The La Tradicion Cabinet Series Perdomo Reserve line has been extended and re-blended for 2004.  We're pretty sure they mean the "line" of cigars has been extended...we KNOW the name sure as hell has been!  What a mouthful...8 words in the name of a cigar...say it slowly, La Tradicion Cabinet Series Perdomo Reserve Maduro B (LTCSPRMB will save on carpal tunnel as we write).

The Perdomo Reserve line features the following descriptive from the Perdomo website:

“a distinguished and contemplative blend of medium bodied, double-aged Cuban-seed tobaccos grown in the resinous dark soil of the Perdomo family plantation in Esteli, Nicaragua. Produced in three distinctly separate "editions", the Perdomo Reserve "White Label" is graced with a "Cuban Café" Sun-Grown wrapper that imparts a perfect balance of complex tastes that include coffee, almonds and cedar with a smooth, clean finish. The Perdomo Reserve "Red Label" offers a triple fermented "Maduro" leaf that yields a more subtle taste with notes of semi-sweet cocoa and coffee with a long, satisfying finish.”

The company has stated that Nick Perdomo personally selected the tobaccos used in the new Reserve blend. Production is limited to the most experienced rollers. The line comes in 9 shapes with a choice of 2 different wrappers packed in boxes of 25. This review is limited to the Reserve line’s “red band” Maduro "B".

The Perdomo Cabinet Series Maduro B has a dark, rich looking, slightly oily maduro wrapper.  There were no prominent veins and the color was even.  Definitely humidor candy.  An uneven shape betrayed the cigar’s handmade heritage, but this was not a complete negative.  This Belicoso feels firm to the touch.  Reviewers agreed on the appearance of this smoke...top notch.

Construction caused some confusion.  A few of the samples were noted as being a bit under filled in spots, leading to am almost serpentine look in the effected cigars.  This was a case where either the cigars were perfectly constructed, or had some visual flaws that didn't necessarily effect the smoke.

"The initial feel of the cigar had me a bit worried. It was very firm which made me think the draw would be bad. Turns out it was slightly tight at first, but loosened as I smoked it down. Good amount of smoke throughout. It burned much quicker on one side than the other, but it was nothing the torch couldn't fix. Pretty typical of a heavy maduro wrapper. Had a nice white ash that held on like a champ. I ashed it after 2 inches, but I bet it would have held for at least 3. No problems with the cap - nice clean cut with no unraveling."

"Both cigars felt fine and the rolls were good with the exception of the patch and soft spot. The draw was just about perfect on both cigars. The two cigars burned differently, the ugly one had a razor sharp burn, the pretty one canoed a little to one side. Both produced a good cone with a firm, white ash and copious amounts of smoke."

The taste of the LTCSPRMB caused the most discussion among this months staff.  The cigars were obviously a hair young, as they had just been released by Perdomo. This came through with some, but not all of our reviewers:

"After an initial burst of spiciness this guy settled down into a medium bodied smoke. The flavor was a little one dimensional if you ask me. I'd say "nutty" would be the main adjective I'd use to describe this cigar. Maybe a hint of creamy wood in there too. One problem encountered was this guy was definitely a bit young. A quarter way through the cigar that "green" ammonia taste began to appear, and by halfway through it was pretty dominant. I'd bet after another 1-2 yrs in the humi it would be a much improved smoke.

"The Maduro torpedo starts off with a smooth, dry, earthy taste.  The cigar starts medium bodied in strength.  One third of the way into the smoke, the draw opens up allowing more flavors.  The earthy flavor becomes heavier and richer.  Despite the additional flavor, there is very little aftertaste.  The last third of the cigar produced a little spice that added dimension to the complex earthy flavors.  The taste was consistent throughout the smoke without being tiresome.  I give the maduro torpedo an A- in the taste dept."

Generally, the five folks that reviewed the LTSCPRMB liked the cigar and scored it in the high "B's" and low "A's on most fronts.  We are going to strap this cigar with a "B+", with the hope that time can bring it up a notch.  Definitely a good looking cigar, and save for a couple construction problems, the LTSCPRMB deserves to be enjoyed.

Vital Statistics:
Size: 6 x 54
Shape: Torpedo
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Est. Cost: $7.90