Trinidad: The Full Story/History

[JohnS]

Trinidad: The Full Story/History

Trinidad...when you hear the word you'd probably think of the Caribbean Island Nation. If you think of the marca, you'd probably reflect on its spectacular recent success surrounding its 50th anniversary. And if you're familiar with Habanos cigars for a number of years, you'd know that the reputation Trinidad currently enjoys hasn't always been that way; in fact, there were times when the Trinidad story was in the doldrums, particularly for a 'premium' marca. Below is the Cuban version of the Trinidad story that a number of you would be familiar with...

• 1969: The birth of the marca. First created at El Laguito factory utilising similar leaf to Cohiba but without the extra fermentation. They were designated as a 'lower-level' diplomatic cigar according to former Habanos S.A executive Adriano Martinez Ruis, who served as consultant for Min Ron Nee's 2003 magnum opus on Habanos cigars, "An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars".
• 1992: The brand is made public via a journal article in Cigar Aficionado. At the time Avelino Lara, the former manager of El Laguito factory, stated that the brand was made for Fidel Castro to hand out as diplomatic gifts and was made from better leaf than Cohiba.
• 1994: Fidel Castro denies being aware of the brand in an interview with Cigar Aficionado. Diplomatic Trinidads, as they were colloquially known, came in plain, cedar boxes, each one containing 100 cigars. They were never put in stores. El Laguito made some 2,000 Trinidad cigars a month, or 20 boxes. In late 1994 Cigar Aficionado hosted an event dubbed "The Dinner of the Century' in Paris where Diplomatic Trinidad boxes were auctioned off at prices approaching $US700 a cigar.
• 1996: Packaging changed from 100 a box, to 50 a box to 25 and then 24 with adornments added to the boxes.
• 1997: Diplomatic Trinidads were auctioned commercially at Christies Auction House fetching up to $US456 a stick. A box in Geneva was auctioned for nearly $US15000.
• 1998: Trinidad went on sale to the public in February; firstly in Cuba and then Canada and Mexico in one size, a 40 ring gauge x 192 mm (or 7½ inches) in length Fundadores. A Laguito Especial, the size was increased from the previous 38 ring gauge Diplomatic Trinidad.
• 2003: In November the Coloniales -  44 rg x 132 mm  (or 5¼ inches), the Reyes - 40 rg x  110 mm (or 4⅜ inches) and the Robusto Extra -  50 rg x 155 mm (or 6⅛ inches in length) were added to the marca.
• 2009: To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the brand, the Robusto T - 50 rg x 124 mm (or 4⅞ inches) was added to the marca.
• 2012: The Robusto Extra and Robusto T were discontinued from regular production despite reputable appraisal from cigar enthusiasts.
• 2014: The Vigia - 54 rg x 110 mm (or 4⅜ inches) Torres was added to the brand.
• 2017: The La Trova - 52 rg x 166 mm (or 6½ inches) Canonazo Especial was added as an LCDH exclusive release. This release re-vitalised the marca. (One could argue that the success of the 2016 Limited Topes also assisted with this)
• 2019: To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the marca, Habanos S.A release the Esmeralda - 53 rg x 145 (or 5¾ inches), Media Luna - 50 rg x 115 mm (or 4½ inches) and Topes - 56 rg x 125 mm (or 4⅞ inches) in late 2019.

[JohnS]

And so, taken at face value above, is a history of the marca that we may be aware of but not have the full picture as to how we reached this point in 2020. To gain a fuller picture, please read below...

