to party.
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