Years ago, I reviewed the Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 1, first in a line of cigars developed by AJ Fernandez and Rafael Nodal to breathe new life into the venerable old Trinidad brand name. I remember liking it…definitely enough to look for the follow-ups…but I ended up not seeing them for a very long time. I finally got my hands on numbers 2 and 3, so I decided to take a look at those.
Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 2 is characterized by a Brazilian Arapiraca Maduro wrapper leaf which overlays a Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Brazil and Nicaragua. The color is a beautiful dark brown with lots of light-catching oiliness. The wrapper had aromas of anise, earth, and espresso bean, while the foot was earthy with secondary notes of cocoa powder, cedar, and espresso bean. The cold draw had some dry spiciness and mild cocoa sweetness.
Once lit up I got a very nice dark chocolate and dried fruit sweetness, roasted nuts, cedar, and earth. Pepper spice started building on the finish almost immediately leaving a lingering heat. The retrohale had a sharper pepper hit, followed by lasting nuttiness. Some people believe that the darker a cigar the more full-bodied it will be, but this is one of those that proves the notion wrong. Despite a dark wrapper and complex flavor, the body proved to be more of a medium-to-full, making it easy to enjoy on a warm, humid afternoon.
It’s been a while since I had the Series No. 1, but I can firmly say that the Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 2 is more in my wheelhouse and definitely a cigar that I would like to revisit on a regular basis.
