Perdomo Craft Series Amber

Wrapper: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan Sun Grown (Jalapa)
Binder: Nicaraguan (Condega)
Filler: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan (Esteli)
Size: 5.5 x 54 “Robusto”
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $7.00 MSRP

Today we take a look at the Perdomo Craft Series Amber. A gift from a generous reader.

Out of the chaos of dementia and utter confusion that brings about the frustrating search for words and a memory quickly slipping away; becoming shockingly absent, I’ve discovered a singular way to harness the utter confusion.
I have learned, or re-learned, how to smoke a cigar to achieve ultimate efficiency and absolute mechanics.
I began having troubles with remembering how to light a cigar properly. I was left with runs in the cigar that burgeoned with every cigar I smoked. This caused extreme frustration…and a lot of cursing.

And then in a nano second of lucidity, my solution became clear. That moment of clarity meant I don’t light the cigar by rotating the stick and holding it away from the lighter while creating a cherry in the middle of the foot and then expanding to evenly light the foot.

Instead of that failed process, I rotate the cigar, while still an inch or so away from the single torch flame, but I light the outside edge (About 1/16″) with a laser sharp focus instead of lighting the bottom of the foot. I do this several times and blow on the glistening redness of the edges. I finish when I reach a ring that is 1/8″ wide.) You need a real steady hand.
Instead of puffing, I first blow out to discard any leftover butane that may have clung to the cigar.
Once I’ve done that, I can gently smoke a few puffs. I then put the cigar down and let it rest for 2-3 minutes stabilizing the burn.

I only take a few puffs every couple of minutes. Thereby, allowing the foot to cool.
This does two things. The first being that flavors are more intense from the start and not influenced by extreme heat. And second, I create a perfect, razor sharp char line.

If, by chance, the cigar begins to canoe due to lousy rolling, I put it down and let it cool before re-lighting it in the same fashion as I did at the start of the cigar…lightly torch the outer edge of the foot but not letting the flame touch the foot as a whole. This way, the cigar burns inward instead of outward. If the cigar is very poorly rolled, then I ditch it.

So, it appears, that I have solitary moments of absolute clarity and lucidity. Then the next moment, I can’t remember what part of the country I live in; or my wife’s name.

I find that my ability to be lucid comes from the physical act of typing and smoking a cigar simultaneously. It is the only anchor I possess. Unfortunately, it takes me almost 3 hours to write a review and after the first hour or so, I become tired and the search for words begins again.

Once a review is finished, it’s all gone until I light my next cigar…which I find relaxing and calmative. The attention given to the way the cigar burns becomes a focal point in which my brain can slide down a funnel and come out the other end in a stable, and slightly inert, fashion; even if it is only for a few moments. Sometimes, I feel totally inert.
After reading the above, you must realize that I am teaching you how to speak Dementia.

Here is a photo that approximates what I can now do with my lighter:

Note: I use a right angle lighter like the one below for better accuracy. It is a single torch flame.

Great lighter I got on Amazon for $6.95 + free shipping.

On with the review.

BACKGROUND:
Factory: Tabacalera Perdomo in Nicaragua.
The Series is being offered in two other wrappers:
Connecticut Shade: Called the Pilsner,
Maduro: Called the Stout
The Amber has a hoppy finish you find in ambers, pale ales, lagers, IPA’s, Oktoberfests, and Double IPA’s.

DESCRIPTION:
It is impossible to view the cigar due to the massive billboard cigar band. This had to affect the price. This is going to be a bitch to photograph.
After my photos, I carefully remove the cigar band but too much glue on it and it leaves some unsightly white spots. Drat.
Underneath that billboard is a nice looking stick. It is very solid but not packed too tightly. You know those clear glass ashtrays with the tobacco leaf superimposed on the bottom? I have one. That is the color of this cigar…a medium brown/caramel color. With a light mottling.

