Cigars.ie

In Our Memory Of: Trinidad Robusto Extra

One of the brands that will be affected the most after next years deletions is Trinidad. Trinidad has a long and mysterious history, that dates back in 1969. The brand was created in El Laguito, three years after the introduction of the Cohiba brand. Until 1997 when the brand was made commercial, only one cigar was being produced, which had no name and was given as a diplomatic gift of lower level. Although stories that the Trinidads were ultra rare and Fidel used to have them under his bed for safekeeping sound nice, they are not true. Also not true is the rumor that leaves that are used to make the Trinidad cigars undergo a third fermentation, in the same manner as the Cohiba.

I am sitting in front of the second Trinidad that will not be with us from 2012; the Robusto Extra. The Robusto extra is an impressive cigar, with a ring gauge of 50 and length of 6.1″. It is presented in boxes of twelve and packs of three. This cigar was introduced to the market in 2004, along with the Coloniales and the Reyes and has always been the most expensive vitola of the brand. I have not smoked too many of them to have a solid opinion, but I haven’t heard too many people having anything bad to say about them. Robusto Extra on the one hand and a glass of Havana Club Barrel Proof on the other, lets see what this bad boy is like!

Appearance & Construction 13 / 15
The Robusto Extra is an impressive cigar. Heavy on the hand with a generous ring gauge and a beautiful pigtail. The wrapper is cocoa brown, with some prominent veins and very few imperfections. The bunch is firm and consistent throughout the whole body and the triple cap is perfectly applied. The cigar has a good prelight draw and a very spicy flavour on the lips.

Flavour & Body 23 / 25
Sweet, velvety and floral flavours hit you from the first draw on this Robusto Extra. A couple of more drags and the cigar becomes more complex; earth and spices come to the foreground followed by coffee and cedar, with soft, velvety flavours on the finish. The body is not as strong as I would expect, being just about medium. In the second third the cigar has a more musky profile, with wood and moist earth dominating. The finish is still sweet and creamy, with a touch of black pepper, just what you would expect from a Trinidad! Very enjoyable so far, without a hint of ammonia or bitterness. On the last third the cigar changes again, being now even sweeter. Honey and caramel the two strongest flavours, while cedar and pepper are still on the background. The cigar finishes as enjoyable as it started!

Draw & Burn 22 / 25
Even though the bunch is firm, the cigar draws very well and lights up easily. The combustion is good almost all the way through, and the cigar delivers thick clouds of smoke. The ash is light grey, solid and refuses to fall off the cigar, even after reaching almost two inches in length. The burn is a little uneven on the first third, but it corrects itself into the second third. On the last third the cigar goes out on a few occasions, and requires some attention in order to get going again.

Overall 32 / 35
The Robusto Extra is an impressive and very enjoyable cigar. It shows plenty of flavours, sweet, spicy and musky, and good complexity. It is a cigar that will keep you good company for a little less than two hours, without being demanding or overpowering at any stage. However, it lacks a bit of strength. I was surprised to see that the body was medium throughout, without getting stronger in any part of it. But that is not necessary a bad thing; the Robusto Extra is a great choice for the smoker that prefers a “tame” cigar. Unfortunately, being not so popular they are being discontinued. But there is only one thing to blame… When a Trinidad Robusto Extra costs nearly as much as a Cohiba Sigl0 VI, it is obvious it is overpriced. Rumors are that Habanos will be reviewing the pricing strategy of the whole brand; when this will happen and whether we will see the Robusto T and the Robusto Extra reincarnating is not known yet, but lets have some hope!

TOTAL 90 / 100

Verdict: The Robusto Extra is a beautiful cigar, but way overpriced. If you can afford it, then do yourself a favour and put a box on the side. In five to ten years, it will smoke like a dream!