Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown Epicure

Being that we’re now in the early twenty-twenties, expect to see 30th-anniversary releases popping up from the juggernaut companies that made it out alive from the great cigar boom of the ’90s. This was a time that brought some of the greatest innovation in the history of premium cigars. However, the explosive growth and subsequent market saturation led to intense competition and a volatile business environment, setting the stage for a dramatic industry shakeup.

As with all bubbles, the cigar boom eventually burst, leaving only the strongest contenders standing. Enter Perdomo Cigars: a humble upstart that began as Nick’s Cigar Co., where founder, Nick Perdomo, Jr., started the operation out of his own home in 1992. Proving he was in it for the long haul, Nick convinced his father, Nick Perdomo, Sr., to come out of retirement, leading to one of the most respected premium cigar operations in the world, let alone Nicaragua.

After changing the company name to Perdomo Cigars in the late ’90s, Perdomo released its first blockbuster product: the now-iconic Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Champagne, which is often credited with ushering in the modern blending style of the fuller-bodied Connecticut. The Champagne was later joined by maduro and sun-grown siblings, helping to establish the company’s recognizable portfolio of three blend options within nearly every line offered today: Connecticut, Maduro, and Sun Grown. This pattern was repeated in 2012 with the Perdomo 20th Anniversary, and has now been extended for the third time, with Perdomo showcasing the 30th Anniversary line in 2023.

Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown Epicure Breakdown

Along with a meticulous attention to detail, Perdomo Cigars has become known for their use of barrel-aged tobaccos, which can now be found—to a certain extent—throughout the bulk of the company’s portfolio. The process was developed by Nick Perdomo, Sr., and involves resting the fermented tobacco leaves in spent bourbon barrels. Taking advantage of the natural filtration afforded by the aged oak staves, this makes for something of an additional fermentation stage, maturing the tobacco in a way not possible through the traditional pilón process.

Over the years, Perdomo has featured these tobaccos increasingly, most notably offered on the 10th Anniversary, 20th Anniversary, Habano Bourbon Barrel-Aged, and Double Aged 12-Year Vintage lines. But the pièce de résistance came in 2023, as Perdomo introduced the 30th Anniversary line with 15-year-aged tobaccos throughout the wrapper, binder, and filler. This includes the barrel-aging process on the wrapper ingredient for each of the three blends (Connecticut, Sun Grown, and Maduro).

“The Perdomo 30th Anniversary is blended with exquisite 15-year aged tobaccos which are carefully hand-selected from our most prestigious farms located in Estelí, Condega, and the famed Jalapa valley in Nicaragua. We blended these cigars to not only be rich in flavor, but also to be exceptionally smooth on the pallet with a balanced complexity and slight hints of sweetness.” —Nicholas Perdomo, III

The cigars launched at the tail end of 2023, with each blend being offered in the same sizes/pricing:

Appearance

The Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown Epicure presents itself as a hefty vitola, its familiar soft-pressed shape lending a substantial feel in the hand. The wrapper boasts a dark hue that some might mistake for maduro, rivaling the depth of well-roasted coffee beans. Fine veins are scattered from head to toe, complemented by well-placed seams that speak to the roller’s expertise. Interestingly, this toro appears to be double capped (though I could be off on this), a slight departure from the triple cap often seen on cigars of this caliber. The wrapper leaf is soft to the touch, having a muted sheen when held to the sunlight. The band, following Perdomo’s anniversary structure, offers a regal and luxurious aesthetic that befits the cigar’s commemorative nature.

Bringing the cigar to the nose, the wrapper gives off subtle yet distinct aromas. Nutmeg takes the lead, followed by classic barnyard notes and hints of mineral-rich soil. The foot proves more aromatic, presenting an intriguing bouquet of cinnamon red hots, more barnyard, and a touch of oak. Upon cutting, the pre-light draw reveals medium-firm resistance, hovering right around the sweet spot. The cold draw flavors are bold and savory, opening with charred steak before transitioning to black pepper, earthy undertones, and an unexpected but pleasant note of pork rinds.

