Today, we analyze the Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 3 in the Toro size by Altadis USA. Back in 2019, the Trinidad brand celebrated its 50th anniversary. Trinidad is a brand that traces its roots back to Cuba. Altadis USA has owned the Trinidad brand in the U.S. for quite some time. For a while, the brand was almost dormant in the Altadis portfolio. That changed in 2019 when, coinciding with Trinidad’s 50th anniversary, the company launched the Trinidad Espiritu Series. This would take a whole new spin on the Trinidad brand and essentially bring the brand back to life in the Altadis portfolio.

Currently, there are three Trinidad Espiritu releases, with the Espiritu No. 3 being the latest one. Each installment pays homage to a different Latin American region—that also happens to be a cigar-producing region. Each installment features vibrant packaging reflecting that region.

• Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 1 – Caribbean Region
• Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 2 – Brazil
• Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 3 – Mexico

The timing of the release of the Espiritu Series No. 3 was meant to coincide with the 2023 celebration of Dia de los Muertos, a Mexican holiday known as Day of the Dead. This holiday honors the dead and takes place at the end of October.

Let’s break down the Trinidad Espiritu Series No 3 Toro without further ado and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Trinidad Espiritu No 3 Toro by Altadis USA – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

Keeping to the release’s theme, the Espiritu Series No. 3 features a Mexican wrapper from the San Andres region. The Trinidad Espiritu No. 3 uses all Nicaraguan tobaccos for the remainder of the blend. Production comes from AJ Fernandez’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Wrapper: San Andres (Mexico)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
County of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.

Vitolas Offered

Trinidad Espiritu No. 3 is a regular production offering in five sizes, presented in 20-count boxes.

Robusto: 50 x 5
Toro: 54 x 6
Magnum: 60 x 6
Belicoso: 52 x 6 1/8
Fundador: 40 x 7 1/2

Appearance (*)

The San Andres wrapper of the Espiritu Series No. 3 Toro was dark brown, reminiscent of a chocolate bar. There was a light sheen of oil on the surface. Upon closer examination, some toothiness was present on the wrapper. In general, this was a smooth wrapper with no visible veins and visible wrapper seams on the thin side. The box-press has sharper edges as opposed to the slightly rounded Cuban soft-press style.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

A straight cut removed the cigar cap before lighting up the Espiritu Series No 3 Toro. After removing the cap, it was on to the pre-light draw experience. The cold draw delivered a mix of chocolate and cedar notes. While this was a simple flavor profile for the pre-light draw, the flavors were outstanding. The chocolate notes had a “tobacco taste” to them, making this an excellent pre-light draw. At this point, it was time to toast up the footer of the Espiritu Series No 3 Toro and see what the smoking phase would deliver.

Tasting Notes

The Espiritu Series No. 3 Toro opened with notes of chocolate, coffee, fruit, and white pepper. Many times, when I detect notes of chocolate and coffee, I get a fusion with them that I call mocha. In the case of the Espiritu Series No. 3 Toro, these notes were separate and distinct. Early on, the chocolate notes became primary. The coffee, fruit, and pepper notes were secondary. On the retro-hale, I got notes of the black pepper varietal.

The flavors got a little more intense in the second third of the Espiritu Series No. 3 Toro. The chocolate notes retained their richness and remained grounded in the forefront. The coffee notes slightly increased, as did the pepper on the tongue and retro-hale.

The final third saw the coffee notes join the chocolate in the forefront, but the notes remained separate and distinct. The pepper notes were the most prominent of the two secondary notes, but they didn’t cross the threshold to become a primary note. In the more distant background, some fruit sweetness rounded things off. This is how the Espiritu Series No. 3 Toro came to a close. The resulting nub was soft to the touch and slightly lukewarm at the very end.

Burn

When it came to burning, there was a slight amount of meandering on the burn path and a slight amount of waving on the burn line. While this was remedied with touch-ups, there were more than I preferred. The resulting ash was slightly loose. This was a light silver-gray ash prone to slight flaking. The burn rate was ideal. On each sample, the burn temperature remained ideal until the final puffs, when it became lukewarm.

Draw

The draw to the Espiritu Series No. 3 Toro was on the open side. I usually prefer a slight amount of resistance on the draw. The draw didn’t cause any adverse effects, but it probably contributed to  the lukewarm burn at the close of the cigar. In addition, this cigar produced an ample amount of smoke.

Strength and Body

The Espiritu Series No 3 Toro started with medium strength and medium—to full-bodied flavors. Both attributes increased in intensity as the smoking experience progressed. By the second half, the strength level became medium to full territory. The body did increase in intensity as well, but it remained in the medium to full range.

In terms of strength versus body with the Espiritu Series No 3 Toro, the body maintained a slight edge over the strength.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

Overall, I have loved the bold and vibrant colors used on the bands and boxes of the Trinidad Espiritu Series. The colors of No. 3 are primarily those of the Mexican flag. I usually favor much more traditional boxing and packaging, but Altadis really pulled things off nicely with the Espiritu Series. The colors and design of the Espiritu No. 3 might be my favorite of the Espiritu trilogy.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

The Espiritu Series No. 3 Toro wasn’t an overly complex cigar, but the delivered flavors were outstanding – and it kept me from wanting to go back for more and more. The flavors were also balanced – not too much spiciness or sweetness. I also found the Toro size to be an excellent blend representation. AJ Fernandez and Rafael Nodal developed this blend, coming up with an excellent combination. In addition, I found the Espiritu Series No. 3 to be my favorite blend of the trilogy. This is a cigar I would recommend to any cigar enthusiast. Even though it’s bolder for a novice, it still is an approachable cigar. This is a cigar. I would also buy multiples to keep in my humidor and smoke again. Coming in 90 points, the Espiritu Series No. 3 Toro earns a Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence designation.

Summary

Key Flavors: Chocolate, Coffee, Fruit, Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium Minus
Strength: Medium (1st Half), Medium to Full (2nd Half)
Body: Medium to Full
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Value: Buy Multiples
Score: 90
Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence

REFERENCES

News: Altadis U.S.A. Announces Trinidad Espiritu No. 3
Price: $12.08
Source: Purchased (one sample was also received from Altadis U.S.A.)
Brand Reference: Trinidad

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted.

(*) Indicates this is not factored into the score or value rating