Cigar Review: Perdomo Lot 23

Toro, 6" x 50 ring gauge, $5.80
According to the Perdomo website, Lot 23 cigars are named after one of the company's farms in Esteli, Nicaragua. The cigar is blended with tobaccos raised exclusively on that farm which have been aged for four years before rolling and another six months before sale. The wrapper is an Ecuadorian Connecticut that the company claims "adds an elegant creaminess which complements the robust Nicaraguan fillers."

The wrapper is a beautiful honey-colored Connecticut-shade style with a delicate vein structure and it was practically flawless. This leaf would not be out of place on a Davidoff at 2 or 3 times the price. The aroma from the wrapper is hay and fresh-cut grass, along with just a tiny hint of autumn spice. The foot gives off aromas of damp earth, chocolate and just a bit of coffee.

The prelight draw was easy and had classic "mild cigar" flavors of honey, hay and cream. Despite the mild cigar appearance and prelight flavors, though, opening puffs had plenty of black pepper and coffee flavors along with what immediately struck me as a medium-bodied smoke. Perhaps this is what happens when you combine the mildest of wrappers with a more robust filler blend? A question that may get answered in this cigar. The first third was an exercise in contrasts: flavors of black coffee, roasted nuts and black pepper were tinged with a slightly edgy smoke that nonetheless had undertones of cream, honey and hay.

The second third had just as much contradiction than the first--maybe more. The flavors turned more creamy with hay and grass becoming dominant, but there seemed to be an underlying strength that absolutely prevented it from tasting like a classic mild smoke. There were also some interesting citrus notes, a little lemony zing and sourness.

In the last third, the Lot 23 definitely showed a nicotine kick that was not overwhelming, although it was unexpected. The flavors of roasted nuts returned to complement the hay and creamy notes. This was overall a very interesting cigar that brought plenty of complexity and contrast to what appeared to be your basic mild stick. Construction was superb, featuring an absolutely flawless draw and perfectly straight burn line. Because of the lighter, more nuanced notes it probably would be wise to choose this as your first cigar of the day; from my own experience, smoking a more full-bodied smoke first causes the majority of this cigar to get lost.

Body: 6/10
Strength: 8/10
Complexity: 10/10

AFP Scale:
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10