I know what you’re thinking. It’s something along the lines of, “so Brian, what’s up with all the 6 x 60 reviews lately? Didn’t you say you’re not a fan of large ring gauges?” It’s a fair question. I haven’t changed my tune about super thick smokes. But as you know, many of the new cigars hitting the market these days have been pretty hefty. In the case of the Perdomo Champagne Noir, exclusively so. If you want to try it, the 6 x 60 Super Toro is your only option. (Though rumor has it additional sizes are forthcoming. Perhaps we’ll hear about it at the trade show next week.) And as Jerry illustrated a few days ago, we don’t just review our favorite cigars or even stick to our preferred formats.

But before we get into it, here are the relevant details from the official press release:

MIAMI, FL – Tabacalera Perdomo is proud to announce the release of the new and highly anticipated Perdomo Reserve Champagne Noir cigar line. The Perdomo Reserve Champagne Noir is blended with dark, oily triple-fermented Cuban-seed Maduro wrappers meticulously aged in bourbon barrels. Filled with hints of chocolate and dark roasted coffee, this medium to full-bodied blend offers a sweet aroma with a smooth satisfying finish. The initial size, an impressive 6 x 60 Super Toro, has been released and is currently available in stores nationwide.

“After carefully fermenting these thick Cuban-seed Maduro wrappers for well over 14 months in a natural pilon, we age them an additional 6 months in oak bourbon barrels. This process helps to ensure parallel colors, a clean even burn, and rich, complex flavors,” states Nick Perdomo, President of Tabacalera Perdomo.

The Perdomo Reserve Champagne Noir is comprised of all Nicaraguan grown tobaccos making it a “puro.” The Cuban-seed secos, visos, and ligeros are similar to those used in the popular Perdomo Reserve Champagne blend. The combination of the higher priming Cuban-seed Maduro wrappers and the smooth, flavorful Nicaraguan fillers, makes the Champagne Noir a vibrant and well-balanced smoking experience.

The Perdomo Reserve Champagne Noir is packaged in 25 count boxes which are individually hand-crafted in Tabacalera Perdomo’s state of the art box factory. Each Spanish cedar box is stained in black with the brand’s logo, size, and dimension prominently silkscreened in gold on the outside of the box.

Six months in oak bourbon barrels? Sounds great, let’s smoke it.

Cigar Stats:
Size: 6 x 60
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Cuban-Seed Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoking Time: 2 hours
Beverage: Water
Source: Purchased by reviewer
Price: MSRP $7.50

The Pre-Smoke
Taking a closer look at the Champagne Noir I found the cigar to have more of a rustic look to it than I expected. The veins tended to be medium or finer, but the combination of sporadic tooth, mixed shades of browns and black and the frequent (albeit small) wrapper holes were what what really gave it that feel.

The cigars were all rock hard, but when clipped for the cold draw, drew freely. The wrappers had that really funky cheese aroma, and the cold taste was like coffee and raisins.

The Burn
The Champagne Noir performed very well in the burn department, revealing, one solid ash at a time, a really well made cigar. Add to that a great, easy draw (an important thing in a smoke this size) and a generally even burn line, and you have no real complaints. I did run into a few quirks, though. The wrapper split on one just before I laid it down to rest, and I had to touch up another.

The Flavor
Right off the bat the Champagne Noir was all about creamy coffee with a sweet grassy cedar edge. Those elements would prove to be the flavor thread that tied the whole cigar together. The initial third was the creamiest and the sweetest part (at times syrupy), but there was also some chocolate, earth and a little plain cedar mixed in for good measure.

The second third featured the same cast of flavor characters, only with chocolate and earth appearing a more often. AS the cigar continued to burn, the cedar flavor was less and less grassy, and the profile got spicier.

The final third continued the trend. More cedar, more spice but still some coffee and chocolate. The grassiness wasn’t completely gone, but it played a very minor role.

The Price
Perdomo has done a great job of keeping their prices down, and this cigar is no exception. $7.50 for this monster is very reasonable.

The Verdict
I’m a fan of everything about the Perdomo Champagne Noir but the size, but we knew that going in. The great burn, interesting grassy cedar and coffee flavors and the reasonable price are nearly enough to outweigh my bias against the 6 x 60 format. If the rumor about other sizes turns out to be false, I might pick one up occasionally. But I’m definitely going to check out it’s smaller siblings if the option becomes available.

Fans of the Champagne line will be in for a surprise if they only expect a slight variation in flavor. Sure, much of the blend is the same, but this is another case were you see just how much the wrapper leaf contributes a cigar’s profile. But I have no doubt Perdomo fans will enjoy it.

Liked It: Yes
Buy It Again: I’ll wait for other size options.
Recommend It: Yes

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