Trinidad Robusto Extra

Description

Trinidad Robusto Extra Review
So here I was sitting on a stretch of sand that 99 percent of the people in Hawaii have no idea exists. It’s a small pocket of coast on the western edge of Cuba, far enough away from the tourist traps that you hear nothing but the Caribbean slapping rhythmically against limestone and — at odd intervals — a rustling palm frond. The sun was beginning that slow sink, heavy and approaching, toward the horizon, turning the sky with it into bruised purple and gold. I was in pensive mode, of the sort you only really fall into when alone with your thoughts like that.

Product Specifications

I rummaged in a small, battered travel bag to get my lighter when my hand came into contact with an old leather wallet that I hadn’t used for several years. Buried inside, was a grainy Polaroid from 2004. It was a picture of me and an old friend, huddled in the corner of a darkly lit lounge in Cuba with clouds of smoke wrapping around our faces. I was smoking a cigar in the photo, an impossibly large Trinidad Robusto Extra, held in my younger hand.

That was when they originally went on sale, before vanishing into the “discontinued” vaults in 2012. In looking at that photo, I could almost taste the salt air and rich heady tobacco from twenty years ago. I was saddened, but not only for the youth in the photo — also about that smoke. You ever get a flavor profile seared into your memory so hard that just an image can take you there?

Over the years I searched Eruope and the Middle East for boxes of those original Robusto Extras in musty humidors, often to no avail or else finding sticks that had long ago lost their soul.

But things change. The world spins, and sometimes some of the things we miss actually come back around. That smoke? The
Trinidad Robusto Extra
is officially back to making a return in the rotation, and I finally got mine — a 2024 relaunch — to see if it matches up against the ghost in my wallet.

The Specs
Product Name
Trinidad Robusto Extra
Vitola de Galera
Dobles (Doble)
Wrapper/Binder/Filler
Vuelta Abajo, Cuba (Puro)
Construction: The El Laguito Touch
I have to say, there’s something right about a cigar coming out of the El Laguito factory.

The same place where they roll Cohibas, in fact, and you can feel the muscle memory of the rollers there. This isn’t a small stick. Clocking in at 155 mm with a 50 ring gauge, it’s got some weight to it. Heavy in the hand, it feels like a tool made for a purpose, but as slick as an alley cat when you’re done with it.

It has the trademark Trinidad pigtail cap: small, tidy and neatly wound. I’ve always thought that the pigtail was an elegant touch; it is as if the cigar were donning a tuxedo. The color is a lovely Colorado reddish-brown, oily and devoid of any obtrusive veins. When I had the pack filled with gear and all cinched down, it felt as well balanced from foot to head as a backpack can feel.

No soft spots, no lumps. I bypassed the cutter and simply tugged the pigtail free with my teeth, a bit of a backwoods maneuver, but it worked. Pre-light draw was perfect. I was smacked with a combination of hay, dry cedar and some faint sweetness that reminded me a little of dried apricots.

It was light but held a little resistance, enough for me to feel the burn wouldn’t be running away from me. Chapter 1 Soft Opening
The first couple seconds say it all. With the Robusto Extra it isn’t immediately trying to punch you in the teeth. It’s polite.

The first few puffs produce a dense white smoke that is full of a very evident cedar smell. I immediately picked up that the “Trinidad funk” (the floral, lightly briny and earthy profile) was there. A medium-bodied opener, it’s extremely creamy on the palate. (The texture here is that of a well-made latte, where the foam leaves just enough veneer on your tongue when you take a sip.)
In about an inch there was a little nuttiness creeping in — think toasted almonds or cashews. It’s not offensive spice; it gives off more of a warm sensation at the back of the throat.

That burn line was straight enough that I never had to touch it up, and thank goodness for that, because when you’re dropping this kinda cash on a stick of tobacco, you really don’t wanta be playing surgeon with your zippo every five minutes. The ash was pale gray in color, joining together for an inch and three quarters before I voluntarily jostled it off. It’s well summarized, very polite, very “diplomatic,” which makes sense when you remember the brand’s history. The Second Third: Catching the Groove
Then, once I reached the middle of the cigar, the body was elevated.

