CA Review Panel: Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown
Cigar Advisor Review of Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown
Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown Backstory
A rare new release for Perdomo, Nick’s 30th Anniversary Sun Grown commemorates a milestone year for the celebrated cigarmaker. It’s hard to believe 1994 was so long ago. Boyz II Men was rising the Billboard charts, Shawshank Redemption was playing in theaters, and ER was the most-watched show of the year. Of course, entertainment wasn’t the only thing buzzing with fresh content; cigars were going through their most significant historical renaissance. A flurry of hungry new makers were feeding the demands of a fresh generation of smokers—growing tired of their grand pappys’ mild blends.
Nick Perdomo was among the first to answer the call. His innovation, including one of the first box-presses of the Cigar Boom, Perdomo² (Perdomo Squared)—and a full-bodied approach—satisfied the ever-evolving taste buds of luxury tobacco lovers.
With so much uncertainty in the cigar industry’s future today, Nick has admitted to us that he’s in no hurry to release new cigars. So…when days like this come and we find one in our mailbox, we tend to get excited.
Perdomo’s 30th sports a 15-year, barrel-aged Nicaraguan Habano Sun Grown wrapper, and more Nica Habano for the binder and filler (additionally, Connecticut and Maduro wrapper choices are available). Nick’s promising unrivaled flavor for this celebration stick. Let’s see if this cigar—30 years in the making—stands up to the wait. Check out both our written and video reviews below!
Cigar Details:
Factory: Tabacalera Perdomo – Estelí, Nicaragua
Size Reviewed: 7” x 54 Churchill
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano Sun Grown Barrel Aged
Binder: Nicaragua Habano
Filler: Nicaragua Habano
Construction & Draw: Consensus was that it was firmly packed, well made, and had an excellent draw.
Pre-Light & Toasting Flavors: Cocoa, apricot, and cinnamon.
Key Cigar Flavors: Earth, black pepper, and nuts.
Smoke Aroma: Pullo and Paul thought the aroma was smooth and sweet; Gary thought it was spicy.
Burn & Ash Color/Quality: All noted a straight burn line with firm, grey ashes.
Presented in boxes of 30
John’s Tasting Notes…
Summary: One thing I have always noticed about Perdomo’s Sun Grown cigars, is the tangy citrus taste imparted by the Habano wrapper. It was especially obvious in the 20th Anniversary (god knows we smoked a ton of those), and it’s evident again here, starting with the first few puffs. But it doesn’t last long, quickly replaced by a mix of black and red pepper that lays square across the palate. Oak, earth, almonds and espresso all nudge the smoke into the first third. It’s almost bourbon-y, insofar as the smoke has a similar kind of bite.
By halfway, the pepper is still parked on the tongue, with leather, espresso, almonds and earth sensations hanging around the fringes. The tanginess is more evident on the finish here, with some sweeter baking spices poking through.
When you hit the band, you hit the payoff: the Perdomo 30th opens up like a wine that has been allowed to breathe. The smoke is warm and sweet, and everything comes into balance. The body has built up, the cigar is producing fabulous rips of smoke. Then it’s oaky to the end.
This is easily a 2-hour cigar, and with this much time to enjoy it there’s lots to like in the complexity it presents. Body and strength produce a nice balance – where the 20th was a more refined version of the 10th, Nick has now achieved the level of “stately” with the Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown Churchill.
Gary’s Tasting Notes…
Summary: The opening puffs of my Toros were smooth and lightly peppery. The smoke smoothed out within a quarter inch as the pepper faded. From there it turned into a medium-bodied smoke with a rich nutty flavor and a nice helping of sweet tobacco, plus a layer of light earth.
By the first inch the flavor became tangier with some underlying earth and oak. Nuttier flavors and light spice emerged. The sweet notes became more vivid. By inch two, the cigar’s core flavors were locked in with a medium body, creamy mouthfeel, and a spicy aroma.
At the midsection, nuts, oak, and sweet tobacco and spice prevailed. Hints of cocoa flirted with the mix at times. The underlying earthy layer seemed to surround everything like a virtual picture frame. Retrohales introduced an almond flavor.
The final inches offered more body and strength, but the core flavors were still rich and balanced. With just under two inches remaining, the earthy layer surged forward and that’s all she wrote for me.
Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown Churchill was typically Perdomo. Considering that this vitola is wider than your average Churchill, and that it smoked for almost two hours, I found it to be a very worthwhile smoke. Moreover, there’s something about their sun grown wrapper I really like. It’s got this nutty, honeyed flavor that melds perfectly with the core tobaccos. I don’t know how they do it, but it’s always flavorful. I usually smoke the Epicure, but I really like the Churchill for this 30th Anniversary blend. The cigar smoked smoothly, burned evenly, offered a fair amount of complexity, and had that signature Perdomo character throughout. Due to its full body, it might be better suited for more experienced smokers, but if you generally tend to smoke full-flavored Nicaraguan blends, have at it. As for myself, both of my Churchills were right on the money, and so it gets my endorsement.
Paul’s Tasting Notes…
Summary: Packed full of 15-year-aged premium Nicaraguan tobaccos—from fillers and binder to wrapper—the Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown promises to be a treat for the senses.
Upon lighting, the initial pulls offer rich, earthy notes, soon joined by a subtle hint of baking spices. The wrapper’s barrel-ageing brings a touch of sweetness while the profile grows in complexity with the additions of cedar and fresh leather. The burn is dead straight, while the ash holds firm—growing to a size that seems to challenge the very laws of gravity.
As the Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown progresses into the second third, the earthy foundation deepens, while the emergence of creamy, nutty, and citrusy notes adds balance and depth. The spice that was present at the start becomes more pronounced, and the blend overall matures into a restrained, full-bodied powerhouse.
Entering the final third, the Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown reaches its peak. I can see clearly now through the thick billows of smoke as the earthiness, nuttiness, and spice now includes hints of dark chocolate and espresso, setting the table for a robust and satisfying grand finale.
At the end of the day, Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown is an impressive feat. Not only for the host of aged tobaccos, not only for the barrel-aged wrapper, and not only for the complex and balanced flavor profile. No, it’s impressive that Perdomo managed to deliver all this at such an accessible price.