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Send us Fan Mail Most people think a premium cigar is done the moment it is rolled. That could not be further from the truth. We’re Nick and Nicholas Perdomo, and in this episode we take you from our Miami studio inside one of the five aging rooms at Tabacalera Perdomo in Estelí, Nicaragua, where millions of finished cigars rest before they ever reach your humidor. • why aging finished cigars makes the fillers, binders and wrappers harmonious • about 180 days in cedar lined aging rooms, with our average sitting at 182 to 184 days • hygrometers in the foot of the cigar and why 65% humidity is optimum • how long Connecticut, sun grown and Maduro wrappers take to settle • taking cigars from 75% humidity at the rolling table down to about 67% • why you don’t need to age our cigars at home: we did the work for you • the Porsche 911 and steak analogies: quality over equipment • a look ahead at seeds and our tasting panel with over 375 years of experience Like, share, and subscribe, and follow Perdomo on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Leave us a comment: do you age your cigars at home, or smoke them right away? Sound effects by Gravity Sound (CC BY 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons. Support the show Visit PerdomoPodcast.com

Send us Fan Mail Why does one premium cigar cost more than another, and why does it taste the same box after box? We’re Nick and Nicholas Perdomo, and in this episode we take you from our Miami studio to our tobacco bales in Estelí, Nicaragua, to show you the investment that happens years before a cigar ever reaches your humidor. • why you have to have aged tobacco to make a phenomenal cigar • how working from bale to bale hurts consistency • growing our own tobacco for over 27 years in Estelí, Jalapa and Condega • every bale barcoded by blend, so the next cigar tastes like the last one • aged tobacco from five years all the way to 15 years, used in our 30th Anniversary and Legacy • natural fermentation with no artificial heat, so you smell molasses and honey, not ammonia • why this year’s crop won’t be used until 2032 at the earliest • the spaghetti sauce analogy: why the flavors meld and get even better Like, share, and subscribe, and follow Perdomo on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Leave us a comment: do you age your cigars at home, or smoke them right away? Support the show Visit PerdomoPodcast.com

Send us Fan Mail A cigar can look flawless and still disappoint the moment you light it, and the biggest heartbreak is a tight draw in a box you paid good money for. We’re Nick and Nicholas Perdomo, and we’re pulling back the curtain on the exact system we use to make millions of handmade premium cigars while protecting consistency like our last name depends on it, because it does. • building a factory culture where perfection is the standard • using 18 quality checkpoints instead of spot checks • draw testing 100% of cigars and marking each one for traceability • explaining the colored line on the head and how it links back to the operator • showing bunching, pressing turns, and wrapper technique for an even barrel • breaking down entubado vs accordion bunching for a cooler 360 degree burn • clarifying why small veins are normal and how they affect ash and flavor • rotating supervisors, weight standards, and a final hand inspection before aging • using simple tools to keep the bunch straight and protect draw consistency Like, share, and subscribe, and follow Perdomo on Facebook and Instagram. Leave us a comment: what is your non negotiable sign of quality when you cut and light a cigar? Support the show Visit PerdomoPodcast.com

Send us Fan Mail A premium cigar can look simple, but the flavor you taste is the result of years of planning, obsessive sorting, and a level of precision most people never see. We answer one of the biggest questions we get: how does a master cigar blender actually build flavor and keep it consistent across millions of cigars? We start in Miami with the mindset behind blending: it’s not just picking a wrapper, binder, and filler and calling it a day. We talk terroir and why Estelí, Jalapa, and Condega each bring distinct character, then we get specific on what “blending by lot numbers” really means and why it’s the difference between a cigar that stays true for decades and one that changes from box to box. If you’ve ever wondered why some brands taste different in a Robusto versus a Churchill, we explain how dosage and leaf grading solve that problem. Then we take you with us to Estelí, Nicaragua inside our tobacco operations to show the reality: multiple tables of well-aged tobacco can be required to make a single blend. We walk through seco, viso, and ligero selection, binder grading, and how wrappers can shift the same core blend while still keeping the profile recognizable. We also share how we test tobaccos side by side, experiment with new seed varieties, and build farms with soil analysis to protect long-term quality. If you care about cigar blending, Nicaraguan tobacco, fermentation, aging, and the craft behind consistent premium cigars, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a cigar buddy, and leave a review or a comment with what you’re smoking right now. Support the show Visit PerdomoPodcast.com

