Agile Cigar Review: Perla Del Mar Corojo Toro by J.C. Newman Cigar Company

Agile Cigar Reviews are cigar assessments where we use a lightweight, shorter format. These will never take the place of our comprehensive reviews. They are only used on blends we have previously assessed. This might be a blend we are re-scoring or giving a score for the first time. It might be a blend we are looking at in a different size. Today we look at the Perla Del Mar Corojo by J.C. Newman Cigar Company in the Toro size. This is a cigar previously assessed in the Corona Gorda size back in September 2021.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: J.C. Newman PENSA
Toro: 6 1/4 x 54

In 2021, J.C. Newman Cigar Company announced a revamping of its Perla Del Mar brand. Perla Del Mar is an old Cuban brand that was re-launched by J.C. Newman back in 2012. The line was originally introduced as a Connecticut Shade, and a Maduro offering was added in 2016. The revamping introduced in 2021 involved several things: 1) New packaging for the Connecticut and Maduro; 2) An updated blend for the Connecticut and Maduro; 3) Revamping the box-press to be a Tampa-style (more rectangular) press; and 4) The introduction of a third blend featuring a Corojo wrapper. Today we take a closer look at the Perla Del Mar Corojo in the Toro size.

Blend-wise, the Perla Del Mar Corojo utilizes an Ecuadorian-grown Corojo wrapper. The binder and filler feature 100% Nicaraguan tobaccos. Production for the Perla Del Mar Corojo comes from J.C. Newman’s PENSA factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Toro size cigar we are looking at today measures 6 1/4 x 54.

The Perla Del Mar Corojo Toro delivers notes of earth, wood, dried fruit, natural tobacco, and mixed pepper. Early on, the fruit and natural tobacco notes are prominent. The fruit recedes into the background leaving the natural tobacco as the primary note. As the cigar moves to the later part of the first third, the earth and wood notes take over as the primary note with the natural tobacco occasionally still popping in as a primary note. Toward the last third, the wood and earth remain primary, the pepper a close secondary note, while the natural tobacco and fruit now plays a complementary role to the other flavors.

The flavors produced are medium-bodied countered by medium strength. For me, the burn did require several touch-ups to maintain a straight burn path and straight burn line. For a box-press, the draw was ideal bringing a touch of resistance to it.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

Much like my experience with the Perla Del Mar Corojo Corona Gorda, the Perla Del Mar Toro size was a much better cigar for the first two-thirds than the final third. At the same time, the Perla Del Mar blend definitely worked better in the Toro size, than the Corona Gorda. Most of the flavor notes were the same between the two vitolas, but things just seemed to balance better with the Toro. In the end, at just over $7.00, the Perla Del Mar Corojo Toro is an excellent value. It’s certainly a cigar I could recommend to any cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is also a cigar I would buy and smoke again.

Summary

Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco, Fruit, Earth, Wood, Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good