Cigar Review: Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary, Criollo

Epicure, 6" x 54 ring gauge, $6.30
Perdomo's website describes this cigar as "a decade in the making" and states that this is the "next generation" of the company's "original La Tradicion Perdomo Reserve line." The Reserve 10th Anniversary debuted in 2008 and features Nicaraguan filler and binder. It is available in Connecticut shade (called "Champagne") and Maduro wrappers, as well as today's Criollo-wrapped version.

This is a good-looking and good-feeling stick. While there is some mottling, the color is still pleasing to the eye and there are no large veins. The wrapper is velvety and quite oily to the touch. The aroma from the body is subdued barnyard and a little bit of leather; from the foot I smelled some cocoa along with a stronger barnyard component. The prelight draw was excellent and featured flavors of cocoa and coffee with a little spicy tingle on the lips.

Initial puffs gave up flavors of cedar and almonds, along with a little black pepper. The rest of the first third was predominantly flavored by cedar and black pepper, with some subtle coffee and roasted nut flavors underneath and in the retrohale.

The second third had a steady undercurrent of spice and the cedar muted somewhat, to be replaced by coffee and leather. There was a perfectly straight burnline in spite of a steady breeze and the draw was perfect as well.

There was no change of note in the flavors in the last third, but overall this was a good, flavorful smoke. It was medium-to-full bodied the entire way with just enough complexity to remain interesting. I would also consider this a bargain at less than $7 per stick. At the event where I purchased this and the other two Perdomo cigars that were recently reviewed, the rep made a point of telling us that none of the cigars he had for sale was over $9.50. To smokers on a budget, like me, that means that I will simply make a point of buying more Perdomos. I've already started that process and hopefully I will be featuring reviews for the Patriarch Corojo, Reserve 10th Anniversary Champagne, Habano Connecticut, and Habano Corojo in the coming months.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 6/10

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