The Perdomo Maduro Connoisseur Collection offers a Nicaraguan powerplay in 12 different formats, clocking in at $108 for the full box. This mixed ring gauge sampler features those oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrappers we all love, fermented extra-long in bourbon barrels for that signature Maduro sweetness. Think dark chocolate dipped in espresso beans, with a nicotine kick that creeps up on you.
Cold draw gives instant coffee grounds with brown sugar crust. Initial puffs burst with hickory-smoked nuts and that characteristic Maduro molasses sweetness. Smoke production's generous - expect white clouds even with slow draws. Wrapper burns slightly uneven here, needs a quick toast touch-up.
Espresso crema texture emerges as the Nicaraguan filler tobacco takes center stage. Black pepper sneaks into the retrohale while the core holds steady with cocoa powder and charred oak. Ash holds firm at inch-long intervals. Watch that burn line - Estelí's humidity shows in slight canoeing.
Nicotine kicks like a mule by the band point. Leather and earth tones dominate as the sweetness fades to bitter dark chocolate. Tar builds up quick - most will nub it before the last inch. Pair with bourbon to cut through the intensity.
True Nicaraguan puro except for the Connecticut-seed wrapper grown in Estelí soil. Binder and filler tobaccons from Perdomo's own farms - you're tasting six years of Nick's soil experiments here. That signature toothiness comes from 12-month barrel aging on Broadleaf wrappers.
