Perdomo 30th Anniversary Box-Pressed Connecticut Epicure

During the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show, Perdomo showed off its new 30th Anniversary line that was created to commemorate company founders Nick and Janine Perdomo’s three decades in the cigar industry, the anniversary for which actually occurred in 2022. In fact, the Perdomo brand that exists today started out in 1992 as a small company based in Miami named Nick’s Cigar Co.

Nick Perdomo Jr. previously said that the 30th Anniversary “encapsulates not only the essence of our team’s dedication to the finest quality and craftsmanship, but it also represents our longstanding commitment to our cherished patrons.”

The 30th Anniversary includes three different blend options at launch: one is made with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, the second incorporates a Nicaraguan maduro wrapper, and the third features a Nicaraguan sun-grown leaf. However, while each of the wrappers is different, all three blends are made with a binder and filler blend grown in Nicaragua, and all three are offered in the same five vitolas.

According to the company, the wrapper of the Perdomo 30th Anniversary Connecticut has been aged in bourbon barrels, while some of the tobacco in the fillers have up to 15 years of age on them.

All three versions of the Perdomo 30th Anniversary are being made at the company’s Tabacalera Perdomo factory in Estelí, Nicaragua and boxes started showing up at retailers in November 2023.

• Cigar Reviewed: Perdomo 30th Anniversary Connecticut Epicure
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Tabacalera Perdomo S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 54
• Vitola: Toro Extra
• MSRP: $12.50 (Box of 30, $375)
• Release Date: November 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

The wrappers on the three Perdomo 30th Anniversary Connecticut Epicures are an extremely attractive golden brown color and are only accentuated by the almost total lack of any teeth when I run my fingers across them. All three cigars are extremely firm when squeezed, and while two of the cigars have a noticeable box press to their feet, the last one is more decidedly oval-shaped. Aromas from the wrappers include hay, creamy nuttiness, earthiness, barnyard and vanilla bean sweetness, although one also has a fleeting vegetal note. Notes from the feet of the cigars are extremely similar, with creamy cedar leading leather, peanut shells, earth, roasted coffee beans, dry straw and milk chocolate. Finally, after straight cuts, the cold draws include a strong, creamy cedar followed by sourdough bread, barnyard, milk chocolate sweetness, cocoa nibs, earth and some noticeable white pepper.

After I light the feet of the Perdomo 30th Anniversary Connecticut cigars, I taste a blast of caramel sweetness combined with very light white pepper and spice. Main flavors of creamy peanuts and oak emerge quickly to take over the profile, followed by notes of dry hay, coffee beans, buttermilk biscuits, leather tack and nutmeg. There is some noticeable white pepper present on the retrohale, as well as a sweetness that reminds me of ripe bananas, but the latter note is not very strong at any point during the first third. The flavor is at medium-plus, the body is at mild-plus, but the strength is a bit more obvious at a point just under the medium mark. In terms of construction, the burn lines, draws and smoke production give me no major problems so far across all three cigars.

The peanut flavor remains one of the top notes during the second third of the cigar—albeit not nearly as creamy in nature—but the oak flavor is replaced by a distinct dry hay note. Secondary flavors of brewed coffee, sourdough bread, oak, leather tack, baker’s spices and powdery cocoa nibs fit in and out, while a mild floral note shows up during the finish of two of the cigars. In addition, the sweetness on the retrohale now reminds me of milk chocolate and the white pepper becomes more upfront. Flavor remains at medium-plus, but both the body and strength increase slightly to land at a point under medium and solid medium, respectively. All three cigars run into the same burn issues that require two corrections each with my lighter, but other than that, the construction is fine.

Dry hay and peanuts continue to dominate the profile of the Perdomo during the final third, easily topping the additional flavors of oak, saltine crackers, nutmeg, dark chocolate, coffee beans and light cloves. The floral note that was present on two of the cigars has disappeared completely, but one cigar adds a mineral saltiness that—while never all that strong—sticks around until the end. The flavor ends the cigar at medium-plus, while the body manages to increase enough to land at a solid medium, and the strength manages to pass into medium-plus territory. Finally, the construction for all three cigars reverts back to what it exhibited in the first third, meaning there are no issues at all with the burn lines, draws, or smoke production before I put the nubs down with an inch remaining.

Final Notes

• In the 31 years that Perdomo has been in business, it has grown to become an extremely impressive operation: the company has a massive factory in Nicaragua that not only produces cigars but makes its own boxes while a significant amount of tobacco that is used in Perdomo cigars is grown on company-owned farms.
• While all of the 30th Anniversary blends are regular production, they were initially only available at only 75 retailers. The company has stated that the number of retailers who receive the cigars will be increasing in the future as Perdomo is able to ensure that it can meet the demand.
• The sweetness that was present on the retrohale changed from ripe bananas in the first third to milk chocolate in the final two-thirds, and while both were distinct enough to place relatively easily, neither note was all that strong at any point.
• Although the name Epicure is perhaps best known as part of Habanos S.A.’s Hoyo de Monterrey brand, it has been used by both Crux Cigars and General Cigar Co. as well.
• While the draws and the amount of smoke production were excellent for all three cigars, all three also had the same issue at almost the exact same time: each needed two separate burn corrections in the second third to stay on track.
• The cigars smoked for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time for all three cigars averaged out to one hour and 38 minutes.
• If you would like to purchase any of the Perdomo 30th Anniversary Connecticut cigars, site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co., Corona Cigar Co. and Famous Smoke Shop have them in stock on their respective websites.