The stick is lumpy and bumpy in places. Seams are tight. Very few veins but a couple big honkers. The wrapper is silky smooth. And the triple cap is near flawless. (Remember when a triple cap was a rarity amongst regular production cigars?)
I always measure a cigar to see if it is accurate to the manufacturer’s description. Sometimes there are huge variations. On my Perdomo Craft Series Amber, it is supposed to be 5-1/2”. It measures out at 5-7/16”. Good job boys.

SIZES AND PRICING:
Robusto 5.5 x 54 $7.00 MSRP
Epicure 6.5 x 54 $7.50 MSRP
Churchill 7 x 54 $7.99 MSRP
Gordo 6 x 60 $8.50 MSRP

AROMAS AND COLD DRAW NOTES:
From the shaft, I smell floral notes, malt, and spice.
From the clipped cap and foot, I smell strong hops, spice, malt, molasses, and earthy notes.
The cold draw presents flavors of hops, spice, and floral notes.

FIRST THIRD:
I immediately fuck up and light the cap instead of the foot. Totally confused this morning. Luckily, I stopped it with only a tiny amount burned which easily came off with a cutter.

To add to the confusion, I can’t remember how to light my cigar after my beautiful speech at the top of the page.
There is an immediate creaminess, hops, malt…lots of malt, smokiness, floral notes, sweetness, spice, espresso, meaty, and earthy notes.

There is an Aromatic Malt, Cara Munich Malt, Coffee Malt, Flaked Rye Malt, Honey Malt, Smoked Malt, and Vienna Malt. (See Malt Chart).
Strength is mild/medium. But full flavored. The Perdomo Craft Series Amber wastes no time becoming impressive with a boat load of flavor.

Once lit, I do what I recommended above and get a perfect, razor sharp burn line. Letting it cool while I type helps immensely.
The Perdomo Craft Series Amber ain’t like no other Perdomo I’ve smoked.

The cigar is a very slow smoke. I like that. This is my favorite part of the day. This is why I won’t review a really small cigar. It’s over too quickly. Cigarrus Interruptus.

The honey sweetness, malt, and hops rule the flavor profile. Taking a sip of water makes the whole list of flavors give me a rush. They jump out at me. And it ends up tasting more beer-like.
I don’t know if Perdomo had this project ruminating in their brains for years or were egged on when they saw Drew Estate do it. Or Dram Cigars. I don’t count the crappy beer flavored infused cigars.

Strangely, the Perdomo Craft Series Amber is barely medium bodied. Perdomo says it is a medium/full blend. Yet I find a couple online stores that mark the blend as medium bodied.
I screwed up the cap by cutting it too much to rid it of the burned portion. It is unraveling so I’ve now glued it back together.

SECOND THIRD:
Smoke time is around 30 minutes.
This is a pleasant cigar but there is no complexity present. I received one cigar from a reader almost 3 weeks ago. I stashed it away and by now should be showing off.

Strength remains at barely medium body. Am I reviewing the right cigar? I double check and I didn’t fuck up. This is the Amber. In addition to the strength portion of the cigar lacking substance, the spiciness is at the back of the list of flavors. A nice punch of spicy pepper would have helped this blend immensely.

I can only guess at this point, since this is my first stab at the cigar blend, that the second half may show some promise.
Sweetness is a big deal for this blend. And it works well with the hoppy flavor. A sip of water really emphasizes the hops flavor. The honey changes to caramel. And the honey disappears.

I have slight tremors this morning and I am having trouble holding the lighter still. The wrapper wants to run.
The Perdomo Craft Series Amber feels very light in the hand now. Like holding a toothpick.

With a little over 3” to go, the strength begins to climb. It is now a strong medium body. And flavors are beginning to blossom. From my perspective, this should have happened as soon as I lit the cigar.
But then again, this is not an expensive cigar. I don’t consider it a true premium blend. It is kitschy and a touch sophomoric. The Dram cigars were very good. Strong body and flavors.

I didn’t care for the Drew Estate Smoking Monk. And I believe a lot of smokers felt the way I do as it isn’t selling well. CI even had a discounted special to kick start it only last week. They dropped the prices to around $99 for a box. Plus, they have already dropped the price once before that discount.

