Perdomo Cabinet Series Champagne Churchill

[jazznut]

"Illusion of Springtime"

Perdomo Reserve La Tradicion Cabinet Series Champagne Churchill

Dimensions: 7 inches by 54-ring gauge
Type of cigar: Churchill
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade, aged 6+ years
Binder & Filler: A blend of Cuban-seed tobaccos from Nicaragua
Date smoked: Saturday March 11th, 2006

Although springtime has not yet officially arrived, and a March snowfall or two probably lurks in Montreal’s short-term forecast, this Saturday morning provided a comforting taste of what assuredly lies around the corner. I decided to seize the balmy ambience of the moment by heading out onto the porch for my first outdoor smoke of the month.

Apparently, I was not the only one living the illusion. Birds busily chirped away from tree branches and bushes. Seagulls sounded their ravenous cries as they drifted in from the thawing Fleuve Saint Laurent. And local felines, following endless months of darting through the icy darkness in search of shelter, now sauntered furtively along the sunlit alleyways.

I had no such need to move. With a freshly brewed mélange of Tanzanian-Ethiopian-Yemen coffee and a glass of water at hand, I settled back to fire up the subject matter of this review, a Perdomo Churchill.

The Nicaraguan came wrapped within a silky Colorado Claro capa displaying a predominant raw sienna tone tinged with sandalwood and embellished with a light ochre cast. Tiny areas of translucent sap green abutted a few of the principal veins and seams in both punctate and streaked fashion, while some finely etched walnut oil marks adorned the lower portion of the wrapper. The Connecticut Shade leaf gave off a subdued, semi-gloss glow in the morning light.

Underneath this cloak lay a sturdy, dark teak hued capote and a tripa varying in colour from straw through burnt sienna and Tuscan red to deep Van Dyke brown.

The veins of the outer leaf appeared quite suppressed in the upper region and slightly more prominent toward the foot, where a couple of them protruded in a hem-stitch pattern. All seams sat perfectly flush with the surface, and the cigar came crowned by a well-applied two-seam cap. The degree of box-pressing was evident if not overly pronounced, and the bookleaf scroll pattern of the interior, though somewhat asymmetric, seemed compact with no obvious air gaps.

The soft, creamy, integrated pre-light bouquet of the Nicaraguan emitted an aroma of cedar rubbed with coffee grounds, cocoa, cinnamon and clay dust. Hints of honeyed sweetness and saddle leather lent further interest. Drawing on the unlit cigar elicited sensations of shaved almonds and relatively mild, cedar-imbued tobacco, which nonetheless displayed a distinctly herbaceous edginess and even, perhaps, a minute pinch of cayenne. Following ignition, the blue-grey fumes of the Cabinet Series Churchill exuded a scent of well cured, toasted tobacco as well as a distant whiff of baking spices.

Combustion occurred in exemplary form, the fairly solid pale grey to medium charcoal ash routinely holding on for close to 2 inches and subsequently leaving a blunted embering cone in its wake upon falling. The burn edge occasionally deviated minimally from perpendicularity, but would then correct itself without prompting. No re-lights were required, and the entire session spanned well over 1½ hours.

Opening in gentle fashion, the Perdomo Champagne first deposited gossamer layers of smooth, mildy toasted tobacco. Crisply delineated cedar rode above, along with subtle overtones of demurely sweetened Amaretto coffee, earth and lemon pepper. I also discerned an elusive, exotic nuance reminiscent of Chai Masala in the background.

Gradually, the core tobacco flavour grew rounder, broadened and began to incorporate the secondary elements, acquiring a creamy texture in the process. Touches of vegetation danced about the periphery of my palate as the cedar aspect now became relegated to a drier, counterbalancing, supporting role. This portion of the smoke triggered a subjective image of what the melding of a Cuaba and Punch might taste like.

The Churchill gained marginally in amplitude past the mid point, yet never shed its soothing characteristic. Here, the coffee component also expanded to encompass a walnut-like quality. Further on, fleeting notions of musk and barely perceptible pepper appeared.

The cigar retained its soothing demeanour and lovely amalgamation of tastes right through to the finish.

I thoroughly enjoyed this large Perdomo Reserve La Tradicion Cabinet Series Champagne as a companion to my weekend coffee. Although it came across in a slightly less dense and muscular manner than its Robusto cousin, the Churchill more than made up for this by offering a plenitude of leisurely paced, velvety, mild to medium bodied tobacco flavour. An ideal morning smoke, all told.

I wish to express my gratitude to Randy (Coach) for spontaneously sending this and other choice specimens my way.
Thank you, my friend.