Perdomo ESV Box Pressed Sun Grown Regente

Perdomo Estate Selección Vintage Limited Edition Box-Pressed Sun Grown Regente

Perdomo Cigars is not a company that is known to do new releases every year. However at the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show, Perdomo Cigars put a new spin on an older favorite. It was at that trade show where the Perdomo Estate Selección Vintage (ESV) was showcased, but for the first time the ESV was introduced as a box-pressed offering. As in the past, the ESV comes in three blends: Ecuadorian Connecticut, Sun-Grown, and Maduro – each offered as a limited production offering. Today we take a closer look at the Perdomo Estate Selección Vintage Limited Edition Box-Pressed Sun Grown blend in the Regente (Robusto size).

The Perdomo Estate Selección Vintage Box Pressed line is described as one of Perdomo’s most premium cigars to date. While on the surface one might think this is a box-pressed version of the ESV, it is more than that. The cigar utilizes tobacco from Finca Natalie, a farm owned by the Perdomo family and named for company President Nick Perdomo’s daughter Natalie. The tobaccos used in the ESV Box-Pressed are from the top 5% of the crop, and are also from the first crop to come out of that farm. Because of the limited amount of the tobaccos, the ESV Box Pressed remains an ongoing limited production cigar. Initially, Perdomo Cigars has made the ESV Box Pressed available to 133 select retailers.

A view of Finca Natalie in Estelí, Nicaragua

Without further ado, let’s break down the Perdomo Estate Selección Vintage Limited Edition Box-Pressed Sun Grown Regente and see what the cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The Perdomo ESV Limited Edition Box-Pressed Sun Grown is a Nicaraguan puro. In addition to all of the tobaccos grown by Perdomo, production is handled out of Tabacalera Perdomo in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown
Binder: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan
Filler: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera Perdomo

Vitolas Offered

There are five sizes to the Perdomo ESV Limited Edition Box-Pressed line and they are consistent across each of the three ESV blends. Each is presented in 20-count boxes. The Imperio size is also available in six-count coffins.

Regente: 5 x 54 (Robusto)
Imperio: 6 x 54 (Toro)
Prestigio: 6 1/2 x 54 (Torpedo)
Aristocrata: 7 x 54 (Churchill)
Phantom: 6 1/2 x 60 (Gordo Extra)

Packaging of the Perdomo Estate Selección Vintage Limited Edition Box-Pressed Sun Grown

Appearance

The Sun Grown Nicaraguan wrapper of the Perdomo ESV Limited Edition Box-Pressed Sun Grown Regente had a medium brown color with a cinnamon-colored tint to it. Upon closer examination, there was a slight amount of mottling visible on the wrapper. There was not much in the way of oil on the surface of the wrapper. There were thin visible seams and thin veins on the surface of the wrapper. The dark color of the wrapper did a good job at hiding any visible wrapper seams. The box press itself is what I would describe as a “soft trunk press.”

There are two bands on the Perdomo ESV Limited Edition Box-Pressed Sun Grown. The primary band has a cigar band seal-like design but embossed in a metallic-orange scheme with holographic accents. There are elements on the band including the Perdomo logo, a capitol building, and some Roman-like elements on it. On the upper center of the band is the text “PERDOMO ESTATE SELECCION” in a gold font with holographic accents. Just above that text is the text “PRIMERA CALIDAD” on a metallic-orange ribbon design in a small dark font.

The secondary band matches the color scheme of the primary band. The text “ESV” sits on a black rectangle in a gold font with holographic accents. To the left and right of the black rectangle are two lions, also in the same color font.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Prior to lighting up the Perdomo ESV Limited Edition Box-Pressed Sun Grown, a straight cut was used to remove the cap. After the cap was detached, it was on to the pre-light draw experience. The cold draw delivered a mix of natural tobacco, earth, and a light cedar. Overall this was a satisfactory pre-light draw. At this point, it was time to light up the Perdomo ESV Box-Pressed Sun Grown Regente and await what the smoking phase would have in store.

Tasting Notes

The Perdomo ESV Box-Pressed Sun Grown Regente kicked off with notes of natural tobacco and dried mixed fruit. There were sweet and tangy components to the natural tobacco. The natural tobacco moved into the forefront early while the fruit notes settled in the background. In addition notes of earth, nut, and black pepper surfaced in the background. At the same time, there was an additional component of black pepper on the retro-hale.

By the second third, both the earth and black pepper notes began to increase in intensity. Just past the midway point, the earth notes joined the natural tobacco in the forefront. The natural tobacco maintained both the sweet and tangy components. By this point, the pepper was more prominent as far as the secondary notes were concerned. There still were some nut and fruit notes present.

The last third didn’t see much in the way of changes. The sweet/tangy natural tobacco and earth remained in the forefront. The pepper was a close secondary note with the nut and fruit more distant. This is the way the Perdomo ESV Box-Pressed Sun Grown Regente came to a close. The resulting nub was slightly soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

There were a couple of times on each of the cigars I smoked where this wasn’t the most aesthetically-pleasing burn, but the bottom line is the burn still performed well. This was a cigar that had a straight burn line and straight burn path. The resulting ash was slightly loose. This was an ash with a salt and pepper color. The burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.

Burn of the Perdomo Estate Selección Vintage Limited Edition Box-Pressed Sun Grown Regente

Draw

The draw to the Perdomo ESV Limited Edition Box-Pressed Sun Grown Regente had a touch of resistance which I like on any cigar, but especially on a box-press (which sometimes is too open for me). This was also a low maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

In terms of strength and body, the Perdomo ESV Limited Edition Box-Pressed Sun Grown Regente started out medium. The strength and body both increased in intensity and by the start of the second third, both attributes moved into medium to full territory. For the most part, the intensity levels of the strength and body remained constant in the second half. Both the strength and body balanced each other nicely with neither attribute overshadowing the other.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

When I assessed the Perdomo ESV Limited Edition Box-Pressed Maduro, I commented that the pre-releases I had in the Perdomo ESV Box-Pressed line were among the best cigars I had coming out of the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show. Post-trade show, the line is keeping to the excellent standards of its pre-release performances. The ESV Box Pressed line represents some of Perdomo Cigars’ finest work to date. The Perdomo ESV Limited Edition Box-Pressed Sun Grown Regente is an excellent cigar. Not only does it excel in the flavor category, but it’s also one that delivers a well-balanced flavor profile. It’s a cigar I’d recommend to a seasoned cigar enthusiast, but also to a novice looking to smoke something on the medium-plus side. As for myself, this is a cigar I’d smoke again and one that garners box worthy consideration.

Summary

Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco (Sweet and tangy components), Earth, Nut, Mixed Fruit, Black Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium (First Third), Medium to Full (Remainder)
Body: Medium (First Third), Medium to Full (Remainder)
Finish: Very Good