I disliked the Smoking Monk so much that I didn’t bother reviewing them.
The Perdomo Craft Series Amber isn’t rolled very well. The char line needs constant attention.

HALFWAY POINT:
Smoke time is 45 minutes.
While the Perdomo Craft Series Amber has some nice flavors going for it, this is nothing more than a gimmicky cigar blend.
The strength moves back to mild/medium body. There is no oomph or zestiness.

Here they are: Sweetness, hops, malts, floral notes, caramel, smokiness, meaty, and earthy notes.
Except for the sweetness and hoppiness, the other flavors are nearly subliminal.

I check Cbid and the entire line is going for half price. I predict that this cigar will hit the Clearance racks in 6 months.

If the Perdomo Craft Series Amber is rated at medium/full but is really mild/medium bodied…what does that say for the Pilsner? The Pilsner is noted as a medium body blend.

Perdomo has put out some very good cigars but all of them were limited edition blends. The rest of the Perdomo line is no friend to me. I don’t know what it is but, like Torano, they are co-kings of the $6 cigar. There is no passion. Smoke any good boutique cigar in the same price range and it is worlds apart in comparison.

Bums me out when I write a so-so review.

The cigar is too airy now. The draw is too open. The Perdomo Craft Series Amber has become very soft. I really had high hopes for this cigar but something should have tipped me off….almost no reviews of this cigar. That should have raised a red flag. I only found 6 reviews. Six reviews for three blends. Whoa Nelly.

The airiness of the draw is really ruining the cigar. Flavors are quite muted now. It is quickly becoming a real dog turd.
I didn’t bother to read other reviews. And I have no impetus to read them now.
The Perdomo Craft Series Amber is a total mess now. The burn line is the shits due to lousy rolling. The wrapper is coming undone. Would you want to smoke this cigar:

The cigar goes out on me. Do I light it and continue? Sure, why not.
Murphy’s Law kicks in.
Flavors blossom. The strength moves to a strong medium body. Natch.
Maybe I should just stuff it into one of my pipes and smoke it that way.
The airiness lightens up a bit.
Flavors are very good now: Spice, sweetness, hops, malts, smokiness, meaty, caramel, and nutty.
I’m tempted to say that maybe a couple months of humidor time is needed but I don’t think that will help. This is a poorly constructed cigar and extensive home aging can’t remedy that.

LAST THIRD:
Smoke time is an hour.
I am now, for the first time, enjoying the Perdomo Craft Series Amber. I glued the errant wrapper. I put the char line in its place.
Nicotine shows up.
I feel like I’m taking a bullet for you readers that haven’t tried this cigar.
Funny. I’ve never asked or begged Perdomo to get on their reviewer’s list. Never thought that the cigars were my cup of tea. And one negative review would get me banned from that list.
The Perdomo Craft Series Amber is now getting too hot to smoke.
I’m done.

RATING: 78
The Perdomo Craft Series Amber is only getting a number this high because of the last third.

PRICE POINT:
You get what you pay for. But that’s really not true. I have a giant list of great cigars at the same price point as the Perdomo Craft Series Amber.

SUMMATION:
Dog turd.

And now for something completely different:
1984

It was all gone. Everything…the recording studio, the production company, my house, and they were looking for my car.
Rocshire Records’ owner’s wife embezzled $15 million from Hughes Aircraft to keep the record company going.
I had a production deal with the record company which meant I did all the work and paid for everything and then handed them a finished product. All they had to do was manufacture the record, distribute, and promote.

I produced the single. (Remember 45’s?) I wrote, produced and directed the music video. I oversaw the photography of the single’s cover. I had all the promo 8 x 10’s made. So, I got 25 cents back from each single sold from the very start of sales.

The first quarter it was released it sold 3600 copies. I got something like $900. The next quarter it sold a bit over 200,000 singles. Which meant I had $50K coming to me.

