How to Save Trinidad

[Lant63]

Of course many will say that the deletion of the Trex and Robusto really hurt Trinidad along with the poor production quality over the last couple years. But, the Coloniales, Reyes, and Fundedores are all exceptional cigars IMHO (I have yet to smoke the Vigia).

Is the Vigia worth buying and smoking?

Did the Vigia help or hurt Trinidad? If either, how?

What sizes would you add to help the line?

How long until Habanos changes the band and releases a Trinidad with Medio Tempo (I am aware of the shortage of MT) to emulate the Behike line? Will it work?

[riazp]

Vigia is an exellent cigar in my books. Very enjoyable.

what would I add to the Trinidad lineup? Well simply i'd bring back the Robusto T.

What will habanos do? some huge 55+ RG cigar.

[mgravito]

"There can only be one"

That's what I think about when I think about Trinidad. I prefer Trini to Cohiba, but in the minds of most there can only be one premier brand in the Habanos portfolio. I think this is reflected in sales, especially considering they're priced similarly to Cohibas, and the have very few vitolas in comparison.

However, I'm sort of happy with where they are in terms of what they offer, although I would LOVE it if the RoboTs came back. I don't really think they need saving.

[NSXCIGAR]

I'd have to say inconsistency is Trinidad's main problem. Both construction and taste, Trinidad has been all over the map for many years. It's hard to make the case for Trini as a high-end, premium brand or get a truly loyal following when they can't be relied on like Cohiba can. Rob is always mentioning how much crap Trinidad he sees relative to the good stuff.

The existing sizes don't help either. Both the Fundadores and Coloniales aren't exactly the most popular. I was surprised when the Robustos Extra was cut, and we'll see how the Vigia sells over the coming years.

[Charltonc]

Roll less and roll at el laguito again and bring back the robusto extra and a corona gorda.

[Corylax18]

I've never smoked a Trinidad. Are the flavor profiles similar to a Cohiba, or does the comparison end with their Position at the high end?

I've always wanted to pick up a few Fundys but I end up getting more Lusitanias or something else instead. What other Marcas would you say the flavor profile emulates most closely?

[Blazer]

The Fundedore was one of the first CCs I tried and really fell in love with not only the cigar,but the vitola as well. Most shops that I know of have been out of stock for a couple years and the ones that have them are crrrrraaaaaazy expensive.

[Lant63]

I've never smoked a Trinidad. Are the flavor profiles similar to a Cohiba, or does the comparison end with their Position at the high end?

I've always wanted to pick up a few Fundys but I end up getting more Lusitanias or something else instead. What other Marcas would you say the flavor profile emulates most closely?

Personally I think Trinidad and Cohiba are very close except Trinidad has more nuttiness and less hay. Just my take though.

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[SCgarman]

Trinidad is way over-priced. The Robusto T was fetching 350+ dollars for a 24 count box. For that money, you can buy a box of Cohiba Robustos and you get 25 cigars. I have a box of Reyes, which are nice little cigars, but when they are gone I won't be buying another box. There are too many other small cigars that give you better value for the money. IMHO

[NSXCIGAR]

Personally I think Trinidad and Cohiba are very close except Trinidad has more nuttiness and less hay. Just my take though.

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I don't think Trinidad and Cohiba have much in common personally. There are some of the bean flavors (vanilla, coffee) but the grassy Cohiba taste and the smoothness are not there. I believe both the Diplomatic and most original 1997-1998 Fundadores both shared more in flavors with Cohiba.

Recent Trinidads are kind of indistinct in flavors to me. Little of this, little of that. Certainly pleasant when "on" but nothing you can really hang your hat on. Some bean, some cream, some cappuccino, some straight tobacco--but with no real discernible backbone or core. I don't know if it really knows what it wants to be.

To me, those kinds of flavor characteristics can only get you so far. IOW, the best Trinidads will only ever be 95 point cigars, where the best Cohibas can reach 100. 95 is great of course, but can you really develop a reputation for greatness with these factors?

[CaptainQuintero]

Simply reduce the price across the line to be in line with ryj/Monte.

The story is cute but the quality of the brand is just awful.

Pricing is just living in lala land. Make it compete with Monte and sales would probably shoot up.

-HSA will see this and agree, rising the price of Monte and ryj to Trinidad levels :|

[NSXCIGAR]

It has been my understanding that the plan was to scale Trinidadad back in price (and evidently quality) to join the lesser brands, leaving the Cohibas as the sole "flagship brand". The timeline for this seems to have started with the broadening of the line. I have '98 and '99 Fundies, as well as production over the last decade. There is little, if any, similarity. Granted, that is true of quite a few lines, but while Trinidad used to be my favorite marca, I don't smoke a dozen a year nowadays.

All of the above is little more than rumor and personal tasting experience, and may be the result of nothing more than moving Trinidad to a dedicated provincial factory. Having zero influence over what HSA does, I just go with the flow, and find something else that I like.