Send us Fan Mail Bourbon barrel aging gets talked about like a flavor trick, but we treat it like what it really is: an extension of tobacco fermentation and cigar aging that takes serious time, money, and discipline. From our studio in Miami Lakes, we kick things off with what we’re smoking, then take you on a virtual trip to Estelí, Nicaragua to get right next to the barrels and the leaf, where the changes in aroma and color are impossible to ignore.  We explain the real mechanics behind bourbon barrel aged cigars. The barrels are non-varnished so the tobacco can breathe, and the inside is heavily charred, creating charcoal that helps filter and round out rough edges. We’re not pouring bourbon into tobacco or trying to “infuse” alcohol flavor. What we rely on is the residue in the wood, the pressure inside the barrel, and the natural heat that builds as the leaf goes through another fermentation. That second fermentation helps bring sugars and starches forward, caramelizes the tobacco, and refines texture so the smoke comes across smoother and more balanced.  You’ll also hear how this process shows up across different wrapper leaves, from Connecticut turning into a honey butterscotch shade to deeper, oilier Nicaraguan shade grown and rich, dark Maduro. We talk timelines too, because patience is the whole point: wrappers may rest in barrels for months, and some projects take years on top of long bale aging. We also connect the dots to the Perdomo lines you see in humidors and why bourbon barrel aging has become part of our DNA, not a one-off release.  If you like deep craft details and want your next premium cigar to make more sense from first light to final inch, subscribe, share this with a cigar friend, and leave a review and a comment with what you’re smoking right now. Support the show Visit PerdomoPodcast.com

Send us Fan Mail Fermentation is where great tobacco becomes exceptional, and it’s also the step most cigar fans rarely get to see up close. We’re Nick and Nicholas Perdomo, and we’re taking you on a virtual ride from our Perdomo Podcast studio in Miami to our pre-industry operation in Esteli, Nicaragua to show how premium cigar tobacco is transformed long before it ever reaches a rolling table. We walk through what tobacco looks, feels, and even smells like when it comes out of the curing barns: tacky with natural sugars and resins, with an aroma we describe as honey wheat bread. Then we step into the fermentation floor to break down pilones, the fermentation piles that act like a carefully controlled composting process. We explain our “low and slow” philosophy, why we build heat naturally to about 105 to 107 degrees Fahrenheit, and how turning the pile top to bottom and inside to outside keeps fermentation even and prevents harsh, uneven flavors. We also get practical about moisture, because fermentation depends on it. You’ll hear how the first sweat works, why we humidify with fine mist instead of soaking, and why shaking out droplets matters if you want clean, spot-free leaf. Finally, we connect the craft to consistency, showing how clinical charts, sensors, probes, and old-school senses all work together so the cigar you love tastes the way it should, year after year. Subscribe, share with a fellow cigar nerd, and leave a review or a comment with your biggest fermentation question. — — — — — — — WEBSITE • PerdomoCigars.com PODCAST • PerdomoPodcast.com GEAR STORE • PerdomoGear.com FACEBOOK • Facebook.com/iLoveCigars INSTAGRAM • Instagram.com/PerdomoCigars 𝕏 • x.com/PerdomoCigars NICK • Facebook.com/Perdomo4ever NICHOLAS • Instagram.com/NicholasPerdomo — — — — — — — TAGS: #PERDOMOARMY #PERDOMO #PERDOMOCIGARS #NICKPERDOMO #NICHOLASPERDOMO Support the show Visit PerdomoPodcast.com