Days before that was to happen, the FBI swooped in on Rocshire and shut them down. I got zip, nada, nothing…you get the idea. I was flat broke.

I pleaded with Universal Studios to take the project over since they owned the rights to the Munsters anyway. They said no and then went behind my back and produced a few TV shows based on my concept of Eddie and the Monsters starring Butch Patrick. Well..that’s another story for another time.

My house went into foreclosure, I lost the studio and then I met up with an old friend while in a club. His name was Eric Almeroth. He had a four piece band based out of Lake Tahoe, Ca. But they were down in Long Beach visiting and playing out a bit.
These guys were really good. They excelled at doing the tough “The Who” songs. Eric played guitar and violin. There was a drummer, bassist, and keys. And they all sang harmonies wonderfully.

They had a guy who did their sound and humped their gear. He was terrible at the sound and I told Eric, who I went to high school with, that he should let me do the sound one night and show them what could be done. He allowed it.

Well, I had just spent an eon behind the mixing board of a studio. So that night, I made them sound like rock stars. They had a regular coterie of fans that followed them everywhere…even to Tahoe. Everyone was shocked at how good they now sounded.

They made me a deal to manage them, and needing something to occupy my blistering mind, I accepted. We spent a couple months in Long Beach and then it was back to Tahoe.

I kept my 1981 Datsun station wagon..top of the line and gorgeous. Tahoe in Spring is beautiful. The band started playing gigs immediately. We all lived in Eric’s house with his wife, Terry, and young daughter, Lilly. The whole band lived there like a commune. I slept on the floor in a sleeping bag. I was officially homeless.

For the few months prior to hitting Tahoe, I bounced around to friends’ homes to sleep at night and spent more than a few nights sleeping in my car. Thank goodness it was Southern Cal and the weather was mild.

Rojo’s was the club to play on the South Shore. It was a dive but had a basement full of boulder walls. A nice bandstand and room for 150 people.
We had just finished our first sound check when she walked in. I had been hearing about this for days. The band had a friend in Tahoe that they wanted to set me up with. She was German, though. Real German. Her name was Charlotte von Reichardt. Yikes.
I was apprehensive.

The band was sitting in a half circle booth when the brown haired beauty walked in. She was tall and thin and not from Ipanema. She sat down. We were introduced and we shook hands. She shook hands like a man and I wasn’t sure I’d have any feeling in it any time soon.

She spoke. And all I heard was a fugue of profanities: “)(^@%)_*%###&()))&%$#@#%_+++_)*%#!!@$%”
Holy shit! This broad was worse than a drunken sailor. What a potty mouth. Every other word was “fuck. But she was funny too. And very likable.
The spark had been lit.

She got tired of waiting for me to ask her out so she asked me to dinner. I accepted and then had to cancel the next day as the band was going into the recording studio.

So we finally managed to go out and to a fine Swiss restaurant. Charlotte drank like a fish…wine. I don’t drink. Never have. Runs in the family. Two glasses of anything and I just want to lie down and go to sleep.

But I didn’t want to look the wuss so I got stinkin’ drunk. After dinner, we went to a casino and saw the black membered rock band, “The Bus Boys.” I knew them. They recorded in the same small studio as The Attitude did and we hung out a lot. They played on our tunes and we on theirs.

The Bus Boys are best known for their appearance in the 1982 film 48 Hrs., in which they performed their songs “New Shoes” and “The Boys Are Back in Town” A follow-up song, “Cleanin’ Up the Town,” written for the soundtrack to the 1984 film “Ghostbusters,” was a minor hit for the group, reaching #68 on Billboard.

So I bragged to Charlotte about this. After their first set, I told her I’d introduce her to the leader of the band. I walked on stage and said hi and this guy didn’t know me from Adam. I had to remind him…over and over about the bands and the studio and the producer and he finally got it. He was less than overwhelmed. I felt two feet tall.
Charlotte drove us to her home and I don’t remember a damn thing after that….

Charlotte turns 65 on Oct. 30. To me, she is still the most beautiful woman in the world.