Today's study smoke was the Reyes, one of the top flight Habana marques made today, Trinidad. The accompaniments were homemade pumpkin bread and bottled water. Taking advantage of some unseasonably warm weather, I retired to my garage lounge for some writing and smoking.
The Trinidad Reyes is the only production Habana in the "Reyes" vitola de galera. Measuring 4.375" x 40 rg, it is just a hair thinner than popular "Minutos" such as Bolivar Coronas Junior (BoliCJ or BCJ), Partagas Shorts and Ramon Allones Small Club Corona (RSCC). It is also just a smidge longer than "Franciscanos" such as the Partagas and Romeo & Julieta Tres Petit Coronas. The net result is a cigar with compact but elegant proportions. And with the little pigtail on the cap, it's just about the cutest little cigar I've ever seen.
Prelight and Initial Stage
This was a well constructed stick. The wrapper was a silky though not particularly oily EMS-colorado claro, light to medium brown and very uniform with fine veins. The cap was perfectly laid and the pigtail was delicately twisted. Prelight aroma was delicate and gave no hint of the fireworks to come. Packing of the bunch was spot on being neither too firm nor too soft. A quick slice with my blade and the game was afoot.
Light-up was easy and a few puffs later, the cigar was burning nicely. The first thing I noticed was the huge volume of rich, mouth-filling smoke from such a tiny stick. Very impressive. Then pow! I was suddenly accosted by crisp peppery notes that grabbed me by the eyeballs. The spicy and stimulating piquancy persisted for exactly the first half inch then rapidly subsided, revealing a delicate but wonderfully creamy sensation. Dropping back to a medium strength, layers of tasty bean and floral notes came to the fore. Smoke volume remained amazingly robust.
The ash was a stiff medium gray and the burn tended to run on one side, but it was nothing a few dabs couldn't take care of. Wow, just such an amazing transition in flavors all the while supported by a soothing richness and creaminess. Delightful!
Finish and Final Impressions
The first ashing came at the midpoint of the stick and revealed a very slight coning. The flavor stayed true, maintaining an aromatic and richly floral character. At this point, I could no longer concentrate on my work as this little wonder was just too engrossing. At about the last third, the cigar took another turn. The body thickened and flavors evolved toward nuts and earth with a lush woodiness. The strength also revved up again, stirring me from my bliss. That such complexity and development could be had in a cigar this small was simply astounding.
At the 60 minute mark! The Reyes remained poised, delivering ever deepening flavor and power without the slightest hint of harshness. Truly a testament to the stellar quality of the tobacco, the blending and the rollers. The draw, as it was from the very beginning, was perfect providing just the right measure of resistance. The aroma also remained light to medium and very pleasant, just like the aftertaste.
Finally, at the 70-minute mark, I simply could not hold onto it because my fingers started to burn. And so with great reluctance and even greater satisfaction, I put this cigar down. A testament to just how mesmerized I was with this little wonder is that there is no intermediate "long ash" shot. I just couldn't bear to put it down.
In summation: Though the Reyes is a small cigar, its size belies the utter excellence of almost every aspect of the experience. While one may be tempted to think it could be casually smoked in 30 minutes, I'd disagree by saying that it has so much to offer and is so involving that it merits attention and devotion commensurate with its magnificent qualities. About the same size as the ever-popular Party Shorts, it delivers a smoking experience that is simply a level beyond. It earns my highest possible recommendation.
(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...inidadreyes.jpg)
Wilkey
The Trinidad Reyes is the only production Habana in the "Reyes" vitola de galera. Measuring 4.375" x 40 rg, it is just a hair thinner than popular "Minutos" such as Bolivar Coronas Junior (BoliCJ or BCJ), Partagas Shorts and Ramon Allones Small Club Corona (RSCC). It is also just a smidge longer than "Franciscanos" such as the Partagas and Romeo & Julieta Tres Petit Coronas. The net result is a cigar with compact but elegant proportions. And with the little pigtail on the cap, it's just about the cutest little cigar I've ever seen.
Prelight and Initial Stage
This was a well constructed stick. The wrapper was a silky though not particularly oily EMS-colorado claro, light to medium brown and very uniform with fine veins. The cap was perfectly laid and the pigtail was delicately twisted. Prelight aroma was delicate and gave no hint of the fireworks to come. Packing of the bunch was spot on being neither too firm nor too soft. A quick slice with my blade and the game was afoot.
Light-up was easy and a few puffs later, the cigar was burning nicely. The first thing I noticed was the huge volume of rich, mouth-filling smoke from such a tiny stick. Very impressive. Then pow! I was suddenly accosted by crisp peppery notes that grabbed me by the eyeballs. The spicy and stimulating piquancy persisted for exactly the first half inch then rapidly subsided, revealing a delicate but wonderfully creamy sensation. Dropping back to a medium strength, layers of tasty bean and floral notes came to the fore. Smoke volume remained amazingly robust.
The ash was a stiff medium gray and the burn tended to run on one side, but it was nothing a few dabs couldn't take care of. Wow, just such an amazing transition in flavors all the while supported by a soothing richness and creaminess. Delightful!
Finish and Final Impressions
The first ashing came at the midpoint of the stick and revealed a very slight coning. The flavor stayed true, maintaining an aromatic and richly floral character. At this point, I could no longer concentrate on my work as this little wonder was just too engrossing. At about the last third, the cigar took another turn. The body thickened and flavors evolved toward nuts and earth with a lush woodiness. The strength also revved up again, stirring me from my bliss. That such complexity and development could be had in a cigar this small was simply astounding.
At the 60 minute mark! The Reyes remained poised, delivering ever deepening flavor and power without the slightest hint of harshness. Truly a testament to the stellar quality of the tobacco, the blending and the rollers. The draw, as it was from the very beginning, was perfect providing just the right measure of resistance. The aroma also remained light to medium and very pleasant, just like the aftertaste.
Finally, at the 70-minute mark, I simply could not hold onto it because my fingers started to burn. And so with great reluctance and even greater satisfaction, I put this cigar down. A testament to just how mesmerized I was with this little wonder is that there is no intermediate "long ash" shot. I just couldn't bear to put it down.
In summation: Though the Reyes is a small cigar, its size belies the utter excellence of almost every aspect of the experience. While one may be tempted to think it could be casually smoked in 30 minutes, I'd disagree by saying that it has so much to offer and is so involving that it merits attention and devotion commensurate with its magnificent qualities. About the same size as the ever-popular Party Shorts, it delivers a smoking experience that is simply a level beyond. It earns my highest possible recommendation.
(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...inidadreyes.jpg)
Wilkey