• 1905: Trinidad y Hermanos founded by Diego Trinidad in 1905 as a tobacco company.
• 1920: Diego Trinidad Jr. took over the family business.
• 1937: a cigar factory was opened in Havana aimed at producing both cigars and cigarettes. Due to the strong market competition of cigars, Trinidad was much more successful in selling cigarettes.
• 1958: Diego Trinidad Jr. incorporated the business in 1958 and renamed it TTT Trinidad (Trinidad Tobacco Trading).
• 1968: After leaving Cuba (as many other cigar manufacturers were forced to do also after the Cuban Government nationalised the Habanos Cigar industry in mid-September 1960) the Trinidad family went into business with the Fuentes to produce a line of Trinidad cigars out of its Tampa factory and did so up until the late 1970s.
• 1969: Cubatobaco, in response, create a Trinidad brand for personal use for its top-level Government cabinet members (i.e the 31 members of the Cuban Council of State including the President, Vice-Presidents and other officials).
• 1992: Avelino Lara first makes first mention of the Cuban brand in an interview with Cigar Aficionado. This was corroborated by Adriano Martinez Ruis who stated that the blend remained the same after the Diplomatic Trinidads increased in ring gauge from 38 to 40 when made public in 1998.
• 1997: Fuente started making the Trinidads again, this time in the Dominican Republic. The Trinidad family sued Cuba in U.S. courts for the right to sell Trinidads in the U.S. According to the Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. trademark for “TTT Trinidad La Habana, Cuba,” issued to Empresa Cubana in 1996, was based on the same Cuban trademark registered in 1958 by Trinidad y Hermano and was transferred to the Cuban government after the Revolution.
• 1997: According to Simon Chase, in November a team under Emilia Tamayo, the then director of El Laguito, assembled to review the size of the Diplomatic Trinidad and create a new blend – the old one was deemed too strong. Its key member was Raúl Valladares, known as the “Maestro de Maestros” (master of masters) amongst Tabacuba’s master blenders. A unique relationship was born between Raúl and Habanos S.A.’s marketing director at the time, Ana Lopez. Ana wanted a medium- strength cigar full of fragrance and aroma. Simon was part of the final tasting committee at El Laguito for the new Fundadores size, which had two ring gauge points added to its girth. Gone was the strident taste of the Diplomats, and in its place a delightful, approachable, medium-bodied and, above all, fragrant flavour.
• 1998: Habanos S.A respond to the 1997 legal challenge over US trademark, and subsequent Non-Cuban market release of a Trinidad marca, by making the Habanos Trinidad marca public. There is only one cigar in the Habanos marca at this point, the Laguito Especial 40 rg x 192 mm Fundadores.
• 2001: the Trinidad family won the trademark case and was granted the right to sell Trinidad cigars in the United States. 
• 2002: a full line of Trinidads hit the U.S. market, but without Fuentes involvement in production. That same year, Altadis U.S.A., purchased the brand from the Trinidad family and subsequently produced Trinidads in the Dominican Republic. Altadis U.S.A. remains the current U.S. trademark holder for Trinidad cigars. 
• 2003: Habanos S.A responds to this legal loss of trademark in the USA by re-marketing the Trinidad brand. Firstly, the band is updated to include the 'TTT' logo and new vitolas are added; the Reyes, the Coloniales and the Robusto Extra.
• 2009: With the backing of British Imperial Tobacco, who bought into Habanos S.A in 2008 when Altadis sold its 50% share, the Robusto T was added to the Trinidad marca, as well as other special releases.
• 2012: The addition of the Robusto T and the failure of recent special releases (such as the 2010 Short Robustos T Limited Edition) fails to turnaround the poor sales performance of Trinidad as a premium marca in comparison to Cohiba. Christoph Wolters, in his Hamburg LCDH blog, announces the discontinuation of the Robustos Extra and Robustos T. Around this time a blend change is noticed in Trinidad Habanos cigars emphasising 'cookie dough and coffee' flavours, a move away from the old coffee, cocoa, wood, leather, nut, Earth and honey complexity of the blend at that time, but Trinidad as a marca is left to languish for around 5 to 6 years up to 2015.
• 2017: A LCDH release, the 52 rg x 166 Canonazo Especial La Trova is released to the growing Chinese market in the Asia-Pacific Region (at first). Together with the release of the Vigia in 2014 and the highly successful 2016 Limited Edition 56 rg x 125 mm Topes, the brand starts to re-claim its premium status. The blend together with a resurgence in quality Fundadores in 2017/18, is now more 'cookie dough and coffee' than in the past.
• 2019: Habanos S.A capitalises on its growth in the Chinese market by releasing the Esmeralda, Media Luna and Topes in late 2019. Allied Cigar Corp, a Hong Kong conglomerate, buy out Imperial Tobacco's 50% share in Habanos S.A. Trinidad is now seen as an alternative premium marca to offset continued demand for Cohiba (but not as expensive currently). The blend is now more savoury in those new cigars emphasising coffee, wood, salt, Earth, nut and buttery flavours.

Sources:

1. https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/the-tale-of-trinidad
2. https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/what-s-in-a-brand-name
3. https://halfwheel.com/trinidad-celebrates-50-years-with-five-new-cigars/294666/
4. https://www.cigarjournal.com/trinidad-cigars/
5. http://cigarcyclopedia.com/news-views/cigar-news?start=1240
6. https://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/topic/108482-the-trinidad-y-hermano-brand-the-missing-link/
7. https://www.thecigarsmoker.com/blog/?p=398
8. https://www.thecigarsmoker.com/blog/?p=416

[SigmundChurchill]

Maybe I missed it, but there was also the 2002(ish) Trinidad Farmhouse Humidor, with 10 Fundadores and 10 Double Robustos.

[JohnS]

4 minutes ago, SigmundChurchill said:

Maybe I missed it, but there was also the 2002(ish) Trinidad Farmhouse Humidor, with 10 Fundadores and 10 Double Robustos.

Yes, at the time of the loss of trademark rights in the USA, Habanos S.A also added this stunning special release in addition to the Reyes, Coloniales and Robustos Extra. According to @ATGroom, the initial run available in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom are much, much better in quality.

[PuroDan]

6 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Yes, at the time of the loss of trademark rights in the USA, Habanos S.A also added this stunning special release in addition to the Reyes, Coloniales and Robustos Extra. According to @ATGroom, the initial run available in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom are much, much better in quality.

