Trinidad Robusto T

Right off the bat this is a sweet cigar. I like classic cuban flavor in a cigar but when I get something different from the very first puff, I have to admit feeling a little excited. Unfortunately, it seems that to get really bold and exciting flavor from a Havana cigar, you have to pay a lot extra. I am referring to Habanos book humidors, Edicion Limitadas, Super Premium Cohibas, etc. What was once the finest handmade product in the world is now the second tier product from the country that once laid claim to the finest cigars in the world. So to get a really good regular line cigar is a bit of a surprise to me, even though admitedly, this is the most expensive cigar in the Trinidad marque.

And it's not super-fantastic, just different. It's strong.  It's complex. It's young. There are subtle notes of tea, and a sweet leather component. While it has a full, or medium to full body, it is a little light on flavor,  however. I know that I have gone on about flavors so far, but they are unique, not necessarily strong or bold. To my palate, it is as if the cigar is too young to allow for a true blossoming and marriage of flavors.  However, the signs point to a good future for these cigars. And make no mistake, this is much better than the
recent Cohiba Robusto I had a few months ago. Where the two cigars would rate if both tasted in 5 years is another matter. I rather think the Cohiba would hold it's own when it grows up. The tea component is moving well to the front now, with a slight hint of ginger on the finish. The burn is a little crooked, and I am not sure,
after several small corrections, if this owes to an inferior lighting job or not. I tend to underlight a fine, expensive cigar. Who wants to scorch a wrapper on a cigar that costs over 15 dollars each?

What is it with modern dramas these days where the president is ALWAYS black or female, lol? It's as if they are purposely trying to apologize for our countries tendency to elect white males. Sorry. Just watched the opening of "the event". Nope...this is burning crooked. So I give it a hard pull to both prepare for the ashing and to get a bit of heat into the wrapper. There is some very noticable chocolate flavor coming through and not so subtly. The tea-like finish completely coats the tongue. But there is an unidentifiable sweetness on the front palate that I am trying to finger. Maybe honeysuckle. but the burn is so bad.

It's the same effect you get when it's a magazine roll and there is a lightly filled side opposite a crescent of leaves packed together. There is usually no saving that, so I am going to call this cigar a 'taster', likely not really worth savoring and smoking for maximum pleasure. It is also not very likely it will improve if I keep babying it.  So based on it's initial flavor an not it's construction, it has to rate a simple 82. I will visit it again in a year, and say that I am awfully disappointed in this cigar, especially at it's premium price.

Romeo y Julieta Duke

I got a chance to smoke the vennerable Romeo y Julieta Duke Edicion Limitada 2009 the other day, and while it was a little below my first Duke experience, it showed top notch construction and pretty good flavor.

 My first Duke was loaded with tangy red wine notes that I found unique.  Unfortunately there was none of that in this smoke, but it was loaded with leather and a fruity, dense, rich flavor and a rich tobacco core.  The burn was a tad ragged but relatively straight and true all the way down. 

The draw was fantastic and there was not much progression of flavor, but what flavor there was was good and satisfying.  The cigar went on delivering puff after puff of delicious smoke for over an hour.  I dumped it about where you see it near the band.  It went sour in one puff and there is NO reason to ever smoke a cigar past it's prime.  Even when you think you have to have more smoke, you'd be best at that point to light up a fresh cigar before you smoke that stale, sour, hot butt.

  If I based my reviews on this one cigar, it would rate an 85, but coupled with my previous one I would bump that up to 91.

Revisiting Montecristo Petit Edmundo

Well I had a chance to smoke the Montecristo Petit Edmundo a few times over the last month.  I have had quite a bit of trouble with the cigar that one particular fired, Cigar Aficionado editor spent a year trying to get to marry him.  Turns out the Petit Edmundo likes guys with jobs. 

I enjoyed one at the Shack Herf in August, just as perfect a Montecristo as is possible with such a ridiculous ring gauge.  Lots of medium bodied tobacco with steroidal tea flavors and a generous helping of cocoa.  Had one just a moment ago on my porch, and it was half a great cigar and another half of airy, fat, useless draws of no smoke.  Sigh.

Would it be so hard to make 25 cigars in a box that were almost SIMILAR?  Sometimes just ashing a tempermental cigar is enough to spoil the party.  It was perfect until I ashed it.  But I am not about to kid ya.  I would be embarassed if I was once the world-wide standard of perfection and good taste and now I had an entire habano-lovin population agin' me.  Make no mistake, the raw materials are there.  Someone just needs to excercise some standards of minimal skill level in the rolling business.  Granted, you have a giant- scale failure of the commie-nist ideal in full progress down there.  I am not sure I would take all that much pride in my work if it had absolutely nothing to do with my value to the "company".  People need to earn a living based on their job skill and believe that what they put into it is going to matter in whether or not their "company" survives.  Sorry Fidel and Raul, you guys have a lot to learn about earning a living in the world.  And all of your people have to pay the price for your stubbornness.  As much as I hate to say it, you can still crush the opposition, and have a decent economy.  You can still throw people in jail forever and be a trade darling across the world.  You don't have to fix everything at once, just read a Economics textbook and follow the simple instructions.