Pre-light Experience

The Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro Robusto has a soft rectangle press and a wrapper that is milk chocolate brown. The veins are well pressed while the seams are easily visible as they are slightly raised. The head is finished off with a sloppily applied double cap that is lifting in some areas. The band has the traditional Cabinet Series design and this offering has a color combination of metallic blue, holographic gold and black. The aroma from the wrapper is wood, damp earth and cocoa while the foot brings wood, baking spice and stone fruit sweetness. The pre-light draw brings an airy cedar.

Pre-light Experience

Softly pressed, the Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro Robusto has a chocolate bar coloring and is a solid Maduro. There are small to medium sized veins throughout and the cigar is firm overall in texture. I am picking up aromas of rich earth, sweet spices, leather and tobacco.

Pre-light Experience

The Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro Robusto has a large band that takes up roughly half the cigar. It also features a fairly firm box press shape. Nosing the wrapper, I was able to pick out fresh tobacco, faint barnyard, hay and oak. I picked up aromas of tobacco sweetness and hay from the foot.

Pre-light Experience

The Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro Robusto has a near Colorado Maduro wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight but visible, bunch and roll even and head well wrapped. Aromas from the wrapper tell cedar, dehydrated vegetables and hay. Aromas from the foot tell inviting white pepper spice and cedar. Cold draw reveals cedar and a hint of paint thinner.

First Third

The cigar begins with a mix of wood, earth and cinnamon. At a quarter inch in, the cinnamon has transitioned to an aggressive black pepper. At a half inch in, the black pepper has mellowed a bit. The retrohale is wood, black pepper and light mustiness. At an inch in, some mustiness joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the wood, black pepper and mustiness are all even while the earth is in the background. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

First Third

The first third is delivering some mineral, earth and dark spice notes. I am picking up some pepper and dry cocoa as well, and it has this dry earth and cocoa quality. In terms of body and strength, I would classify the cigar as being medium.

First Third

Sweetness, hay and mild baking spices provide the flavor opening to the first third. A mild lingering wood sits on the post draw. Sweet molasses moves into the middle of the profile as the baking spices move up to medium, almost medium plus. As the cigar progresses, a syrupy sweetness joins the retrohale.

First Third

The first third has a mixture of barnyard funk, kitchen spices, cedar and milk creaminess. Retrohaling gives a deep shot of white pepper and some cedar. The finish shows kitchen spices on the rear palate and stale nuts. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the black pepper mellows a bit more and the profile is a bit dry. At a half inch in, the wood, earth and mustiness are even with the black pepper in the background. The retrohale is now slightly charred wood and mustiness. At an inch and a quarter, the black pepper has departed. The third wraps up with slightly charred wood, mustiness and earth. The strength remains at slightly above medium.

Second Third

The second third really shows no change from the first third and I am picking up those mineral, dry earth, pepper, spice and cocoa qualities. Like before, medium in strength and body.

Second Third

Creamy wood takes the cigar into the second third, with a clean wood finish to the draw. Mild chocolate and sweetness come through at the end of each retrohale, with a short finish. Some sharpness accents the wood as the cigar hits the one hour mark. By the halfway point, there is medium strength pepper in the post draw.

Second Third

The second third has a very distinct herbal wood medicinal concoction mixed with spicy cinnamon. I wouldn’t say it’s bad, but more unique. Also, the milk creaminess and barnyard funk is no longer around. Strength and body remains medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the char begins to pick up. The retrohale remains lightly charred wood and mustiness. The cigar wraps up with the charred wood, earth and mustiness. The strength in this third remained at slightly above medium.

Final Third

The final third shows a lot of the same qualities that were present in the first and second, but I am getting stronger mineral notes and there is this sharp pepper that brings down the overall qualities. Like before, medium in strength and body.

Final Third

Toasted baking spices, wood and mild earth carry the cigar into the last third. Sweet wood moves into the post draw almost immediately. As the cigar progresses, earth builds on the retrohale and the middle of the profile. That earth eventually drives the profile for the rest of the review.

Final Third

The last third continues this unique flavor delivery of the same herbal medicinal wood mix with spicy cinnamon. If anything, the profile gets spicier with greater influence in cinnamon. The finish also picks up the spicy cinnamon along with ample cedar. Strength and body finishes medium.

Burn

The burn was a bit wavy, but never required any attention. The ash held on through each third.

Burn

There were times when the burn was not perfect, but overall the burn was very good from start to finish.

Burn

I had some challenges with the burn, with a touch-up necessary in the first third as the cigar burned unevenly. In the second third, the burn was uneven and required another touch-up. Not long after, the cigar spontaneously went out, requiring a re-light.

Burn

Perfect burn. Tight ashes, even burn, cool burning temperature and ample smoke production

Draw

The draw started off slightly loose but was just where I like it by the start of the second third.

Overall

The Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro Robusto had a fairly average start and was focused around wood, earth and black pepper. The final third dropped down a bit as the char picked up and was a dominant player. Construction was quite good throughout. I would have liked to see some sweetness to break up the dryness that was present starting in the second third. If you’re a fan of a wood and earth driven profile, you’ll likely find something you enjoy here, but for me, it was a bit too linear and dry. I don’t really see myself returning to this cigar.

Draw

The draw was very good from beginning to end. Nice construction in that sense.

Overall

The Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro Robusto was an average maduro and it smoked like a classic maduro offering from Perdomo. It had that dry earth, cocoa and spice profile that is one dimensional and lacking in complexity. It smoked consistent from start to finish, and came with nice construction, but there was nothing that made the cigar stand out and pop.

Draw

The draw has some resistance to it, roughly 1-1/2 to 2 notches.

Overall

The Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro Robusto overall was a pretty reliable offering in the Maduro space. Although I didn’t feel the bourbon barrel aging had as much of a distinct impact on the flavor experience as the Sun Grown, I was pleased with the flavor performance and balance through the first and second thirds. The draw had some light resistance to it, and the burn had some issues, requiring two touch-ups and a re-light overall. Based on the review experience, if I was looking for a good Maduro offering I would be inclined to smoke the 10th Anniversary Maduro Robusto again. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 44 minutes.

Draw

Draw was perfect. Ideal air flow and resistance.

Overall

This was a unique, and at times odd, tasting experience. No doubt a non-traditional set of flavors. With pervasive main flavors of herbal wood medicinal concoction mixed with spicy cinnamon, the Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro Robusto really challenged my palate. It was unique and slightly off-putting. But I recommend trying it for yourself as you may find it unique and delicious.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.15

Cost/Point

$1.60

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.15

Cost/Point

$1.60

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.37

Cost/Point

$1.30

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$1.35

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro Robusto