Send us Fan Mail Two cigars can look similar, share the same factory pedigree, and still deliver completely different experiences once the flame hits the foot. That is the whole reason we created the Perdomo Challenge, a six count cigar sampler designed to help you taste with intention by comparing Perdomo 10th Anniversary and Perdomo Habano Bourbon Barrel-Aged across Connecticut, Sun Grown, and Maduro wrappers. We walk through the real, fundamental difference between these two iconic blends: what drives the filler. Perdomo 10th Anniversary leans on Jalapa Valley tobaccos for a sweeter, more aromatic profile that smokes smooth and elegant. Perdomo Habano Bourbon Barrel-Aged leans more on Esteli Valley fillers for a richer, deeper, more full-bodied character, with barrel aging adding its own layer of sweetness and nuance. We also break down our “ping pong effect,” the simple habit of moving back and forth between cigars so you can catch changes in flavor, strength, complexity, and finish instead of relying on memory. Along the way, we challenge the idea of “smoking with your eyes” and talk about how wrapper, binder, and especially filler shape what you taste. We also built a QR code into the box so you can use our cigar rating application to send real feedback, helping us learn what you love and helping retailers create better conversations and training in the humidor. Take the Perdomo Challenge with us, share your tasting notes, and tell us where you land. Subscribe, leave a review, and send this to a friend who swears they already know what they like. Support the show Visit PerdomoPodcast.com

Send us Fan Mail A cigar shop can look busy and still be losing its future one customer at a time. We bring on our first-ever guest, Dave Garofalo, owner of Two Guys Cigars and host of The Cigar Authority, to break down what separates a “store with a humidor” from a true brick-and-mortar cigar business that lasts for decades. Dave takes us back to 1985 and walks us through how cigar retail has changed, why he committed to going cigars-only, and how he learned to build loyalty with service and selection instead of constant discounting. We talk customer lifetime value, why an “event” is not the same thing as a deal, and how the right in-store experience turns casual buyers into long-term regulars. If you care about cigar customer service, humidor strategy, and building a cigar lounge community, this is packed with real-world lessons. We also get into content marketing for cigars, including why Dave started podcasting in 2010 when most people had never heard the word “podcast,” and how education creates better customers who recognize quality and keep coming back. Then we go rapid-fire on what retailers should start doing tomorrow, the biggest product-mix mistake that fuels online cigar discounters, and what both retailers and consumers should demand from a great cigar shop, from cleanliness to professionalism. Subscribe, share this with a retailer or cigar friend, and leave us a review so we can keep bringing you more maker-and-retail insights like this. Support the show Visit PerdomoPodcast.com

Send us Fan Mail Most cigar brands don’t fail because the idea was bad. They fail because the fundamentals collapse under real pressure: inconsistent tobacco, unreliable supply, pricing that feels like a cash grab, or a brand that looks great once but can’t deliver the same premium cigar experience again. We get honest about what separates long-running cigar brands from short-lived launches, and why “execution” is the word that keeps coming up. We walk through the Perdomo approach to cigar manufacturing and brand building, starting with vertical integration and why controlling the process from seed to box protects quality. We talk tobacco aging and deep inventory, the difference between core cigar lines and limited edition cigars, and why we refuse to chase trends that don’t serve the smoker. Along the way, we share how consistency turns into trust, and how trust turns into loyalty that lasts for decades. Then we get practical about what happens at retail: why in stock position matters, how packaging design works as a silent salesman, why clean merchandising and organized displays improve ease of shopping, and how a fair cigar pricing strategy supports retailers and consumers without turning the product into a commodity. If you care about premium cigars, the cigar industry, or building brands the right way, this is a straight shot of principles you can measure. Subscribe for more cigar education, share this with a friend who loves cigars, and leave a review with your take: what makes you stick with a cigar brand for the long haul? Support the show Visit PerdomoPodcast.com

Send us Fan Mail The cigar world loves rules of thumb, but some “truths” quietly ruin great cigars. We kick off our Cigar Mythbusters series by taking aim at the famous 70% humidity at 70°F guideline and explaining why it can be the wrong target for many modern blends, especially thick Nicaraguan tobacco. When tobacco acts like a sponge, too much moisture can choke the burn, dull the flavor, and turn a premium smoking experience into a string of relights. From the factory floor to your home humidor, we walk through what actually works and why. Nick breaks down the real sweet spot we’ve tested for decades, why 65% relative humidity often delivers the best draw and combustion for our cigars, and how storage should change based on the texture of the tobacco inside the cigar. We also talk about shipping realities, retailer humidors, and why extremely dry climates may need a little extra humidity to prevent shock and rapid moisture loss. We wrap with simple, high-impact humidor habits: stop “checking” your cigars all day, use a reliable humidification device, stick to distilled water, and understand how real cellophane protects cigars while still letting them age. If you care about cigar storage, humidor humidity, and getting the flavor the blender intended, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a fellow cigar enthusiast, and leave a review with your go-to humidity setting. Support the show Visit PerdomoPodcast.com

