Date Added: Tuesday 07 June, 2016
by Staff
Regular price: £49.99
Special price: £46.99
Reviewed by John Goddard
It's my first try of a Colonial and it appears very well made, with a smooth wrapper. The draw is easy but not too loose, and my first impression is of a fine cigar in excellent condition, with a dark 'earth and wood' character.
The predominant flavour is wood, and I think that smoked too quickly or drawn too heavily, this would become sharp and overpowering. As it is, I smoke very slowly and there's no harshness.
The most striking thing is the way the flavours cycle on the palate. Take a draw, exhale, and the first and foremost flavour is definitely wood, accompanied by an aroma of clean, dry wood-smoke. As this decays, it gives way to a distinct taste of coffee, rather like 'Tia Maria' in fact; at the same time the aroma becomes softer and honeyed with a touch of spice.
There are many other flavours at work here too: hints of dark chocolate, honey and toasting nuts, some bitterness - like wormwood, and some black pepper later, but these flavour-labels really don't give the whole picture, which is smooth, complex and interesting.
A little further on, and the now familiar wood / coffee cycle adds another dimension, with the coffee fading on the palate to sweetness rather like sugared almonds. No, I've never read 'Tia Maria' and 'sugared almonds' in a cigar review either, but I swear they are there!
The intensity and character changes throughout, but it's never muddled and somehow there's a balance to it all. It's complex but not really complicated. I love the way it combines sweetness and dryness at the same time, and the overall effect is a really satisfying and very accessible smoke.
Towards the end the flavours are still evolving. The wood flavour has softened, in fact I'm sure there is more than one wood, but I can't put names to them all. Conjures up a strange image doesn't it, of a man wandering around a forest, cigar in hand, gnawing tree-trunks for comparison!
Although dynamic, this cigar is not 'light and bright'. I would describe it as 'dark' referring to its earthy and subtle nature. Not a cigar for every occasion perhaps, it's different and cerebral, but quite special and of excellent quality. It has burned evenly and lasted for well over an hour. It's surprisingly satisfying for a relatively small cigar, and I don't feel at all short-changed now it's time to let it go.
This review kept my attention and stayed on track as far as talking about the cigar. Maybe a little wordy for my taste but that is just me. It did make me more interested in the cigar.
Reviewed by: Dan Hanson
Score: 7/10
I enjoyed the review of the Trinidad Coloniale. The reviewer opens by giving a good description of the cigar and how well it is made. His observations are interesting to me. Some of the flavour descriptions are intriguing and there are a couple of humorous passages. For the most part, I think the review was very well-written, and it does make me want to try the cigar.
Reviewed by: Scotty J
Score: 9/10
There was not much visual description in this review, but there was more in depth analysis of the flavor. I understood the flavor better. The text was not too wordy or cute. It got right to the facts. This was the best review for interesting me in trying the cigar.
Reviewed by: Steve S
Score: 8/10
OVERALL SCORE: 24/30
