TX Duo Review - Trinidad Reyes 2018

[Çnote]

@Capn_Jackson

In the interest of throughness, I searched my past reviews to pull the boxcode on this. Maybe that was a mistake, with too much information clouding my experience.

I actually won this box on a review drawing in September of 2019, when my buying was 98% CC. It looks like I smoked one for FoH purposes at 6 months, one at about 2 years, and one last summer. This might be the last one from the box, it is for sure the worst.

All high toned sandlewood, no richness or depth. Bitterness, sour on the palate. The burn is fine, the experience pleasant enough, but this could be a lounge stick for all i know. I stopped paying attention and hoped for something as previous reviews implied a soft opening, but nothing happened. A dud.

Cap'n and I often talk about what's next, and Viaje Summerfest is often brought up on days that are unseasonable pleasant. After my attempt at reviewing a still young Private Keep Lime, it was a balmy 70-80 last week and Summerfest was penciled in. However, this morning it was 50 something and Cap'n wanted a CC, so here we are. I lit up a HdM Dieux that is banging so it's not me. Alas.

[Capn_Jackson]

So I grabbed what I thought was our duo Trini, before leaving town to San Antonio for a convention. As soon as light up and send Cody a pic, he says “That’s not a Reyes.” Yep. Grabbed the wrong stick. But I reviewed it anyway, so here goes nothin’!

Cold draw has hay, nutmeg, and honey. Light up draw is very soft, and by that I mean it has no pepper whatsoever. Smooth cream, and nutmeg. A little bit of floral honey. Fantastic, off the bat! About as smooth as any smoke I’ve had recently. 

Going on, the a first third is dominated by sweet, thick honey and a lovely toasted merengue. Soft baking spices make their way in and out as well. 

Heavy-handed Bavarian cream, with cherries, heading toward the midpoint.

In the second half, those notes of eggy merengue have morphed into an elegant creme brûlée, with lots of dark caramel notes. Some savory quality as well, maybe a little forest floor. Starts to turn slightly bitter. 

The last act of this cigar has more of a cocoa biscuit with sweet orange creme on top. Unfortunately, continuing to turn bitter here and there. After getting past the label, the bitterness recedes, replaced by a little bit of soda or stout, and a hint of leather.

Good smoke, aside from some bitterness that lasted probably five or six minutes. Glad I didn’t put it down, as it ended nicely.

[Capn_Jackson]

@Çnote, something in the cosmos spoke to us, because I grabbed a HdM des Dieux the next day.

I liked it better than the Vigia.

[Çnote]

Dieux speaks and we listen.

[Redgoldband]

Thanks for the updated review! As I recently bought a box of Reyes, after your initial review, I was worried it wasn’t up to snuff but your new post assuages that concern.


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[Çnote]

13 hours ago, Redgoldband said:

Thanks for the updated review! As I recently bought a box of Reyes, after your initial review, I was worried it wasn’t up to snuff but your new post assuages that concern.

Jackson's review reads classic Trinidad. My limited experience with Trinidad is they are either very good or quite meh, but I'd say the same about Cohiba & Bolivar.