Perdomo Champagne Noir Epicure (54x6)

[INT]

I'll admit, I'm a bit of a Perdomo whore. Their quality + price point makes their cigars very hard to beat IMO. Their Lot 23 has been my prefered go to daily smoke, with the original Champagne being my go to "step up" smoke. The original Champagne was also my all around favorite cigar I've ever had. I've sampled Rocky Patels, Cohibas and Montecristos (NC), Arturo Fuente, Gurkhas, Oliva, Nub, you get the picture. I keep coming back to the Champagne. It's smooth, mild-medium yet full of flavor. So when many people who also had the Champagne as their #1 told me the Noir would replace it, I was very intrigued. After sampling, they did not lie.

The piece I sampled was the Epicure, 54x6. It sat in my humi for 4 days. The others should be better as time goes on. It's described as being nearly identical to the Champagne with two tweaks. One is slight, to the filler which has had a little bit of a make over. The descriptions say it's the same but my local tobacconist who's met and known Nick Perdomo for a while says they did mess with the fillers slightly. But the big difference is the tripple fermented Maduro wrapper which is aged 14 months. The result is nothing short of Godliness. All the smoothness and thick smokely plumes of the original champagne, but bolder richer flavors and aroma. The flavors also are a bit different. The original Champagne has a solid toasted wood and nut flavor profile for me. This is more rich tobacco, coffee and nuts. And the aroma is full with a coffee/mocha profile.

The best part...it's the same exact price as the original champagnes at about $6 a pop. This is simply put, the best cigar for the buck I've ever had. PERIOD. I defy someone to find one better for the same price point. That title used to be held for me personally by the Champagne as mentioned. Perdomo out did themselves and keeping it the same price puts it head and shoulders above all.