moki
el Presidente
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2003
- Messages
- 9,418
Cuban vs. Domestic. Coke vs. Pepsi. Ford vs. Chevy. Spit vs. Swallow. These debates rage on end with intensity. I regard all of these issues as personal preference, but for fun, I decided to pick two cigars in size and vintage that I hadn't had before, one domestic, one Cuban.
The cigars in question are:
Domestic: Arturo Fuente Añejo Reserva No. 50 (2002, 5 1/4 x 50)
Cuban: Trinidad Fundadores (1998, 7 5/8 x 49)
Today was the first day in Rochester, NY that it's been warm enough to sit outside on my porch, so I took full advantage of it, bringing out these two wonderful cigars, wireless Internet, as well as a little glass of vintage 1999 Junmai Gaiginjo Gekkakow sake to pair them with. First up was the Trinidad.
The Trinidad Fundadores is a long vitola with a pigtail cap, with a light golden brown veiny wrapper, and a girth that seems thinner than the purported 49 ring gauge. Upon cutting it, unfortunately the wrapper near the cut cracked a bit, but it shouldn't make a difference in the taste of the cigar. Odd, though, because it was stored for quite some time in optimal conditions.
The Trinidad burnt straight and true, producing a greyish ash with occasional spots of darker color, though the cracked wrapper was slightly annoying.
This cigar has what I could call classical Cuban cigar flavor -- the unique flavor that you taste just after exhaling the smoke, that leathery semi-spicy twang that lets you know you're smoking Communist tobacco. I'd characterize the flavor as medium-bodied, pleasant, enjoyable -- but relatively unremarkable.
It's a good tasting cigar, but it is similar in profile to many other Cuban cigars, to the point where it might as well be generic Cuban cigar #52. Still, that did not detract from my enjoyment of this cigar at all: it's fortunate that "generic Cuban cigar" is a good taste. It paired well with the sake, never got harsh, and had consistent leathery and mildly spicy notes throughout the cigar. I didn't detect any other remarkable flavors.
All in all, a solid Cuban cigar.
After a brief rest, next up is the Añejo robusto. These cigars are claimed to have the same filler and binder as Opus X cigars, but with Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrappers, aged in cognac barrels. The filler and binder may be the same as is used in Opus X cigars, but these are not Opus X Maduro cigars, nor is the taste profile similar to Opus X cigars.
This Añejo robusto comes with a cedar wrapping with a red foot band; sliding it aside reveals a boldly veiny chocolate-black wrapper with areas of brown that look like worn leather.
Sparking it up, I'm immediately stuck by the contrasts between this cigar and the Trinidad Fundadores: it has sweeter overtones, and it is also significantly stronger. It's a deep, rich, cocoa/chocolate flavor that's quite delicious, but lacks the interesting post-exhale nose that the Trinidad (and most Cubans) have.
The Añejo burned straight and true as well, with an ash that's pure white color contrasted with the dark maduro wrapper in a pleasing manner.
The Añejo is strong enough that it leaves is milky, tingling sensation in my mouth after exhaling -- with a flavor like roasted coffee beans, dark chocolate, and leaving a pleasant sweet aftertaste.
These are both really nice cigars. From my photography training, one thing I'm acutely aware of is that most of our senses work best by comparison: if you try to tell the color cast of a photo, it isn't that easy -- you need to compare it with a color-shifted version to be able to tell the difference.
So it is with taste. Ask someone to drink a Coke, then a week later, drink a Pepsi and describe the flavor differences, they'll be unlikely to be able to do it. So I actually puffed these two cigars side by side, after giving each cigar 20-30 minutes of smoking on its own.
If you just have to have that trademark Cuban flavor, the Trinidad would get the nod; it's nice moderate leathery taste is a winner, though not as nice as some other Cubans I prefer (RASS, BBF, etc.). For my palate, though, the Añejo has more character, depth, and flavor, and would be the cigar I'd pick first, if I had the choice. Really though, I don't think you can go wrong with either of these cigars.
As a side note, the sake upstaged both cigars. This is one incredibly tasty sake: milky, sweet, with hints of cherries... yum!
