Today’s review is another trip down the Rodeo Drive aisle of the humidor with what has been called the Perdomo family’s crowning tobacco achievement, the Edicion de Silvio. Created with a secret blend of rare cuban-seed tobaccos, this uber premium cigar was produced in Nicaragua to commemorate Nick Perdomo’s late grandfather, Silvio Perdomo who worked for both H. Upmann and Partagas in Cuba. Reportedly the tobaccos for these cigars began their aging process back in 1997 in 50-year old spiced oak casks. I’m not sure how the age of the casks is important, but that’s the scoop, and it sounds impressive.

There’s not too much more to tell about this cigar, and unfortunately, no clever back story as to why I selected this cigar either. To be honest, I saw these in a local shop recently, and recoiled as though burned when I saw the price tag. I hadn’t heard anything about them in the past, and resolved to find an affordable way to review them. A few months and some aggressive cigar auction bidding later I’m ready to check ’em out. Time to bring the fire.

Cigar Stats:
Size: 6.1 x 54
Wrapper: Unknown
Binder: Unknown
Filler: Unknown
Smoking Time: 2 hours
Beverage: Water
Price: MSRP $25

The Pre-Smoke
This sharply pointed torpedo is a great looking cigar. A very dark wrapper with fine veins, smooth, very firm and free of any obvious imperfections. And like most of Perdomo’s smokes, it’s decorated with a beautiful and intricate band that really flatters the stick. It’s almost a shame it comes in cellophane, but considering how clumsy I can be, I also appreciate the additional wrapper protection.

The scent of the wrapper was a tangy compost with a little bit of chocolate. I noticed that the foot had the customary potent hay aroma, but with noticeable chocolate notes as well. After a quick slightly angled cut I tasted more chocolate in the cold taste.

The Burn
The Edicion de Silvio’s only crime in this department was an often seriously uneven burn. We’re not talking a little uneven, but really off at points. But the blow was softened a bit by the cigar’s tendency to self correct. The torch was on standby, but I never had to call it into duty.

The ash itself was beautiful combination of really light whites and darker shades of gray. (Up close it’s not quite as light as it appears in the tower of burn.) It was solid, and just looked great against the dark maduro wrapper leaf.

The draw was also fine, but I found that due to the taper of the torpedo, it was easy to clip the cigar too lean. The first cigar I smoked for this review I probably did not clip deeply enough.

The Flavor
I did notice a difference in flavors between the cigars I smoked for this review, and I think it had to do with the difference in cuts. Halfway through the first cigar, I considered re-clipping, but then decided to instead compare notes with the next one. Generally speaking, the leaner cut cigar was a bit sweeter all around.

The first third opened with a rich combination of flavors, cocoa, nuts a bit of earth and cinnamon, before settling into a predominantly black coffee flavor. The cigar became sweeter as it neared the second third, producing sweet coffee, nougat and caramel notes. There also seemed to be a hint of spices throughout this third, but it was hard to put my finger on just what it was.

Chocolate and smoother cocoa flavors took center stage in the second third. At the beginning of this third there was a great moment of leather, smoky coffee and caramel that was very impressive.

By the beginning of the final third, the chocolate had transitioned into a velvety cocoa that had a great texture that’s difficult to describe. The spices (possibly a little bit of cinnamon) were back shortly and then the cigar moved back into darker coffee and chocolate flavors.

The Price
No matter how nuanced the flavor, aged the tobacco, skilled the roller or rare the cigar, I can’t justify $25 for a single cigar. That isn’t to say I haven’t paid that much before, because I have. But generally it’s been on a whim or under special circumstances. Like enjoying a rare stogie with seldom-seen friends at Casa Fuente in Vegas. The rest of the time, there are just too many fantastic sticks available at half the price (or less) to justify the cost.

The Verdict
The Edicion de Silvio is a great looking cigar with very enjoyable nuanced flavors. The fact that I was thinking in terms of “texture” in the final third of the cigar was proof enough to me there’s quality stuff under that pretty band. As the tower of burn will show, I nubbed this cigar every time. The only problem is, that quality stuff carries a heavy price, one that eclipses my enjoyment of the cigar. If it were half the price, it’d be a cigar I would buy again occasionally, and would probably recommend to others to try.

Liked It: Yes
Buy It Again: No
Recommend It: Maybe. As the popular ad slogan goes, what’s in your wallet?

Tower of Burn
Here for your viewing pleasure is my trademark Tower of Burn.