Cigar Review: Perdomo 20th Anniversary Sun Grown Churchill

Perdomo is one of those brands that takes a straightforward, traditional approach to cigar making, marketing, and branding. While there’s nothing wrong with the company’s classic style, Perdomo never quite seems to grab the limelight—at least to me, anyways.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that I’m just now getting around to smoking the 20th Anniversary Sun Grown, which debuted back in the summer of 2012 (there’s also a 20th Anniversary Maduro). This Nicaraguan puro includes high-priming tobaccos from Perdomo’s farms in Estelí, Condega, and Jalapa. The Cuban-seed wrapper is aged 6 years, then an additional 14 months in bourbon barrels.

Six vitolas are available: Robusto (5 x 56), Epicure (6 x 56), Gordo (6 x 60), Torpedo (6.5 x 54), Corona Grande (6.5 x 48), and Churchill (7 x 56). The latter retails for about $9 and comes complete with a soft box-press, only thin veins, moderate oils, and faint pre-light notes of hay and cream. The cold draw has just the right level of resistance.

Once lit, you’re immediately hit with a rich sun-grown sweetness and some notes of wood and dried fruit, particularly apricot. The undertones are straight natural tobacco, and the texture is bready. In the background, you’ll find hints of coffee, sweet cream, and peanut. The resting smoke is incredibly sweet. Spice is present—as you’d expect from a Nicaraguan puro—but the black pepper is definitely not as dominant as you’d think.

I’ve plowed through a five-pack of Churchills over the past couple weeks. This is one of those flavor profiles that really grows on you. While all of my samples were consistent in terms of flavor, I found the last to be much more enjoyable than the first. In other words, the 20th Anniversary Sun Grown blend is like an album you need to listen to a few times before you really start to appreciate.

Construction-wise, I have no complaints. The burn line may require a touch-up along the way but, for the most part, the Churchill smokes evenly and slowly. The ash holds firm off the foot. The smoke production is above average.

I haven’t yet tried any of the other Sun Grown vitolas. You can bet I will, especially since my only real complaint is the large Churchill format tends to overstay its welcome a bit—particularly since there are few flavor changes along the way. I’d wager the Robusto or Corona Grande would be more up my alley.

That said, this is an interesting, satisfying, sweet specimen, and a good value at about $9. It earns three and a half stogies out of five.

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–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys