Perdomo 30th Anniversary Connecticut

Today, we review the Perdomo 30th Anniversary Connecticut in the Epicure (Toro) size. The Perdomo 30th Anniversary line was easily one of the most anticipated cigar lines to hit the market in recent memory. It’s hard to believe that it is a little over a year since the world first got a look at the Perdomo 30th Anniversary line at the 2023 Premium Cigar Association Trade Show. In fact, when it came to the final packaging, Perdomo’s Arthur Kemper and Nicholas Perdomo III kept the design under wraps from CEO Nick Perdomo until the night before the Trade Show. A few months later, Perdomo would ship its 30th anniversary to retailers.

Three blends make up the Perdomo 30th Anniversary line:

Perdomo 30th Anniversary Connecticut
Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown
Perdomo 30th Anniversary Maduro

In this author’s eyes, these three blends that make up the Perdomo 30th Anniversary are one of the biggest launches of a regular production cigar in quite a while. Each of the three blends features 15-year-old tobacco. The aged tobacco limits what Perdomo has produced. Currently, Perdomo 30th is limited to 75 retailers. This allows these retailers to keep the product on the shelves. The company is hoping to add additional retailers in the future.

Without further ado, let’s turn our attention to the Perdomo 30th Anniversary Maduro and see what this cigar brings.

Perdomo 30th Anniversary Connecticut Epicure – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

Produced at Tabacalera Perdomo in Estelí, Nicaragua, the Perdomo 30th Anniversary Maduro features 100% Nicaraguan tobaccos grown on the Perdomo family farms in Condega, Estelí, and Jalapa. The cigar is highlighted by a 15-year-old Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper aged in bourbon barrels.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan
Filler: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera Perdomo

Vitolas Offered

The Perdomo 30th Anniversary is offered in the same five box-pressed sizes across the Connecticut, Sun Grown, and Maduro lines. Each vitola is presented in a 30-count box.

Robusto: 5 x 54
Epicure: 6 x 54
Gordo: 6 x 60
Churchill: 7 x 54
Torpedo: 7 x 54

Appearance (*)

The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper had a silky light brown look and a very light sheen of oil on its surface. Upon closer examination, there was a slight amount of toothiness on the surface. The wrapper had some visible veins, but any visible wrapper seams were minimal. The box press was a classic Cuban-style soft press.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light draw (*)

A straight cut removed the cap before lighting up the 30th Anniversary Connecticut Epicure. Once the cap was clipped off, it was time for the pre-light draw ritual. The cold draw delivered a mix of cream, cedar, and a subtle berry note. I considered it an excellent pre-light draw experience. At this point, it was time to toast up the footer of the 30th Anniversary Connecticut Epicure and commence the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

The 30th Anniversary Connecticut Epicure started out with an assortment of flavors – most notably cedar, cream, earth, berry, and chestnut. There was no dominant note early on, but the cream and earth notes eventually surfaced in the forefront. The cedar and chestnut notes settled in the background. The berry note was mainly a secondary note but floated into the forefront occasionally. Meanwhile, there was a layer of black pepper on the retro-hale.

As the 30th Anniversary Epicure moved into the second half, the cream notes and earth remained primary but were joined by the cedar notes. The berry notes continued to pop into the forefront occasionally, but as the cigar progressed through this third, this became less frequent. The chestnut notes and some subtle black pepper were in the more distant background. One thing that surprised me about this cigar was how it held its creaminess deep into the smoking cycle.

The final third saw the cedar and earth notes take control as the primary notes, but this cigar did not lose its creaminess. While many Connecticuts run out of gas when it comes to creaminess, it wasn’t the case with the 30th Anniversary Connecticut Epicure. Meanwhile, there still were some berry, chestnut, and pepper notes. This is how the cigar experience came to a close. The resulting nub was slightly soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

The burn of the 30th Anniversary Connecticut Epicure maintained a straight burn path and a relatively straight burn line. This was a cigar that required minimal touch-ups during the smoking experience. The resulting ash was relatively firm, with a slight amount of flaking. The ash was silver-gray. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Burn of the Perdomo 30th Anniversary Connecticut

Draw

The 30th Anniversary Connecticut Epicure had an open draw. Normally, I prefer a bit more resistance, but it still provided a good draw. This cigar was low-maintenance yet flavorful.

Strength and Body

The 30th Anniversary Connecticut Epicure started out with mild to medium strength and mild to medium-bodied flavors. Both the strength and body increased gradually along the way. By the one-third point, the strength moved into medium territory, where it remained. At the midway point, the flavors crossed the threshold into medium territory, where they stayed.

Regarding strength versus body, the body maintained a slight edge throughout the 30th Anniversary Connecticut Epicure smoking experience.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

Perdomo has some of the industry’s best packaging, and the 30th Anniversary line is a case in point. I like how Perdomo uses black accents on the box, vista, and the bands of Connecticut. This contrasts nicely with the gold foil that is present throughout the packaging. The bands also contrast nicely against the light brown wrapper. This is simply an excellent presentation.

Packaging of the Perdomo 30th Anniversary Connecticut

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

“Smooth, creamy Ecuadorian Connecticut” is something that has been drilled in my head over and over. The problem is most cigars simply don’t deliver enough in this area. The Perdomo 30th Anniversary Connecticut Epicure will provide those “smooth and creamy” flavors deep in the smoking experience. This is also a well-balanced cigar where the flavors interact nicely. This is another fantastic release under the Perdomo 30th Anniversary line. It’s one of the best Connecticut Shade releases of the year and one I would recommend to any cigar enthusiast. Coming in at 91 points, this cigar exceeds the Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence threshold. It’s also a 30-count box that garners box-worthy consideration.

Summary

Key Flavors: Cream, Cedar, Earth, Berry, Chestnut, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Mild to Medium (1st Third), Medium (Remainder)
Body: Mild to Medium (1st Half), Medium (2nd Half)
Finish: Very Good