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CP Newbie Review of the Trinidad Vigia (AEM OCT14)

zeemanb

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2015
Messages
1,341
My first experiences with Trinidads date back to the late 90’s when I’d buy Fundadores for $20 each (cash only) at a lower Manhattan cigar shop. The owner had an old school bank safe in the back where he housed about fifty or so boxes of Cubans, and the rule was…$20 apiece for whatever you picked. He was well vetted by some friends, so I never worried about authenticity, and if I was going to drop that much per stick then I was no dummy….Fundadores are what I’d stock up on. Great smokes, from floral to a deep salted caramel….haven’t had Trinis like that in a very long time. For the money, I'm too paranoid to spend that much on a box unless they come very highly recommended. I’m aging some Reyes that have great promise, but I haven’t smoked any Fundadores in years. Never got any of the various special edition robustos, Ingenios, etc., but when I saw these Vigias were on sale I figured…hey, brave new world, I’ll try the 4 1/3 x 54 ring gauge freaks of nature because I wonder how these fat little sticks taste compared to everything else.

Initial Impressions


Overall, nice looking chocolatey wrapper with no visible issues and a little more give to it when squeezed than I was expecting. It’s a very light cigar in the hand for being such a fireplug. These have the cutest little fantail cap in the world. Clipped clean with my Xikar scissors and the prelit draw is pretty loose…not worrisome other than the fact I’m guessing I’ll have to take it slow to keep it from heating up unless it tightens up a bit. The flavor is pretty much just sweet tobacco.

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First Third

Out of the chute I’m getting some nice floral notes with serious spice in the nostrils. Not an ammonia blast that makes me wince, but not black pepper either. LOTS of smoke, draw is still loose. This will burn pretty quickly, so I’m not going to rush it. About five or six puffs in that onslaught of nasal clearing whatever it was has subsided, and there is a sugar sweetness on my lips and tongue.

I’m drinking water, so maybe the roller was eating a cookie or something (that’s something I wonder about a lot…flavors making it into a review that were actually from a roller’s lunch break). The burn isn’t bad but also not perfect, some minor touchups have been needed. Ok, enough screwing around, this is turning into an actual cigar smoking experience…I’d be more giddy if the draw wasn’t so friggin’ loose. The floral notes have deepened considerably, and the finish has qualities of a sweet baked good. Nothing much more complex than those two things, but those flavors are very harmonious. Body and strength-wise it’s in the wheelhouse of solid medium.

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Second Third

The ash is very flaky and it’s windy out, so I’m not going for any records here and ash it pretty often. With the larger RG, I’m expecting more flavors to show up, but the dominant profile is still pretty floral…not sure what I should be expecting since it’s fat but also very short. There is far less sweetness in the finish now; it’s lingering longer on the palate with more of what I call a “chicory” herbal component. More touchups are needed…some of this could be my fault due to my impatience and not letting them rest long enough after their journey. I’m getting very redundant with the floral thing, but it is NOT letting up in that department.

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Final Third

Okay, a development beyond the first blossoms of spring…the nose and the finish are giving off hints of what I think of as a very “Trinidad” earthy caramel note. That is based on not a ton of experience and lasting sense memory. The draw has remained loose and it continues to churn out Liga Privada levels of smoke. The strength and body are hitting the higher end of medium. As I get toward the end, the floral notes bounce in and out with more of that vegetal/chicory flavor and the finish continues hinting at caramel deliciousness that makes me wish it was a 6x54 smoke instead.

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Final Thoughts

Are they a good value? I’m not sorry I bought them, it will be interesting to see how they age…and there is plenty of flavor and body there for them to hang around in the humidor for a good long time. I could have gotten a box of ECCJ’s for a little less money, or a box of BBF’s for another twenty, but I like them enough to not second guess myself too much. If they smoked a little slower with a tighter draw it would make a world of difference, because with time I can see the flavors marrying very, very well.

Scoring

Appearance & Construction: 12/15
Smoking Characteristics: 21/25
Flavor Characteristics: 22/25
Overall Experience: 29/35

Total: 84
 
Really enjoyed the review, thanks. This cigar has been on my short list for awhile.
 
Good writup Jerry. Whenever I get a new stick ( usually at least a fiver ) I have to try it before UPS clears the street, so I understand the impatience thing. Sounds like it has excellent possibilities for the future.
 
I'll try another one in a month or so and then let them sleep for a good while. Compared to pretty much all of the fresh and larger RG Cubans I've smoked recently these stand out as "which one of these is not like the others" big time. Total black sheep of the family material, lots of promise.
 
Nice review. I've been tempted by these but the fat ring guage has been what's keeping me away. This is the first review of them that is making me think I may have to consider picking a few up to give a try.
 
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