There are 2 brands of Cuban cigars which hold the honour of having been created to showcase the best of Havana to visiting dignitaries. The first is, of course, Cohiba: selected as Fidel’s personal blend and only leaving the island when given as gifts to people deemed worthy by the man himself. The second is Trinidad – originally intended for those only granted an audience with second-tier officials, never given by Fidel himself, but rolled in the same exquisite Laguito No. 1 as his beloved Cohiba Lanceros. In 1998 the Fundadores was released to the general public, in 2003 it was joined by the Reyes and Coloniales, and in 2019 the regular production line expanded to include three new, thicker vitolas, including the Trinidad Media Luna.
Trinidad had previously been known for slender ring gauge cigars, but the popularity of occasional special releases showcasing the brand’s blend in a larger format led Habanos SA to offer aficionados the choice as often as they liked. The Media Luna is a petit robusto – measuring 50 ring gauge by 4 ½ inches, it will smoke for around 40 minutes.
The famous logo of Trinidad adorns the Media Luna
Construction: 9/10
- The wrapper of the Media Luna was smooth and silky, and the body felt equally filled all the way along. The signature pigtail cap was elegantly twisted.
Draw: 10/10
- From first moment to last, this cigar drew perfectly. With every gentle puff, generous amounts of smoke flowed effortlessly through the stick.
Combustion: 9/10
- There was one moment in the middle third when a slight side-burn looked to begin, but the cigar soon righted itself with no interference from me.
The ash on the Media Luna was a lovely light shade, and clung firmly.
Ash: 4/5
- A lovely light grey colour and, although the first inch of the cigar was a touch flaky, fairly firm.
Smoke: 5/5
- Plentiful, fragrant, flavourful and a gorgeous steely-blue colour as it wisped around me while I smoked.
Flavour: 20/25
- Trinidad are billed as medium-bodied, and this cigar was exactly that. The flavours took a while to warm up but, once they did, were very enjoyable.
Overall: 31/35
- Before this review I was not overly familiar with the new, larger format Trinidad cigars. I have been a fan of the Reyes for a while, however, and the Fundadores ranks in my all-time top 10 smokes. This new expression of the blend was a highly enjoyable accompaniment to an afternoon coffee.
The new, thicker formats are a fine way to enjoy the Trinidad flavours
Final Score: 88/100
- The beginning of this cigar was light, fresh and with notes of nature – earth, grass and hay mingled from the outset. Initially, the smoke gave a dry mouthfeel, but this soon gave way to a delicate hint of cream. These notes faded as the cigar progressed, with the hay giving way to more pronounced flavours of leather, and a touch of cinnamon and pepper beginning to spice the tip of the tongue. This development into warmer tastes continued, and by the final third the cigar offered rich flavours of dark black coffee, joined at the end of each puff by a strong black pepper heat. This thicker format is certainly a different experience from the slender Trinidad I smoke more regularly, but an enjoyable one nonetheless.