My Weekend Cigar: May 28, 2018 – Trinidad Esteli by Plasencia Toro

MY WEEKEND CIGAR: Trinidad Esteli Cigar Review

By Gary Korb

A Cigar that Cubans Would Love, but Would Never Admit It

This time out, I thought I’d go with a cigar that has the three key ingredients you want in a quality primo – great construction, tons of flavor, and reasonable price. Banded with an iconic Cuban cigar name, the cigar was blended and handcrafted by the iconic Plasencia family in Estelí, Nicaragua. Yes, it’s the Trinidad Estelí by Plasencia Toro.

TRINIDAD ESTELI BY PLASENCIA TORO

Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Size: 6″ x 50
Strength: Med – Full
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Jalapa Habano (vintage 2010)
Filler: Nicaraguan Jalapa Habano Seco and Viso, Ometepe Habano, plus Condega Habano Ligero (all vintage 2008)
Binder: Nicaraguan Jalapa Habano (vintage 2009)

My Experience: Fortunately, the weather cooperated on this particular Memorial Day Weekend day. Unlike many of the cigars featured in this series, the Trinidad Esteli Toro was still pretty fresh in my mind since it was recently reviewed on video by the Cigar Advisor Review Panel. The cigar gleams with opulence, especially when the sunlight hits that vintage Jalapa Habano wrapper.

This relaxing adventure began with a little earthiness as notes of cedar and sweet spice led the way. Velvety smoke ensued issuing well-balanced flavors of cedar and sweet spice mostly through the first act followed by tangy notes of dried fruit. Moreover, because I was smoking it outside, the floral aroma was much more evocative. Further down the line, other flavors such as coffee bean, caramel, and nutmeg poked their noses in.

Entering the last act, the smoke took on more depth, while the base notes of cedar and sweet spice continued to carry the weight. The body was closer to full, and at this point I began to let the cigar rest longer between puffs, which concluded with a one-inch nub.

Suffice it to say. . . having had several Trinidad Esteli by Plasencia cigars prior to this weekend’s edition, I’m really impressed by the consistency of this cigar. By creating a cigar that’s creamy, full-flavored, perfectly balanced, and affordable, Plasencia has not only displayed their gift for blending premium cigars, they’ve done justice to the Trinidad brand, and there’s something to be said for that. Finally, there is no cigar smoker, regardless of their experience, that I would preclude from smoking this cigar. Sometimes the term, “must smoke cigar” sounds a bit overhyped, but the Trinidad Esteli by Plasencia Toro really is.

If you’ve had an experience with this cigar, please share it by leaving a comment.