Send us Fan Mail {Stereo Audio + Re-upload} Skinny cigars have a reputation for “purity,” and big ring gauges get labeled as a trend. We want to cut through the noise and talk about what actually happens when thick Nicaraguan tobacco meets a small circumference. From the factory floor to the farms, we’ve seen how leaf texture, airflow, and burn temperature can make the difference between a cool, flavorful smoke and a tight draw that turns sharp and hot. We dig into why Nicaraguan tobacco grows so thick and oily, how water and sun affect the leaf, and why that richness often needs more surface space to perform. We also connect the dots to classic Cuban and Dominican sizes and explain why thinner formats can be easier when the tobacco itself is thinner. Then we get practical: what we consider small ring gauge vs large ring gauge, why 46 to 60 often delivers the best balance, and why the wrapper leaf contributes real flavor but nowhere near the “70%” myth. If you like a smaller mouthfeel, we cover smart compromises that keep blend complexity intact, including torpedo cigars, belicosos, and box-pressed cigars that feel slimmer while still burning like a bigger ring gauge should. If you care about value, we also explain why larger formats can deliver more of the blend without forcing you to pay double. Subscribe for more cigar education from our day-to-day work in tobacco and manufacturing, share this with a friend who argues ring gauge, and leave a review telling us what size you reach for most. #perdomocigars  #perdomoarmy    #PERDOMO Please leave your comments below and we will answer your most pressing questions related to Perdomo Cigars. PERDOMO GEAR: https://httpslink.com/PerdomoGear PERDOMO WEBSITE: https://httpslink.com/PerdomoCigars   — — — FACEBOOK:  https://httpslink.com/PerdomoFacebook FACEBOOK GROUP: https://httpslink.com/FacebookGroup INSTAGRAM: https://httpslink.com/PerdomoInstagram X: https://x.com/perdomocigars Must be 21 and up to purchase tobacco in the United States.  Cigars are not a safe alternative to cigarettes. Support the show Visit PerdomoPodcast.com

Send us Fan Mail Your next cigar might taste different the moment you stop judging it by the wrapper. We kick things off with a deceptively simple question: do we taste with our palate or do we taste with our eyes first? From there, we get honest about the biggest trap in cigar smoking and cigar buying: assuming a Connecticut wrapper must be mild, a Sun Grown must be medium, and a Maduro must be strong. That shortcut feels helpful, but it can send you to the wrong blend and the wrong experience.  We walk through the real drivers of flavor and body by explaining tobacco primings in plain language. You’ll hear how sand leaves can introduce harsh, “dirty” notes, why seco brings aroma and burn, how viso adds depth, and why ligero carries the most strength. Then we connect the dots to blending proportions with a simple kitchen analogy: salt, pepper, and garlic. The takeaway is practical: strength is built by recipe, not by color.  We also dig into cigar construction and why what you can’t see matters most. The wrapper can contribute a meaningful percentage of flavor, but the filler blend is the core of the cigar’s personality. We talk consistency, lot numbers, and why Nicaragua’s key growing regions, including Jalapa, Estelí, and Condega, give blenders so many tools to create balance. Finally, we share how to smoke a cigar like wine, why you don’t need to inhale, and how retrohale can be a useful option for checking strength and harmony.  If you like nerdy cigar education with real-world takeaways, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more smokers can stop shopping by color and start smoking by taste. Support the show Visit PerdomoPodcast.com

