Trinidad Colonial (Box Date January 2009)

This is a young cigar that I reviewed with 9 months of age and thought it was excellent then. It now has 14 months and I wanted to check the progression of the smoke to this point. It presents with a tawny brown/blond wrapper and is finished with a curious pigtail cap. There are very few flaws in the wrapper and the construction appears to be acceptable as I detect no areas of concern. The pre light aroma is of cinnamon and spice. The pre light draw shows a note of honey that I find very interesting.

The cigar opens with an excellent profile of cinnamon and honey that has exceptional depth for a cigar of this age. At the back of the palate there are crisp tobacco notes and some light spice flavors that are adding to the depth. The draw is a bit tight to this point, but I expect that from smaller, thinner vitolas. The burn is a but lopsided, but I have no concerns that it will deteriorate into something frustrating.

The first half of the smoke is exceptional. The core profile shows wave after wave of cinnamon and honey flavors, there are some notes of nuts and light earth that are adding dimensions of flavor. At the back of the palate there are notes of tobacco and spice that are keeping the cigar nicely grounded. The draw is still a touch on the tight side, but it is not causing any issues, other than it is less smoke than I usually enjoy. The burn has evened out and the cigar is performing nicely.

The second half of the cigar is not quite as exceptional as the first half. The main profile still shows notes of cinnamon, but there are some tannins that are showing the youth of this particular cigar. At the back of the palate some light grassy notes are present, but there is still a light earthiness that is not offensive. The draw is still tight, but acceptable. The burn has stayed razor sharp in the back half of the cigar.

The finish was marred by tannins, but there were some nice cinnamon notes present.

Appearance- 93 a unique and beautiful cigar
Taste- 88 the back half killed the score, but the front half would have been in the mid 90's
Construction- 91 some minor draw and burn issues as noted
Strength- 92 a fine medium smoke
Overall- 90.5 with more age this will be exceptional