Let's talk about the Perdomo 20th Anniversary Connecticut Robusto - a 5x54 parejo that's been aging longer than some cigars exist. This Nicaraguan puro comes in boxes of 24 for $216, wearing an 8-year-old Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper that took an extra bourbon barrel vacation. Medium-bodied but packed with surprises.
The cold draw serves cedar and sweet hay notes. Initial puffs deliver toasted almonds with faint vanilla undertones. White pepper tingles the nose - not Dominican-style black pepper punch, but more like cracked coriander. Burn line holds razor-straight with salt-and-pepper ash.
Transition hits at 15-minute mark: cream soda sweetness emerges, blending with cashew butter richness. Retrohale brings out baking spices - think cinnamon stick, not Christmas ham glaze. Smoke output increases moderately, needing 45-second rest between draws to prevent overheating.
Last inch shifts gear with roasted coffee bean bitterness balancing residual sweetness. Leather notes appear without going "dirty barnyard". Nicotine kick remains gentle - you could smoke this with breakfast coffee. Average burn time clocks 55 minutes with proper pacing.
Rolled in Perdomo's Esteli factory using triple-fermented tobaccos. The wrapper's 8-month bourbon barrel treatment adds caramelized sugar notes without liquor flavoring. Interesting fact: same binder/filler blend gets different wrappers in the Sun Grown (10-month barrel) and Maduro (14-month) variants.
Store at 65% RH max - higher humidity mutes the nuanced barrel sweetness. Pair with oolong tea to enhance the nutty mid-palate. Use deep V-cut to optimize airflow in the 56-ring gauge.
