Perdomo ESV 1991 Imperio Natural Review

[dantzig]

Perdomo ESV 1991 Imperio Natural

Even before getting to the cigar itself, this cigar looks impressive. The cello is flashy and covered with Perdomo's circle-P logo. The band is one of the most ornate I've seen. The folks at Perdomo sure want you to know that you are smoking an ESV 1991 cigar and that it's supposed to be something fancy!

The cigar itself is a very nice 5"x44 gauge size. The wrapper is a very smooth and silky buckskin tan Connecticut shade with minimal veins and nearly invisible seems. Construction seems top-notch--the cigar has a triple cap and is nice and firm all over. I don't know how old this cigar is but there is a slight development of plume present. Pre-light aroma is of strong, pungent tobacco. The cap snips easily revealing even distribution of tobacco.

Flavor upon light is slightly sweet and leathery. Draw is just enough to let you know that you're smoking a cigar. Body is nice medium with a creamy texture. The burn is perfect from the beginning. After a few puffs, the flavor starts developing into a complex mixture of leather, slight spice, honey, and tea. Call me crazy but the finish tasted like graham crackers to me! The leather and herbal flavors intensified along the way and the spice became more prominent in the profile toward the last third of the cigar. Never was the flavor unpleasant. Overall, I found this cigar to be quite smooth and sophisticated.

Perdomo seems to have a bit of a bad reputation around here. With the exception of the Lot 23 cigars, I haven't seen many good words about any Perdomo cigars and the only guy I know who would call Perdomo his go-to brand is Nick Perdomo himself. That said, if you haven't tried the ESV 1991 line, I highly recommend doing so.

[zmancbr]

Great review. I have been wanting to try these and now I will have to.

Perdomo seems to have a bit of a bad reputation around here. With the exception of the Lot 23 cigars, I haven't seen many good words about any Perdomo cigars and the only guy I know who would call Perdomo his go-to brand is Nick Perdomo himself.

As per your other comment...Count me in with Nick. I love perdomos and fill my humi with them. I believe about 25% of my humi is perdomo and probably 40% is fuente.

[smokin5]

Thanks for the review!
I've not had the ESV 1991 yet, but I still have several dozen of the predecessor, Estate Seleccion (no longer available unfortunately).
Very nice smokes, especially in Maduro. Yes, I agree with the graham cracker taste in the naturals, too.

And not everyone here disdains Perdomo. I'm a big fan of the Estate Seleccion, Reserve Cameroon, Reserve Maduro, Reserve Cuban Cafe (now called Sun Grown), Lot 826 Slow-Aged, & even the Signature Collection (for breakfast). As they say, different smokes for different folks.

[ScottishSmoker]

I myself smoke a LOT of the 1991 ESV Perdomo line, I love the Aristocrata Maduro and the Imperio Maduro. Unfortunately, here in Las Vegas, Perdomo ESVs are few and far between. Great Review!

[gvarsity]

I'm a perdomo fan as well. I love the Reserve Cameroon and the Slow-aged. I have some ESV's and a Silvio I have not gotten around to trying yet. A lot of the most popular cigars on CS are very stong flavor bombs. Perdomo IMHO tends to be smoother and more subtle but still have flavor. I don't think one is better than the other just a difference in style. I happen to like both. Thanks for the review.

[uptown_cigar]

Originally Posted by gvarsity

I'm a perdomo fan as well. I love the Reserve Cameroon and the Slow-aged. I have some ESV's and a Silvio I have not gotten around to trying yet. A lot of the most popular cigars on CS are very stong flavor bombs. Perdomo IMHO tends to be smoother and more subtle but still have flavor. I don't think one is better than the other just a difference in style. I happen to like both. Thanks for the review.

The Perdomo Reserve sungrown is my favorite in the line. Full bodied with tons of flavor and a hint of spice. Great smoke.