Cigar Info
As 2020 was winding down, J.C. Newman refreshed their Perla del Mar line. Most of the attention went to the Perla del Mar Corojo because it was a brand new blend. This attention was justified as it scored a 93 in our blind testing. However, the other two existing blends in the line, Perla del Mar Maduro and Perla del Mar Shade, underwent a re-blend along with new packaging. Those two lines have been around since 2012 and were unchanged in the time leading up to 2020. Drew Newman said that they thought the cigars were good, but that they could do better. The company spent two years re-blending and getting the cigars just how they wanted.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
The wntire Perla del Mar line is produced at J.C. Newman PENSA in Nicaragua. The new versions of both the Maduro and Shade are slightly stronger than their original blends, using new, aged Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. The cigars also all now come in a classic Tampa-style press in traditional bands and boxes. All blends come in four viotlas Robusto (4 3/4 x 52), Toro (6 1/4 x 54), Double Toro (6 x 60) and Corona Gorda (5 1/2 x 46). They also all sell for a reasonable $6.00 – $7.00.
Perla del Mar is a historic cigar brand that traces its roots to Cuba. In 1905, four Cuban brothers started hand rolling cigars using tobacco grown on their family’s farm in Cuba. They named their company Perfecto Garcia Brothers and called their cigars “Perla del Mar” because of the beautiful Caribbean waters that surround Cuba. As the popularity and demand for their cigars grew, the brothers built a large cigar factory next to J.C. Newman’s El Reloj factory in Ybor City, Florida. Perla del Mar was one of the leading premium cigar brands in the early 1900s. J.C. Newman’s new Perla del Mar cigars honor the brand’s historic legacy.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Double Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 60
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: U.S.A. Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: J.C. Newman PENSA
Blender: Undisclosed
Number of reviewers: 4 – Chad M. (Chad Tchad) Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi) Kevin J. (maninblack77) Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
Price: $7.60
Age: 6 Months
Release Date: November 2020
Contributed by: J.C. Newman
Initial Impressions – J.C. Newman Perla Del Mar Maduro Double Toro
Appearance: 89
“Well-made box-press cigar that looks chunky. Really dark silky dark cheery wood color. Very lightly seen seam noted. No real visible veins.” –Chad M. (Chad Tchad)
Aroma: 88
“Natural tobacco, manure, and damp earth are the primary notes coming from the foot, while the body has more of an overall leather note to it. Prelight draw is very open, with dry grass and earth.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
First Third
Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Right off the bat there was a blast of black pepper that assaulted my nose and throat. Luckily this died down somewhat and the dark chocolate and coffee notes really came into play. I expected the flavors to be muted due to the size of this cigar but so far so good. Medium-bodied in strength. A very nice beginning to this review.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
“The cigar opens with heavy notes of roasted coffee beans, the flavor is deep and rich. The retrohale has fiery notes that tingle the nostrils and make me sneeze. As I reach the end of the third there is a pepper that starts to build on the palate. The body and finish are both medium.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Second Third
Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium
“The flavor has gone from a rich to a light mineral and earth with a now mild black pepper spice. Very slight sweet cocoa flavor being picked up. Retrohale has a very light salty mild spice (red pepper) beef jerky flavor.” –Chad M. (Chad Tchad)
“The second third began much as the first third did with lots of dark chocolate and coffee notes as well as some earthiness. But as it went along the flavors really became less pronounced and muted. I was left with some leather notes but not a whole lot of other flavors. Kind of a letdown this third.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
Final Third
Flavor: 88
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“As I enter the last third the cigar has turned lighter in character. There is a green note that builds on the palate as I get deeper into the third. The retro has stayed creamy with the addition of a light cinnamon. The finish has gotten longer with a cinnamon tingle on the tip of the tongue.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
“The flavor has fallen off more and more as the smoke has gone on. Now just mineral and earth flavor very very mild sweet cocoa noted. Retrohale has a no spice now and just a salty beef jerky flavor.” –Chad M. (Chad Tchad)
Overall Impressions – J.C. Newman Perla Del Mar Maduro Double Toro
Draw: 90
“The draw was a little open as most box pressed cigars are. It creates plentiful smoke clouds with each puff.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Burn: 88
“The burn for the first two thirds was straight but the last third had problems. I should have touched it up but instead let it run its course. It never caught itself up and didn’t burn on one side. The burn light was medium thick and black.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Construction: 89
“I think this blend could really shine in a smaller vitola. But we’ll constructed for the most part.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 89
“The first third of this smoke was really good rich with mineral earth flavor with smoke black pepper spice. However as the smoke went on it lost more and more flavor towards the end becoming somewhat average.” –Chad M. (Chad Tchad)
“I would have rated the cigar higher if not for the last third. I feel like it ran out of steam. The flavor profile of the first two thirds was great with the dark rich notes but soon turned to just another run of the mill smoke. It is a shame really, the end was clearly not what the blender intended this cigar to be. I would give it another shot down the road.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
“This smoke started off strongly and was going great but then the flavors became muted and it became slightly boring as time went on. It could easily shine in a smaller ring gauge which I’m anxious to find out if it has any. Good ,not great, but I’ve had worse. I wouldn’t try it again in this size. Not enough reward for the time spent smoking it.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
“This one was a miss for me from the first moments on. The bitterness was unrelenting from start to finish and actually increased in intensity all the way through. Maybe certain beverage pairings would even it out, but this was not an enjoyable cigar for me.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 87
| Reviewer | Appear. | Aroma | 1/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 | Draw | Burn | Constr. | Overall Experience |
| Chad M. | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 88 | 88 |
| Estevan Z. | 92 | 90 | 92 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 88 | 90 | 90 |
| Kevin J. | 92 | 95 | 95 | 90 | 90 | 95 | 92 | 90 | 90 |
| Kevin A. | 85 | 88 | 83 | 80 | 80 | 75 | 78 | 78 | 80 |
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.