Send us Fan Mail PCA 2026 in New Orleans hit us like a wave. Our booth stayed slammed, orders kept rolling, and for the first time in a long time the energy felt like a true turning point for Perdomo Cigars. Nicholas and I sit down right after the show to explain why Perdomo Legacy became the headline, why retailers showed up ready to expand their selections, and what it means when you see that kind of real-world pull from the market.  We also unpack something we’ll never take for granted: Perdomo Legacy Nicaraguan Shade Grown getting named Cigar of the Year by four different major cigar media outlets. We talk about why those awards matter, what “hands down number one” signals to cigar smokers, and how our team’s consistency shows up when it counts. Then we get into the Perdomo Legacy Father and Son project, comparing blends, sharing tasting notes, and explaining the craft details premium cigar fans care about, from 10 to 15-year aged tobaccos to bourbon barrel aging and the cabinet chest presentation.  If you’re a cigar retailer, we share the practical playbook we keep repeating: this is a hand-sell cigar, and staff training plus product knowledge makes the difference. We also talk about why the Perdomo Podcast is taking off, how we approach cigar myths, and why we care so much about teaching cigar storage, cutting, and lighting the right way. Finally, we lay out how we’re expanding accounts in 2026 by growing farms, adding factory capacity, and investing in people, including the jobs we’re proud to create in Nicaragua.  Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who loves premium cigars, and leave a review so more cigar smokers can find the show. Support the show Visit PerdomoPodcast.com

Send us Fan Mail A Connecticut-wrapped cigar that actually tastes creamy, rich, and complex sounds obvious now, but it wasn’t in the late 90s. We’re Nicholas Perdomo and Nick Perdomo, and we’re finally telling the real Perdomo Reserve Champagne story: how one phone call about aging Connecticut seed wrapper inventory turned into a blend that changed what people expected from a “light wrapper” premium handmade cigar.  We get specific about what made Champagne different from the crowded humidor scene back then. Instead of following the dominant formula, we paired a Connecticut shade wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan filler and worked the blend hard so the fillers wouldn’t overpower the wrapper. We talk about building the recipe through lot numbers, why we aimed for a medium-bodied cigar that’s easy-going, and how “smooth” and “mild” are not the same thing when you’re chasing real cigar flavor and balance.  Then we go deep on process: sorting, curing, fermentation, and why we believe great Connecticut needs roughly 60 months of aging to lose the sharp edges and develop those honey tones and creamy, almond-vanilla character. We also share the quality mindset behind stockpiling tobacco and the behind-the-scenes reason the gold cellophane exists: UV protection that preserves wrapper color under humidor lighting, while accidentally creating a signature “champagne” look.  If you’ve never tried Perdomo Reserve Champagne or you thought Connecticut wrapper cigars were always tart or boring, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share the show with a fellow cigar lover, and leave a review telling us what “smooth but flavorful” means to your palate. Support the show Visit PerdomoPodcast.com

Send us Fan Mail The fastest way to ruin a great cigar is to rush the first 60 seconds. Nicholas Perdomo sits down with his dad, Nick Perdomo, to break down the hands-on cigar basics that most people never learn: how to cut a cigar cleanly, how to light a cigar without scorching flavor, and how to avoid the common mistakes that lead to harsh smoke and constant relights. We get specific about cigar cutting techniques, comparing the straight cut, V-cut, and punch cut with clear pros and cons for draw, smoke temperature, and blend consistency. Nick explains why a guillotine straight cut is his top choice, how to “shave the cap” so you don’t pull tobacco into your mouth, and how to handle intimidating shapes like a torpedo or belicoso with a simple quarter-inch clip. If you’ve ever wondered why a punch cut can feel hot or why a V-cut sometimes leaves debris, you’ll hear the practical reasons in plain language. Then we move to cigar lighting. Instead of torching the foot, we walk through the “toast the foot” method, rotating the cigar 360 degrees to seal the wrapper to the binder for better combustibility, less flaking, and a cleaner burn. We also share why we don’t remove the cigar band too early, plus the “pinky rule” that helps prevent wrapper cracks. To close, we tackle nicotine sickness: how not to get sick from a cigar, how proper humidity around 65% matters, why you should never inhale, and the quick sugar fix we use during tasting and blending. If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with a friend who keeps torching the foot, and leave a review with your go-to cutter and lighter setup. Support the show Visit PerdomoPodcast.com