Smoking Experience

The Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown Epicure opens with a good amount of baking spices and a subtle sweetness that lingers on the tongue. Initial notes of red pepper and sun-dried tomato are complemented by a gentle spice intensity through the retrohale. This delicate sweetness becomes the cigar’s signature in the early portion, lingering between puffs and often eliciting double draws to extract every nuance of flavor. As the burn line approaches the one-inch mark, it shows a slightly crooked tendency, though not concerning enough to warrant immediate attention. The cigar offers a medium-plus draw resistance that feels just right, producing a medium smoke output with a fairly thick texture. It strikes a balance of medium strength, medium body, and medium-plus flavor, creating a well-rounded profile.

Transitioning into the second third, the flavor profile evolves into something reminiscent of a spicy ginger cookie. Warm, gentle spices evoke a pumpkin spice vibe, while notes of cold brew coffee sweetness emerge, accompanied by hints of milk chocolate frosting with a coffee twist (it’s the frosting my family used on our ’30-Minute Chocolate Cake’ recipe). The retrohale continues to offer more of a warm sensation than a stinging spice, adding depth to the overall experience. It’s in this section that the cigar seems to hit its stride, offering an approachable smoke with good flavor and body. A small touch-up is needed at the end of the first third to correct the wavy burn line, but this doesn’t detract significantly from the overall experience.

As the cigar progresses past the halfway point, it introduces some earthy root notes, adding complexity to the profile. The strength begins to creep up, inducing a warm feeling in the chest. Flavors of brown sugar and snickerdoodle cookies mingle with fire-roasted chestnut, creating an intriguing sweet and savory balance. The ash holds strong for just over an inch before dropping, and a second touch-up is needed to maintain an even burn.

In the final third, the sweetness that has been a constant companion throughout the smoke begins to fade. The cigar takes on a darker profile with a chewy texture, presenting flavors of charred oak, earth, and a mixture of red and black pepper. The strength builds to a solid medium-plus (or perhaps even edging towards medium-plus–plus), while the flavor settles at medium and body at medium-plus. Throughout the entire smoking experience, the Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown maintains a consistently enjoyable character. While it may not be the most complex profile, it offers a solid performance from start to finish, free from any harsh qualities. The smoke remains cool and velvety, primarily engaging the front of the palate and the front sides, delivering a satisfying and well-balanced smoking experience.

Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?

With a familiar recipe and some added age, the 30th Anniversary Sun Grown will feel right at home for those accustomed to the brand. It sort of feels like the Apple strategy, which basically boils down to small, iterative updates that won’t let you down. Sure, Apple could slap a second screen on the back of the device or add a slide-out keyboard or squeeze-activated gestures to the side of their flagship phone… but the fact that they haven’t gone down any of these dead-end rabbit trails is a key reason I’ve returned year after year since the 2007 original. Over the years, the materials used have only gotten better, stronger, and more polished. And if you handed an iPhone 16 to a 19-year-old me in 2007, I’d be able to find my way around the device without a hitch (though, I might be confused as to where the headphones plug in). Don’t like the iPhone? Feel free to replace this analogy with the Halo video game franchise or, better yet, your favorite handgun. Still with me? Great, now we can get back to cigars. The 30th Anniversary, in other words, offers the familiar sun-grown experience from Perdomo without straying off course. The cigar brings a velvet-like texture and rounded edges that set it apart in the portfolio. When combined with an absurdly reasonable price point, this makes for a no-brainer choice to keep some of these on hand for future smoking sessions.

• The Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown ranked as Cigar Dojo’s No. 6 Cigar of the Year for 2023.
• Currently, the Perdomo 30th Anniversary Sun Grown ranks on Dojoverse in the top seven percent of cigars on the all-time leaderboard, scored with a “100% Smokable” rating.
• The cigar is ranked 402 overall, placing it above the Maduro (499) and Connecticut (437) sister blends.
• In an interview with Cigar Dojo, Nick Perdomo, Jr. described this project as something of an evolution from the Double Aged 12-Year Vintage line. As of March of this year, he stated that the latter line would only be offered for roughly the following 30 months.
• The line had been 10 years in the making, and was originally intended to be launched two years earlier (preceding the company’s 30th anniversary in 2022).
• The cigars were opened up only to Perdomo’s top 75 US-based accounts at the 2023 PCA trade show.
• Tobaccos used for the cigars at launch were harvested from the 2007/2008 crop season, coming from Perdomo’s farms throughout Estelí, Condega, and Jalapa.

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