Cohiba Lanceros vs Trinidad Fundadores - Which do you like better

[comptalk]

A few of my cigar buddies have been talking about the  "legendary" Cohiba Lanceros and Trinidad Fundadores.  I see they are ridiculously expensive.  For the select few that have tried them, which do you like more, and what flavor notes did you experience?

Just curious.  

[Mike Mecklenburg]

Tie

[Chibearsv]

I’ve only had a couple young Lanceros and maybe 3 boxes of Fundis so not a fair comparison. The Fundis have been wonderful. 

[Ford2112]

They both are equal to each other when on. Different profiles. If you can try a few aged examples you will get a sense of each one. I think I prefer the Fundies.

[Lucas Buck]

Lanceros by a wide margin and I love Fundys. Cohiba just hits my palate square. 

[X-Man]

IMHO, both age well. However, I think Fundadores smoke quite nicely already with only 3-5 years on them. The Lanceros on the other hand, needs 8-10 years to develop its full potential. Plus, one needs to have the patience to truly enjoy these thin rg cigars.

[Puros Y Vino]

Tough call. It's like choosing between your right or left arm. your mother or father, etc. I have CoLa's from as far back as 2002 and Fundies from 1998 to 2011.  Both are very different beasts. The Fundy is more mild medium bodied, focused on honey sweetness, "breadiness" and baking spice. The CoLa's fit more in the medium/bold realm and can range from honey sweetness, grassy and hit you up with some nice, bold, leathery tasting notes. Both are complex in different ways. It's too bad the 5ct Petacas of both have been discontinued for 10+ years now.  A full box of either is a costlier investment. If you can buy a couple of singles each to sample, from the same year, go for it. Just let them rest if they're really recent. As for me, give the CoLa the slightest edge over the Fundy. They're really great to nurse over the years. The added "strength" gives them a bit more legs to age.

[cigaraholic]

When the sun is up,  I’ll take a Lanceros, when is not the Fundy. Of course you have to tell me what we’re drinking after dinner.

[JohnS]

Cohiba Lanceros have been.more consistent for me than Trinidad Fundadores of late. Which is a shame, as the Trinidad Fundadores is a great cigar when 'on'.

[pohlmad]

Lanceros by a wide margin.

[LaoFan]

I love 'em both. Probably have better life moments tied to Fundies, but if they've both got 10 years on 'em, I'm taking the CoLa.

[gormag38]

CoLa for me. I've had better luck with the fundies in terms of construction honestly but the CoLas that I've had that were constructed well are just too tough to beat in my book.  

[joeypots]

COLA for me. I haven't had too many Fundadores. And, MC Especial doesn't suck. Just sayin'.

[Fugu]

Love them both, while I do perceive them as quite different cigars. With its 40 rg, the Laguito Especial is for a more laidback smoking, while I find the Lanceros tends to be asking for more attention and focus. Quite often this true skinny is feeling even more slender than it actually is. Tastewise, Fundy is all clove and vanilla for me, some tarragon and sage even, with shortbread/croissant transitioning to bready-dark cocoa notes and tropical wood. Silky-smooth smoke, with a certain creaminess in the best examples (that’s how it should be - not always achieved). While the typical Lanceros resembles the best of the marca’s core in a more concentrated (sharp-focussed) form with a great evolution. Going from vanilla, grassy/hay-ish green tea and honey notes to dark roasted coffee bean, spicy notes and toasted tobacco. Often a step fuller and with more oomph than the Fundadores.

Both emblematic cigars of their respective brands. Pricing is a joke these days, and you often find better value in certain Regionals of those same formats. But both I’d still consider to be -  if not must-haves - at least must-tries.

[BrightonCorgi]

I had typed a response the other day that somehow did not show up. 

If I had to pick, I'd go with the Fundadores just because I like the thicker ring gauge over the Lanceros. I would agree with @Fugu on both.  

[loose_axle]

On 10/20/2025 at 3:49 PM, JohnS said:

Cohiba Lanceros have been.more consistent for me than Trinidad Fundadores of late. Which is a shame, as the Trinidsd Fundadores is a great cigar when 'on'.

Oddly I'm exactly the other way around. Having said that I've had TFs young and old but only very young CoLa's. 

[jfestrelabr]

COLA

[comptalk]

Guess we have a lot of love for the Funddy dutties. 🤣

[Tstew75]

CoLa Forever

[MrBirdman]

Lanceros, if only because its flavor profile is so distinct in the world of skinnies (including NC). Other cigars sit in the Trini profile, just not with the elegance of a Fundy. Both play their flavor cards with unparalleled refinement when at their best.

In my experience prior to 2020, CoLa were more consistent than Fundies. That gap has narrowed since then, though I haven’t bought either cigar since 2022/23, as neither is worth the absurd premium demanded. 

Nevertheless, a well-made CoLa is the pinnacle of Cuban cigar-making, so if you’re a lover of CC, it’s probably worth ponying up for a stick. 

[Cestis4]

Depends on what I ate for dinner and what I’m planning on drinking afterwards. I enjoy both, but I don't have any CoLas older than 2020, whereas I have Fundies going back to 2011.  

[qs210]

On 10/20/2025 at 11:59 AM, X-Man said:

IMHO, both age well. However, I think Fundadores smoke quite nicely already with only 3-5 years on them. The Lanceros on the other hand, needs 8-10 years to develop its full potential. Plus, one needs to have the patience to truly enjoy these thin rg cigars.

Nailed it on the head.

[FOHgetaboutit]

Two of my dream sticks…one day!