Trinidad Espíritu Series No. 1 Belicoso Review 2024

This is one of Altadis U.S.A.’s best endeavours to date, despite the company’s previous attempts to produce a non-Cuban Trinidad brand.

Numerous releases have occurred over the years. The Trinidad Paradox, Trinidad Lost Blends, and the Trinidad Santiago have been the most current in the last ten years. Despite these releases, Altadis U.S.A. still views Trinidad primarily as a backdrop brand.

With the release of the Trinidad Espiritu line by Altadis U.S.A. in 2019, it would all change. A significant boost to Trinidad Espiritu’s launch came from Altadis U.S.A. right before the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show.

Rafael Nodal of Altadis and A.J. Fernandez of Nicaragua are working together on this project.

The Trinidad Espiritu launch coincides with the company’s 50th anniversary as a Cuban brand. As with many of its other Cuban heritage products, Altadis U.S.A. has collaborated with AJ Fernandez to develop the Trinidad Espiritu.

With a Caribbean motif that honoured Trinidad’s origins in parts of Cuba and the Dominican Republic, the packaging for this Trinidad was given a more modern makeover.

This Belicoso has a second band that says “Series No. 1,” as you can see.

Every series features a unique blend that emphasises a particular cover, but this one is all about Nicaragua. The wrapper is a cross between Fernandez’s Criollo ’98 and Sumatra.

Strong aromas of dried blueberry, fig, raisin and date greet the first puffs. Everything comes together to create a jammy finish reminiscent of a California Cabernet with a meaty, savoury character.

Today I am going to do the Trinidad Espíritu Series No. 1 Belicoso Review for you.

Let’s get started then.

1. Price & rating

Price: $10.71

Rating: 88

2. Offered Sizes & Prices

Robusto (5 x 52) MSRP $9.90

Toro (6 x 52) MSRP $10.15

Magnum (6 x 60) MSRP $10.65

Belicoso (6 1/8 x 52) MSRP $10.40

Fundador (Event Only) (7 1/2 x 40) MSRP $11.00

3. Specifications

4. Trinidad Espíritu Series No. 1 Belicoso Cigar review

The flavours of Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 1 had a lot going on even if it wasn’t extremely complicated.

Halfway through, some sweetness came through to balance the spices, which became mellower as I went through each smoking phase.

Towards the conclusion, the flavour profile took on undertones of charred wood and harshness, with exquisite notes of anise illuminating the aftertaste.

About halfway through the cigar, I found the “sweet spot”—a remarkable degree of harmony between the conflicting intensities of the spices and the delicate creaminess.

The majority of the time, the Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 1’s body and strength smoked at a medium level, although the first third’s depth of flavour was more in line with the medium-full range.

From start to finish, the cigar had a great puff, with a solid ash that hung on in increments of an inch and a quarter and a razor-sharp burn line.

The Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 1 Toro ranked dead centre medium in terms of both strength and physique. Regarding the intensity levels, there wasn’t much variation.

Simultaneously, the strength and body complement each other well, with neither feature overpowering the other.

All things considered, the Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 1 Toro was a respectable cigar with a medium flavour body.

It was not overly complicated, but it did have a seductive honey undertone that I don’t always notice. Up until a small off burn appeared in the latter part of the second third, the slow burn went smoothly with only a slight wave.

I also observed that the ash was loose and frequently fell. If you want a good cigar for any time of day, this is worth five bucks. This receives a 90 from me.

5. Looks & feel

The bright, tropical artwork on the cigar’s packaging, which draws inspiration from the streets and buildings of 1960s Havana, reflects the famously colourful culture of Cuba.

The stick has a smooth, silky feel to it due to a slight oily sheen.

There are some elevated veins in the medium-dark brown leaf wrapper, and they have a little caramel colour.

It surprises me that the cigar, based only on looks, has a somewhat gritty texture as I roll it between my fingers.

But my fingertips are being massaged by a pleasing amount of oils.

The iconic Trinidad insignia is prominently displayed in the main band.

It has a sea blue square with a rich design palette inspired by the Caribbean on either side, marred by gold foil.

The secondary band is branded with the name “Espiritu.” Its top and bottom are surrounded by narrower gold stripes that encircle a large blue stripe. Once more, the borders are given a creatively tropical touch that isn’t garish or excessive.

Still, was the cigar as enjoyable to smoke as it was to look at? Let’s examine the contributions made by the pre-light draw.

6. Flavors

Pre-light

The foot smelled richer, earthier, and more like barnyard scents than the wrapper, which is all about earth, stone fruit, and subdued spices.

After using a straight cut to remove the cap, I inhaled a few long, cold puffs that provided me a tantalising preview of the first flavours and were perfectly restricted.

My lips had a noticeable spiciness, coupled with hints of sweet leather and mild pepper.

First third

My cigar felt the heat and then, instantly, thick, creamy smoke pulped the air. After a few puffs, the Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 1’s strong red pepper spice level subsided to a medium level.

Afterwards, some nut and earth notes were added to the pleasant barnyard scents I had initially detected from the wrapper.

Second third

As I progressed into the second third, a hint of sweetness was added to the flavour profile by the appearance of some dry fruit notes and thick, heavy cedar.

The retrohale also had a naturally occurring drip of creamy vanilla.

Still, there was a strong emphasis on spices in this cigar; the addition of a light baking spice and the pepper spice offered an intriguing contrast for both light and heavy smokers.

Final third

In the last third, I’m still sensing some spiciness, but the pepper is mostly subdued by earthy, seasoned wood notes, and citrus zest undertones.

Half an inch in, spicy paprika glazes the smoke as it exits my nose, and a little char and bitterness enter the profile.

There was more than enough flavour diversity towards the end to hold my interest, even though it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the first and second thirds.

7. Ash & burn

The Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 1 Toro’s burn line included a few jagged spots.

This was a cigar that needed some touch-ups along the way, even though the burn line was straight. It produced light grey ash.

There was some slight flaking along the way, and the ash wasn’t very hard. The Espiritu Series No. 1 continued to burn at the perfect temperature and rate in the meantime.

The Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 1 Toro’s draw was quite successful. This cigar was perfect for puffing and enjoying because it had a wonderful balance of resistance and openness.

Final puff

Personally, I was thrilled to see Altadis U.S.A. show some love for the Trinidad brand, and I appreciate the approach Altadis U.S.A. adopted with the Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 1. My experience with the Toro size can be classified as a “tale of two cigars.”

There is a subtle combination of spices and semi-sweetness in the Espiritu Series No. 1. Although it has given a traditional Cuban cigar brand a more modern appearance, aficionados will still find enough vintage in the blend.

The cigar had a lot of potential in the beginning, but as the bitterness became more noticeable in the second half, it detracted from the overall enjoyment of the smoke.

Even though I would still say that overall, this was a more favourable than negative experience, I would recommend trying a sample of this cigar rather than buying one because of its price of about $10.00.

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