Trinidad Habano Reserve Sligo VI

I am always on the look out for a great deal...on a great cigar. Unfortunately, most cigar producers are all too willing to look for the full market value of their tasty little products. Thankfully there are still a few to be found.

I am a huge admirer of the Habana Trinidad which was introduced into the U.S. out of the Dominican Republic in 1997 and purchased by Altadis in 2002. The Habana Reserve is currently produced in Honduras and is bolder than its Dominican counterpart.

I picked up the Sligo VI in a smoke shop simply because I couldn't believe a Trinidad (technically a TTT Trinidad) was selling for just over $6! The wrapper is a brownish gold without major veins or defects. I particularly like the rat tail which is a nice throw back to its Cuban roots. It is well constructed with a pre-light draw in the medium tight range and the foot was rich with hay and woods.

Once lit there is copious amounts of smoke which really fill your mouth with rich cedars and mildly sweet fruit and berries. It starts off medium bodied and slowly builds into a full bodied crescendo of cedar and peppery spice. The burn was even throughout and it never got harsh...even down to the nub. I would highly recommend this to any experienced smoker who likes rich Cuban flavor in an averaged priced cigar.

Wrapper: Ecuador
Filler: Hon/Nic
Binder: Nic
Rating: 92

Cohiba Black Robusto

It has been so long! I'd like to blame my long absence on my move (it was trans-Atlantic!) but truthfully I've had motivational problems as well. Fortunately I've still been smoking and keeping notes so I have a backlog of tasty gems to post.

The Cohiba line is another of the "same name, different country" cigars that has Cuban roots and, in this case, Dominican leaves. General Cigar owns this pricey name which is crafted under the watchful eye of Daniel Núñez. The Black line is a relatively recent extension and is waiting to knock your socks off.

This maduro (really an oscuro) is FULL bodied. It is chalked full of earth and wood with a mild bitterness for the first 1". It mellows with black pepper, wood and a detectable nuttiness which carries until the final 1/3. After about the 1/2 way mark it settles considerably with wood, pepper and a long creamy finish. I had an issue with the wrapper over the final 1.5" which was it's only construction flaw. Otherwise the draw and burn were even and it produced a firm, which ash.

This is not for the faint of heart...or the empty stomach. Make sure you drink something with a bit of substance to accompany it as well. I had a nice spicy Rioja but I'd say a full bodied California Cabernet or a glass of single malt Scotch would go nicely as well. Overall, it was more than I had anticipated, but once I got into the groove it was a pleasant smoking experience.

Wrapper: Conn
Filler: DR/Mex
Binder: DR
Rating: 90

Xikar Cutters

I normally reserve these posts for cigar reviews but I thought this worth sharing. I recently picked up the Xikar Mammoth X3 Cutter which is spend-a-mundo if you've ever taken the time to look (and I know you have). A website called Uptown Enterprises was a great find. They carry the Mammoth and Havana X3 cutters for $100 less than the Xikar site. If you're in the market look them up. Benard is their customer service rep. and was a great help to me.

Get an extra 5% off your entire order by entering MBH5OFF at checkout!

Trinidad Fundadores

As I've noted before, the Trinidad line out of Havana was marketed via mystery and intrigue with Castro himself originally denying that the Trinidad even existed. Now that the Trinidad has been on the market for over a decade it is being presented as a Habanos S.A. headliner along with their flagship Cohiba, with which is produced out of the El Laguito factory.

The Fundadores is one of the more recent sizes to be released. It comes in a flawless golden brown wrapper with the customary "rat tail" cap. The foot has a smooth woody smell and on this particular occasion the pre-light draw was quite tight.

Once lit the initial flavors are sweet mellow tobacco with notes of vanilla and toffee. As I got a couple of inches in the sweet flavors waned and some cedar overtones enveloped the tobacco core. By 1/2 way there was a bit of coffee to accompany the woody notes; however the draw was still uncomfortably tight, reducing the amount of smoke and no doubt the intensity of the flavor. This problem finally corrected at the 2/3 mark. At this point there was an increase in smoke and a rich peppery spice leading to a rich tobacco finish.

The Trinidad is ultra complex, rich in flavor and easy on the eyes. Despite being rolled by some of Cuba's most accomplished Torcedores, it still suffers from a bit of inconsistancy regarding construction. That is its only flaw. Even still, one heck of a cigar!

Wrapper: Cuba
Filler: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Rating: 94

Partagas Serie P No. 2

Last week I was on holiday in Spain, the largest importer of Havana cigars, so needless to say, I have a couple of new entries. The first is the Partagas Serie P No. 2, a fairly large cigar by Cuban standards and one that packs plenty of punch.

It comes wrapped in a nice darkish EMS leaf from the Vuelta Abajo region. The foot was thick with woody and tobacco smells and the pre-light draw was nice and firm. Once lit it provides the expected Partagas full bodied tobacco that nearly overwhelms the subtle nut and cedar notes. By half way there is a noticeable black pepper spice that caries the smoke in to the final 1/3 where the tobacco core firmly reclaims the position as the major player in this rich full bodied smoke, and caries to the end with a bit of spice.

The construction was excellent and the aroma was potent, so much so that the band has smelled up my entire dossier! My only complaint here was that at times that flavor was a little too full and came off a bit harsh. This is no doubt a matter of taste and many others have seen this as a benefit. This is a great cigar and one that I think could be even better with a bit of aging.

Wrapper: Cuba
Filler: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Rating: 92

CAO Brazilia Lambada

I recently picked up a CAO Brazilia Lambada as part of a sampler. CAO has really never done anything for me as I've gone through a number of their lines without being impressed.

It does come wrapped in a nice dark, woody Brazilian leaf. There were a few large veins and it had a lack of oily sheen. The pre-light draw was nice and firm and the foot had a bit of an earthy stench to be honest.

Once lit it did produce copious amounts of smoke and a full earthy flavor. After about 1.5" it took on a more woody core with earthy notes. By 1/2 way it had swapped back but did so with what can only be described as bitter coffee overtones. Fortunately that didn't last long (or this would be the end of my review) and the mellow woods began to come to the forefront and it had a bit of spice on the finish.

The burn was uneven for much of the smoke despite several efforts to correct it. It finally evened out in the final 1/3 on its own. The ash was light gray and firm and it did have a good draw. All in all the construction was below average and the flavor was something I'd generally avoid. Despite some out there in the cigar blogosphere raving about CAOs, I'm going to have to say that this one went the way of my general experience and was a below average smoke.

Wrapper: Brazil
Filler: Nic
Binder: Nic
Rating: 87

TTT Trinidad Robusto

The Dominican Trinidad was birthed out of an American market for one of Cuba's most sought after cigars. That detail alone can prompt a bit of skepticism but the Trinidad doesn't rest on its laurels.

The Trinidad Robusto maduro comes wrapped in a dark, almost burnt looking, woody Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. The contrasting golden band gives it an elegant appearance. The flavors are melded perfectly with a cedar core and notes of sweet fruits and a bit of spice. This complex mix of flavors was consistent throughout the smoke and was complimented by a rich woody aroma. The construction was nearly perfect with a nice firm draw and packed white ash. A couple of wobbles in the burn are to be expected with this guy but they'll self correct without affecting the flavor.

This is a very pleasant smoke with rounded complexity and a smooth cool burn. I was happy to see that this Trinidad was more than just a name on a stick. You won't be disappointed.

Wrapper: Conn
Filler: Nic, DR, Peru
Binder: Ecuador Sumatra
Rating: 92