Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the rectangle pressed Trinidad Espiritu No. 3 Toro is dark brown, with some thick but well pressed veins and a fine grit sandpaper feel. The seams are slightly raised and the caps are decently applied. There are two bands, with the primary carrying the company logo and having a red, white, green and yellow colored design on the sides. The secondary band denotes the line and series along with the same colorful design. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of dark earth, bakers chocolate and light smokiness, while the foot brings stewed fruit and cedar. The pre-light draw is quite complex, with floral notes, cedar, dark earth and light anise along with a mild spiciness on my lips.

First Third

The cigar begins with toasted cedar, dark earth and a very bold and slightly sharp black pepper. At a quarter inch in, the black pepper loses the sharpness, but it is absolutely full bore. At three quarters of an inch in, the black pepper mellows a bit. The retrohale is an even mix of toasted cedar, earth and black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, a light cocoa powder becomes present. At an inch and a half in, the black pepper mellows a bit more. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is just ahead of the earth, while the black pepper continues to mellow and is in the middle along with light cocoa powder in the background. The strength has settled in at slightly above medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the toasted cedar and earth are now even up front. At a half inch in, the earth takes a slight lead. The retrohale is now earth, toasted cedar and some black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the earth is slightly ahead of the toasted cedar, with black pepper in the middle and cocoa powder just behind. The strength remained at slightly above medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the toast level becomes pretty heavy and a bit dry while the black pepper mellows a bit more. At three quarters of an inch in, the earth increases its lead in the profile. The retrohale is now earth and toasted cedar with light black pepper. At an inch in, some wood bitterness joins the profile. As the cigar warps up, the earth is up front with the heavily toasted cedar a fair bit behind, black pepper and wood bitterness in the middle and light cocoa powder in the background. The strength remained at slightly above medium.

Burn

The burn line was straight throughout and the ash held on in inch and a half increments.

Draw

The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The cigar began with toasted cedar, dark earth and a very bold and slightly sharp black pepper. Some light cocoa powder joined a bit later. The second third saw the earth take a slight lead in the profile and the black pepper mellowing. The final third saw the toast level become heavy and some wood bitterness join in. The construction was absolutely perfect. The Trinidad Espiritu No. 3 Toro started with melt your face off black pepper, but mellowed through the first third and was pretty average through the first two thirds. The final third took a step down as the toasted cedar became heavy and some wood bitterness joined in. Not a cigar I’d likely come back to as the flavor profile didn’t show much balance or excitement.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.40

Cost/Point

$2.24

Scoring System

Personal Cigar Review: Trinidad Espiritu No. 3 Toro