This week our friend Rudy from Canada who is in our chat room every Saturday as “cigarsonist” during the live broadcast of our podcast is in town for Two Guys Smoke Shop 30th Anniversary shindig tomorrow night. Having heard on the show that I’ve been looking for a Cuban lancero he brought with him two as a gift. One of which was today’s review which is one of three cigars on my bucket list. The other two; a Davidoff Cuban and a Fuente Sand Shark.
A few months back our own David Garofalo made a trip to Cuba where he brought into question the cigar rolling practices. While I believe what he saw with his own eyes that has also been shared by others on that same trip, I hold on to hope that it was an anomaly. Regardless, Cuban cigars aren’t what they use to be and many who smoke them exclusively will agree that over the years the product has been on a decline. Globally cigars from Nicaragua, Honduras and Dominican Republic are on the rise in terms of market share.
Cigar Review: Trinidad
Size: 7.5 x 39 (Fundadores)
Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Filler: Cuba
Strength: Mild-Medium
Source: Gift
The Look (9/10): The 7.5 lancero features a fantail cap and the wrapper that has a golden hue to it is rolled seamlessly. A few minor veins adorn the cigar that has a nice weight to it and a couple of soft spots on the lower third of the cigar which results in a slight deduction in score. The yellow and gold band that adorns the cigar denotes the brand name and Habana, Cuba.
The Notes (33/35): The cold draw of the cigar is sweet and floral while the aroma of the foot was reminiscent of manure which many believe is the ultimate compliment for tobacco growers. Once the cigar is lit the floral notes take hold as the initial notes.
As we smoke through the first third of the cigar the floral notes begin to transition to that of dried apricot and dried cherries. In the background there is some earth and a very subtle tropical spice through the nose.
The second third of the cigar continues to have the floral notes of the first third and continued dried cherries. The earth notes have picked up some and become almost as dominant as the floral elements on the Trinidad Fundadores). Also, the spice which was tropical in nature during the first third become more pepper like on the finish as well as through the nose.
The last third of the cigar saw the floral note come and go as the cigar became predominantly earthy and salty with some spice on the finish. Through the nose on the retrohale the cigar has a slight note of pecans and the finish was moderate in length.
The Burn (25/30): Like many Lancero cigars Cuban or otherwise keeping the cigar lit can be a bit of a chore and there were two instances where I needed to relight the cigar. Once when I hit a soft spot in the first third I needed to relight the cigar and then again when it got to where the band would have been. Other then that the cigar had a near perfect burn with a combustion line that was thin at times and thicker other times. The medium color ash held for about three-quarters of an inch and the cigar had near perfect draw with a touch of resistance that came off as a little tight in the first half.
The Finish (21/25): Long on my bucket list of cigars the Trinidad Lancero did not leave me disappointed but at the same time it doesn’t have me running out to get more. The flavor was considerably different than my favorite Cuban which is Ramon Allones Special Selection aka, RASS. The floral notes were enjoyable but aren’t my go to flavor profile. You may ask if that is the case, how did you score the flavors as a 33, well the answer is they were clean and well-defined. Just because the profile doesn’t fit me, I try to be fair. With that said and done, I wouldn’t mind having 5 or so for my humidor.
Score: 88
Price: $34.50 US (based on £22.80)
Bullet Points
- Before I lit up I was worried about the cigar not reaching the high expectations I set for it. While not a rare cigar, the Trinidad Lancero is something I’ve been looking for; for some time.
- I would never order Cubans from Europe as I do not believe all that are sent to the USA are real. I base this on being told by a mail order house in Europe when I was overseas telling me to call direct to ensure I get the real deal as they send fakes from time to time because of confiscation at customs.
- Once the embargo is lifted people will suffer from sticker shock at the real price of Cuban cigars. I believe at this point people will realize most of the Cubans they have smoked were fakes and Cohiba does not come in glass top boxes.
- I paired the cigar with Cuban Coffee
- Smoking Time was 1 hour 45 minutes.
Trinidad Cuba
Trinidad Cuba Foot
Trinidad Cuba Burn
