Shonky review: Trinidad Reyes STL AGO 06

[zuma]

Another cigar from a Czar sampler: Trinidad Reyes STL AGO 06...

Perfect construction yet a tad firm to touch, with a sweet cedary smell at cold, a beautiful tawny wrapper that tended to colorado in complexion. After gently cuban-like clipping its head with the aid of my guillotine, I found a slightly firm draw, a sweet hay flavour on the lips with an almost flowery scent.

While firing it, it unravelled a delicious cocoa scent which was again evident in the opening draws... the predominant slightly-sweet cocoa flavour was enveloped with espresso tones and hints of grassiness reminiscent of cohiba siglo 3... smooth... smooth... with a slight spice on the nose which I could not identify not pepper not cloves. Though it had my head buzzing with its nicotine content, this was not a harsh cigar but refined and full of changing flavour notes: sweet hay/flowers/fresh mushrooms/fresh almonds yet the core flavours retained an earthy cocoa character till past the midpoint mark... it had me taking in the rising wisps of smoke from its brazier which had almost the smell of orange blooms. It burned like charmed: razor sharp straight burning edge, with striated light grey/whitish ash which did not fall until only a bit less than an inch was left... there was a marked change in its core flavour near the last third, where it completely lost its slight grassiness and took a sweet espresso taste with a leathery tone on the lips. Needless to say, I went all the way until I singed my lips.

This was the best cigar that I have had this year... overwhelmingly complex and providing nearly 45 mins of unrivalled smoking pleasure... while writing this I have been savouring its long sweet leathery finish.

I must thank the Taino gods that inhabit this forum, for its is here that I have been introduced to the marca... can this cigar get any better after such a short time since productions? I still have two left... (this was a set of four, the first one that I smoked was just slighly less complex with a stronger cocoa profile which could have overwhelmed the host of other flavours that I found in this one). I must admit that many other intonations in this cigar escaped my untrained palate...

[Moglman]

Thanks for the great review Zuma. Now you have me thinking. I was pondering what to smoke. A Reyes from a MAR 05 box might be it.

[Cam]

Nice review mate, I'd have to agree with you on the construction!!

excellent attempt

[zuma]

Dang! I forgot to add a disclamer to the review... particularly because it differs considerably from Rob's review of a trini reyes with OTB JUN 06 box code (which I did read before smoking the cigar...).

I took one of my favourite reads to the front porch with an light unsweetened black Russian tea (my bud cleanser of choice), it was again a midnight smoke (the kids asleep... no possibility of interruption)... the night was just perfectly still... no breeze just a gentle chill in the air that required me to wear a light jumper. Once I lit the stick, I forgot about the book...

I accept that given my lack of track record in this area, I could have been imagining things... But to me, if a cigar makes me imagine delicate and delicious flavours, that is my definition of a "dream smoke"... cigars like this are the reason why I am hooked on habanos...