Aaron Loomis

 John McTavish

Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Fermin Perez Classic Connecticut Toro is dark tan along with some hints of green and carries some lightly raised veins. The seams are a bit raised while the head is well finished. There are two bands, both in a black and gold color combination. The primary carries the company logo and then a tribal band style design using the same logo. The foot also has the same tribal design. The aroma from the wrapper is musty cedar and hay along with some earth, while the foot brings more musty cedar. The pre-light draw brings musty cedar and light earth, along with mild spiciness on my lips.
John: The Fermin Perez Classic Connecticut Toro comes in cellophane with a UPC sticker that includes an integrated tear strip, allowing it to remain intact when opened. The cigar features a primary black FP logo band and a secondary FP foot band. I weighed the cigar at 18.3 grams and measured the humidity at 63.6% using the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper presented sweet, musty tobacco and wood, which were mirrored at the foot.

Fermin Perez Classic Connecticut Toro

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, dry hay, earth and some black pepper. At a quarter inch in, a light creaminess joins the profile. The retrohale is creamy, toasted cedar along with some earth and black pepper. At an inch in, the black pepper mellows a fair amount. At an inch and a half in, the black pepper picks back up. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is just ahead of the dry hay and earth, with black pepper in the middle of the profile and some creaminess in the back half. The strength was right at medium.
John: The first third opens with wood leading, followed by sweet tobacco and mild spices, finishing with a mildly tannic and dry wood note. As the cigar settles in, black pepper emerges on the post draw, quickly building to just above medium strength before receding to light-plus. Light-plus hay moves into the center of the retrohale, adding some balance. Approaching the halfway point, the profile evens out, with all components sitting at light-plus strength. Through the bottom half, the profile settles into a combination of bread, wood, sweet tobacco and pepper.

Fermin Perez Classic Connecticut Toro

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the earth increases to become even with the toasted cedar up front. At a half inch in, the creaminess departs from the profile. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth, dry hay and a lightly zingy black pepper. At an inch and a half in, the black pepper mellows a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with dry hay right behind and the black pepper just behind the middle of the profile. The strength remains at medium.
John: The second third begins with creamy pepper and bread, followed by wood, with the pepper carrying into the finish and intensifying to medium-minus strength. As the cigar settles in, the black pepper recedes back to light-plus, with wood joining the finish. Through the bottom half, mildly dry hay enters the finish, adding a subtle dryness to the profile.

Fermin Perez Classic Connecticut Toro

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the black pepper mellows a bit more. The retrohale remains toasted cedar, earth, dry hay and a lightly zingy black pepper. At an inch in, the black pepper is now pretty mellow. At an inch and a half in, the black pepper picks back up a bit. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with dry hay right behind and the black pepper is just behind the middle of the profile. The strength remained at medium.
John: The final third opens with creamy baking spices and wood, while mildly dry wood and hay define the finish. The profile remains consistent as it progresses toward the halfway point, with underlying tobacco sweetness helping to offset the dryness. In the bottom half, dry hay moves into the center of the profile, while medium-minus strength pepper returns on the post draw.

Fermin Perez Classic Connecticut Toro

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy at times, but never needed any intervention. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.
John: The burn was consistently straight from start to finish, requiring no intervention.

Fermin Perez Classic Connecticut Toro

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
John: The draw measured 48 inches of water on the Cigar Medics draw tester. Subjectively, it sat about one to one-and-a-half notches into the resistant spectrum which was slightly resistant, but still within a very good range.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, dry hay, earth and some black pepper. A light creaminess joined in fairly quickly. Later, the black pepper mellowed a fair amount and then picked back up. The second third saw the earth become even with the toasted cedar up front. Then, the creaminess departed the profile. Later, the black pepper mellowed again. The final third saw the pepper mellow through the third and then picked back up towards the end. The Fermin Perez Classic Connecticut Toro had a nice start, with a good combination of flavors. It took a step down in the second third as the earth increased and creaminess departed and remained at that level the rest of the way. Not a bad Connecticut shade offering, but it couldn’t maintain the enjoyment level it started with, so it’s not something I’d see myself returning to with any real frequency.
John: This cigar delivers a steady and well-balanced experience from start to finish, with a profile that leans into wood, sweet tobacco, and measured spice without becoming overly aggressive. The first third does a good job of establishing that balance, particularly with the rise and fall of black pepper adding some early dynamism before settling into a more even profile. The second third maintains that consistency, with creamy textures and restrained pepper keeping the profile engaging without pushing it too far in any one direction. There’s a sense here that the cigar knows exactly what it wants to be. It’s approachable, balanced and easy to revisit puff after puff. In the final third, the profile shifts slightly toward dryness, with wood and hay becoming more prominent. While the underlying sweetness helps keep things from becoming too sharp, the evolution is more about subtle adjustment than meaningful progression. From a construction standpoint, this cigar performs exceptionally well, with a flawless burn and a draw that, while slightly resistant, remains comfortably within an enjoyable range. In the end, the Fermin Perez Classic Connecticut Toro is a dependable and well-executed cigar. It may not push boundaries in terms of complexity, but it delivers a consistently balanced and enjoyable experience, making it a solid choice when you’re looking for something reliable and easygoing. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 37 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.00

Cost/Point

$1.83

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.67

Cost/Point

$1.65

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Fermin Perez Classic Connecticut Toro