Vitola: Robusto- 5” x 52 ring gauge
- MSRP $9.90
- Purchased at Burns Tobacconist
Background
The Trinidad brand was first produced at the El Laguito factory in Havana in 1969. It was reportedly a blend made exclusively to be given as diplomatic gifts by Cuban murderous dictatorial thug and head of a crime family, Fidel Castro (no one ever said I lack strong opinions). Or maybe not since Castro denied knowing much about the brand in his autobiography. As with many things in a secret society, the truth may never be known. The Cuban version of the brand was released to the general public in 1998.
Another thing that’s hard to pin down is when Altadis started making an American-market version of the Trinidad. They purchased 50% interest in the Cuban state tobacco monopoly in 2000, so I have a hard time believing it would be before then. Interestingly, they do not seem to be making those original Trinidad blends anymore as all that is currently showing on their website is the Trinidad Santiago, a Dominican blend made in conjunction with Rafael Nodal.
And so we come to 2018 and what amounts to another attempt at revamping a classic brand for a new generation of cigar enthusiasts. Altadis has teamed with A.J. Fernandez to create Trinidad Espiritu, to celebrate “the venerable brand’s half-century anniversary by taking adult smokers back to the late 60s-early 70s era — which many consider the “Golden Years” of cigars,” according to Altadis’ head of consumer marketing, Brad Winstead. Eddy Guerra, the Trinidad brand manager, adds, “[it] is an amazingly complex, yet balanced cigar that embodies vintage Caribbean culture.”
The blend is all Nicaraguan and produced by A.J. Fernandez in Nicaragua. This is yet another classic Cuban brand that A.J. has put his own name on in some fashion, following Montecristo, Romeo y Juliet, H. Upmann, Punch, and Ramon Allones (and maybe others I cannot recall offhand). I have had several examples of Trinidad Espiritu before this review sample. I purchased this one at Burns Tobacconist where I work.
Sources: Cigar-Coop and Wikipedia
Prelight
The band and box of the Espiritu is an interesting mix of classic Trinidad logo in gold foil along with colorful Caribbean-inspired designs. It is eye-catching and eye-pleasing…artistic without being over the top and gaudy, with enough vintage in the mix to satisfy purists.
The wrapper leaf on the cigar was a medium-dark brown with a slight oily sheen and a nice amount of oils coming off on my fingertips. It had an aroma that mixed earth and cedar with a touch of natural tobacco. The foot had a richer earthiness with hints of coffee bean.
The cold draw was very good and tasted of cedar and earth mostly, with just a touch of bell pepper.
Flavor
The Trinidad Espiritu started with strong flavors of cedar and hay, with a sweet and spicy note that came right after, then grew stronger on the finish. The retrohale was red pepper flake heat, cedar and roasted peanuts. The body began as a straight up medium, but the pepper spice was more pronounced than I expect from most A.J. Fernandez blends, at least in the last few years. By the end of the first third, the pepper spice had tempered a bit and I got more sweet hay and a touch of molasses coming through with cedar and nuttiness as secondary notes.
As I burned through the second third, I got floral notes coming through the flavor profile in a strong way, backed up by roasted nuts, pepper spice, and cedar.
The final third had more of the same, really.
Construction
I had a very good draw with just enough resistance, a nice even burn line and solid ash for half an inch or more.
Value
The price tag on these is average and it delivers an above-average experience, so good value.
Conclusions
As an update of a classic Cuban cigar brand surrounded by mystique, the Trinidad Espiritu succeeds. Really, it’s the first time I’ve had a cigar with a Trinidad label (American-market or Cuban) that I would gladly pay money to experience again. I’m not saying the previous releases were “bad,” just that they were ultimately uninspired. As a part of the takeover of a major portion of the cigar industry by A.J. Fernandez, I’d say it’s a worth entry, as well…maybe not his best, but far from the worst of the bunch. Trinidad Espiritu is definitely worth a try.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
