Let's talk about this chunky Nicaraguan powerhouse wearing its bourbon barrel-aged skin. The Perdomo 20th Anniversary Maduro Gordo comes in boxes of 24 sticks priced at $248.40 - that's about $10 per fat 6"x60 ring gauge smoke. Made with oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper aged in bourbon barrels for 14 months, it's built for flavor chasers who like their smokes thicc.
Right off the punch cutter, you get this dark chocolate slap with molasses undertones. The smoke feels heavy but smooth - like inhaling a whiskey-dipped brownie. Burn line stays sharp despite the massive ring gauge.
Here's where the bourbon aging shows up. Cedar notes emerge through the cocoa base, with occasional coffee bean bitterness balancing the sweetness. Retrohale brings out black pepper spice that makes your nostrils flare.
Leather and earth tones take over as the body ramps up. The last two inches get intense - charred meat savoriness meets dark cherry sweetness. You'll want to nub this, but the nicotine kick might stop you at 90-minute mark.
The triple-seam cap holds firm through multiple relights. This beefy format actually burns cooler than most 50-54 ring gauges when puffed slowly. Watch out for occasional canoeing if you rush it - the thick wrapper needs patience to combust evenly.
