Perla Del Mar



Perla Del Mar

• A little squishy, not a very solid build
• Goldish brown wrapper, color relatively smooth
• Minimal veins
• A few blemishes on the wrapper
• Slight sweetness in dry draw
• Ecuador Connecticut wrapper
• Nicaraguan long filler
• Nicaraguan binder

Background: "Now made in Nicaragua, Perla del Mar is a long discontinued vintage Cuban brand resurrected and rebranded for this release. The old artwork is mostly intact, though slightly updated to reflect its new ownership and identity. It’s rolled at Fabrica de Tabacos San Rafael S.A.—the same Nicaraguan factory that makes J. C. Newman’s Brick House and El Baton lines. Perla del Mar’s blend consists of Nicaraguan filler tobaccos from four different growing regions, a Nicaraguan binder and an Ecuadoran Connecticut wrapper that makes the cigar “smooth and creamy” in character (cigaraficionado.com).

First Third: I bought this cigar out of quick impulse. I was walking out of my local cigar shop's humi and spotted these in their display. The name and cheap price intrigued me so I decided to go for it. It was not an expensive stick so I thought it a great smoke to relax and enjoy the company of my three friends who were going to smoke in the parlor with me. As I conducted my initial inspection of the cigar I noticed a light oil sheen across the cigar. Upon lighting the cigar I tasted almost zero pepper whatsoever. In fact throughout the smoke I received very little spice. It was a creamy, easy smoke. However, I could tell right away that this cigar would not have much to it, kind of like a one trick pony. The flavor notes I received were sweet and slightly nutty. In the background mixed their were notes of creamy earthy flavors. To this point in the smoke it was very mild and burned slightly uneven. However, the ash coloration was nice but the smoke billow was a little weak. Aromatics coming from the cigar were pleasant and matched the flavor notes I was receiving.

Second Third: Not much new arose during this third of the cigar. Flavor profile remained mostly the same. The strength remained mild with no swings. Still no pepper evident in the smoke and at times slightly bland. The burn eventually evened out and the ash fell off during this third of the cigar. It was a weak ash that didn't stay together very well and puffed like dust after falling a short distance.

Final Third: I received a little more flavor towards the end of the smoke. You could say it was almost a vanilla like flavor which complimented the nutty hints I received throughout the smoke. It was a pleasant and welcomed addition to this smoking experience. The cigar remained smooth and easy throughout, however, I did have to relight towards the end. Furthermore, the cigar began to burn very hot on my fingertips on the last inch of the smoke.

Final Thoughts: As the cheap price indicated, this was an average cigar. However, based on its mild, sweet, and creamy profile, I would recommend this to the cigar smoker who is just beginning. By no means is this a bad or unpleasant cigar. Moreover, I could see this as a good cigar to give away or smoke when in large groups and not much attention is being paid to the smoke. I enjoyed the creaminess of the smoke, however, for one that enjoys deep complexity, this cigar becomes bland to the overexcited taste bud. Not much to this cigar making it far from being a standout. I rate this cigar a 5.2/10, i may get a couple to hand out when hosting guests.