Absolutely, if Trinidad is going to continue on its path of the last decade+ price needs to be adjusted downward and HSA needs to throw in the towel on pushing it as a premium brand. The profile and the consistency is just not there and hasn't been there for ages.

Start experimenting with sizes and pricing, blends perhaps. Duty free--3/5/10 packs, tins, tubes.

Funny enough, this thread is reminiscent of the recent San Cristobal thread. Kind of a similar situation, except I think SC has a lot more going for it. Better blend, profile, consistency and a big seller in the El Principe. I think the Trinidad packaging and presentation are top notch, which SC lacks, but they both have a pricing, marketing and lineup problem.

[JohnS]

There are some excellent points in this thread. I also don't think Trinidad needs saving via adding another regular production cigar, although I wouldn't complain if the Robusto Extra and Robusto T were brought back (however unlikely!). Interestingly, Trinidad would be about the only marca that has seen deletions of large ring gauge cigars in the last 5 to 10 years and not standard ring gauge.

I would like the current regular production cigars to continue, especially the Fundadores as that vitola, the long and skinny Lonsdale (40 rg x 192mm), well, there aren't enough of those around anymore. I concur that the flavour profile is complex, currently very different to Cohiba. A mix of Coffee, nut, spice mainly and perhaps a touch of chocolate/cocoa/leather/tobacco and citrus. Letting go of the 'Premium status' and getting consistent construction, especially with wrappers is the turnaround required.

I wouldn't buy blind with this marca, my Trinidad acquisitions have been through El Pres' 24:24 offerings, but when only 20% of a marca is any good over a number of years (as El Pres has stated here), you can't help but think volume of sales will be affected. Incidentally, I can't get enough of the RMU Ago 15 Reyes at the moment. If all Trinidad was like this, we wouldn't have a need for this thread.

[TheMonk]

I'm a Trinidad fan, I really enjoy the fresh citrusy flavours that usually underline all vitolas of this marca, particularly the Coloniales.

Coloniales, Fundadores and Reyes are all very good smokes, IMO, and the Vigia, while still needing some rest (at least another year), will be a very good smoke as well. OTOH, they are definitely expensive, but I'll still take a Reyes over a Siglo I any day.

[dicko]

I used to buy robo T's and would have a couple of boxes on hand if they became regular production again. My 2c

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[TheLiquidGator]

Monk,

How old are you Coloniales? Thanks

[El Presidente]

To me it is simply a matter of bringing back Trinidad back to consistent quality. It really went through a remarakble crap period over the past 5+ years albeit last half of 2015 saw a nice comback across the line.

If you want people to pay a premium price then you need to consistently make a premium product. They didn't. Demand collapsed.

I won't pay a premium price for paperbark yellow wrappers on Reyes or Coloniales. I won't pay a premium price for underfilled Fundadores. If I won't pay it then I don't expect you to do so.

[TheGipper]

Don't you think that the premium leaf that used to go to the Trinidad line is quite evidently being diverted to other production?

Personally, I think the reason HSA was considering turning Trinidad in a regular-priced non-premium brand was a tacit acknowledgement that it wasn't getting the quality leaf it used to.

[SCgarman]

To me it is simply a matter of bringing back Trinidad back to consistent quality. It really went through a remarakble crap period over the past 5+ years albeit last half of 2015 saw a nice comback across the line.

If you want people to pay a premium price then you need to consistently make a premium product. They didn't. Demand collapsed.

I won't pay a premium price for paperbark yellow wrappers on Reyes or Coloniales. I won't pay a premium price for underfilled Fundadores. If I won't pay it then I don't expect you to do so.

Not enough folks paid that premium price for the Robusto T either obviously. 350+dollars for a box of 24 robustos? When you already have a similar price point with Cohiba Robustos? Have to agree, nobody wants to spend big money on crap.

[SlimOne]

Vigias I have smoked Dec14 are excellent in my oppinon. Well worth buying just a little too expensive.

I don't know about saving the brand but an excellent addition.

[Lotusguy]

Vigias are a good first step - now they just have to learn how to fill them properly

[westg]

Vigias are a good first step - now they just have to learn how to fill them properly

ha I agree Clause they look good ,,under filled for sure

[Dara]

A few years ago when they first announced they were discontinuing Trini lines (including the super rare never seen in stores Robusto T tubos) but were keeping 1 or 2 lines to keep the brand alive.

The rational I heard in Cuba was that Trini's weren't selling because of their high price point and we're going to be relaunched at a lower price point a few years later but I can't see HSA bringing anything back to the market cheaper than it originally was. Then they brought out the Vigia so I guess that plan was shelved!

My guess (hope really) is that we'll eventually see some Trini robustos and extras being relaunched as Reservas and then they'll bring them back as regular production!

[cigarbigboy]

When they were good, the robustos T were stellar. Unfortunately, overpriced. I'd love to see them back.... and with a different price point. The recent fundarores don't much resemble the T Robusto hitting on all cylinders.

[CigarSeeker]

I have a box of Reyes. I tried one and wasn't really impressed. I'm going to forget about them for few years and I'll revisit. Hopefully it'll get better.