We opened from a medium straight to solid medium-full. And this is where the real complexity began to rear its ugly head. The cedar was still central, but the creaminess moved aside a bit for a stronger roasted coffee note. It wasn’t bitter, though.

What I smelled was more like the odor of beans being freshly ground in a fancy shop. I began to detect some more understated baking spices — perhaps a bit of nutmeg or cinnamon especially on the retrohale. You do kind of have to smoke this one through your nose a touch, if you want the full story. Puff and dump, you’re missing half the story.

There is a sort of floral aspect that tends to peek through occasionally, almost in the sense of honeysuckle that keeps deeper wood notes in check. It’s a balanced experience. Nothing is fighting to be dominant; everything simply cooperates. I leaned back and watched it curl up to the sky, and for a moment, I was in that 2004 Polaroid.

It’s got that great Cuban “twang” that is very hard to find outside a cuban stick. The Third Act of a Heavy Hitter
By the time I reached a couple of last inches, the cigar had dropped all pretense at being well-behaved. The strength was definitely at a good medium-full by now. The flavors darkened.

The roasted coffee became black, and the spice intensified — more of a tongue-tingling black pepper. But even at its most intense here, it never got ho or “mushy.” The build held all the way down to the nub. The cedar was still present, but it seemed more like charred oak. It was followed by an accompanying sweetness, reminiscent of molasses or dark chocolate that toned down the pepper.

It’s a long enough smoke — I clocked it at roughly 80 minutes — and by the end I felt like I’d traveled somewhere. It’s a rich, satisfying conclusion.

I smoked it all the way to my fingers feeling a little warm, and even then I wasn’t quite ready to let go. It’s a “finger burner” for certain. Pairing Recommendations
You don’t want to combine this with anything that is going to compete against the subtleties.

I would try to avoid them nasty, peaty, heavy Islay scotches. They’ll just bully the tobacco. Rather, I’d head to either:
Aged Rum:
Havana Club 7Or even an Especial. Natural sugar in the rum is a nice contrast to cedar and cream.

And there’s a reason it’s a classic. Black Coffee:
A clean, pour-over coffee with a bit of citrus. It refreshes the palate after each draw, and accentuates the dark roasted coffee regional profile in the middle of smoke. Sparkling Water:
If you want to taste nothing but the tobacco, go with a cold San Pellegrino with a wedge of lime.

It keeps the mouth fresh and allows the Trinidad’s complexity to be showcased. Value and Usage
Let’s talk turkey. The Trinidad Robusto Extra is not a “Tuesday afternoon while mowing the lawn” smoke. Some of us had priced in that after the 2024 relaunch and the rebranding for the 55th anniversary, these things would be in literally the stratosphere.

We’re talking Cohiba territory here. Is it worth the cost of a good steak dinner? That is if you value anything. For me, it’s a “special occasion” stick.

It’s the one you break out when you’ve had a massive win at work, are celebrating a milestone or otherwise sitting on your lonesome on a private beach and contemplating 20 years of life. It is made for the smoker who loves the slower burn of a larger vitola. Don’t light this if you’re on the clock. You need at least an hour and fifteen minutes to really do it well.

It’s a luxury item, through and through, from the gold 55th-anniversary band to the cachet of being rolled in the El Laguito rolling room. The Verdict
I gotta say, I was worried.

More times than not, when a brand dusts off an old or legendary vitola from many moons ago it just feels like capitalizing on nostalgia. Tobacco isn’t the same, rollers aren’t the same and the magic is definitely gone. Yet the Trinidad Robusto Extra somehow dodged that bullet. It doesn’t feel like an actual extension of the legacy.

It’s classy, it’s complicated, and it has enough power to keep things interesting without being overbearing. It’s a solid, well-made cigar that does exactly what a Trinidad should: Cream, cedar and complex refinement change up as you smoke this. The price might make your eyes water, but the experience is elite. I’m glad it’s back.

Hell, I may even light a fresh one of myself smoking this cigar to see how it ages over the next two decades. Final Thoughts:
If you can get it, and you’re feeling flush, get a 12 pack.

They are smoking terrific at the moment, and I’m under the belief that a couple of years in the humidor will turn these into something even more special. Solid.