It seems that Europe,  especially England gets much better quality across the board on all cuban cigars

[Shrimpchips]

As a newb, it’s interesting to hear that Trinidad had really turned it around in the last five years given the reputation the Marca currently enjoys.  Were the Fundadores the lone consistent standout of the marca, or have they also seen significant improvement since 2014?

[JohnS]

9 minutes ago, Shrimpchips said:

As a newb, it’s interesting to hear that Trinidad had really turned it around in the last five years given the reputation the Marca currently enjoys.  Were the Fundadores the lone consistent standout of the marca, or have they also seen significant improvement since 2014?

I would say that due to the exceptional RAG/ARS 2017 to early 2019 batches that there was a definite improvement in Fundadores in comparison.

[deadpair71]

great info!  trinidad is currently my fave marca, I hope the quality keeps on the upward trend.

[SigmundChurchill]

7 hours ago, Shrimpchips said:

As a newb, it’s interesting to hear that Trinidad had really turned it around in the last five years given the reputation the Marca currently enjoys.  Were the Fundadores the lone consistent standout of the marca, or have they also seen significant improvement since 2014?

 

7 hours ago, JohnS said:

I would say that due to the exceptional RAG/ARS 2017 to early 2019 batches that there was a definite improvement in Fundadores in comparison.

I disagree with some of the above opinions.  I would say that Trinidad has had that "exclusive" cache ever since they were made available to the public.  It was "the other" high-end label, along with Cohiba, right from its inception.  The Fundadore was the only size available, but as other vitolas were created, the Fundadore remained the flagship vitola.  The Reyes and Coloniales were good cigars in their own right, but were never as well regarded as the Fundadores.  The Robusto Extra, on the other hand, showed the cigar world that Trinidad was no one-trick pony.  That was one of the finest cigars ever made, not just IMHO, but in the humble opinions of many, many cigar smokers.  I was shocked when it was discontinued.

Perhaps the Fundadores have had their ups and downs, but even in down years, they never lost their place in the cigar hierarchy.  But after the discontinuation of the Robusto Extra and Robusto T, Trinidad went back to being a one-trick pony again.  That is, until they came out with the La Trova.  But as an LCDH exclusive, I dont find the La Trova to have the classic Trinidad flavors.  I think the recipe has some of the same ingredients, but some different ingredients as well.  

I was very excited to have 3 new sizes come out last year, with the traditional Trinidad blend.  The Esmeralda was reminiscent of the Robusto Extra in size and to a certain degree, in flavor.  it is stronger than I remember the Robusto Extra to be, but the flavors are classic Trinidad.

[Tstew75]

8 hours ago, JohnS said:

I would say that due to the exceptional RAG/ARS 2017 to early 2019 batches that there was a definite improvement in Fundadores in comparison.

Awesome info, thanks.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that saw nothing but FIRE sticks from ARS in 19. Best looking Trinis ever

[Hookmaker]

Great info John


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Puros Y Vino]

@JohnS Excellent post.  I've posted this before but it seems far more relevant here. I have this envelope post marked May 1960 from a Trinidad y Hno, S.A.  As far as I can deduce.  It is located in Ranchuelo Cuba.  Which is a small town.  And I assume "Ave. Ramon Trinidad y Coronel Acebo" is an address vs names?

Anyone have any insight here?

[spicycorona]

6 hours ago, SigmundChurchill said:

 

I disagree with some of the above opinions.  I would say that Trinidad has had that "exclusive" cache ever since they were made available to the public.  It was "the other" high-end label, along with Cohiba, right from its inception.  The Fundadore was the only size available, but as other vitolas were created, the Fundadore remained the flagship vitola.  The Reyes and Coloniales were good cigars in their own right, but were never as well regarded as the Fundadores.  The Robusto Extra, on the other hand, showed the cigar world that Trinidad was no one-trick pony.  That was one of the finest cigars ever made, not just IMHO, but in the humble opinions of many, many cigar smokers.  I was shocked when it was discontinued.

Perhaps the Fundadores have had their ups and downs, but even in down years, they never lost their place in the cigar hierarchy.  But after the discontinuation of the Robusto Extra and Robusto T, Trinidad went back to being a one-trick pony again.  That is, until they came out with the La Trova.  But as an LCDH exclusive, I dont find the La Trova to have the classic Trinidad flavors.  I think the recipe has some of the same ingredients, but some different ingredients as well.  

I was very excited to have 3 new sizes come out last year, with the traditional Trinidad blend.  The Esmeralda was reminiscent of the Robusto Extra in size and to a certain degree, in flavor.  it is stronger than I remember the Robusto Extra to be, but the flavors are classic Trinidad.

LOVED the Robusto Extra, and the T for that matter. 

[Bijan]

56 minutes ago, bundwallah said:

@JohnS Excellent post.  I've posted this before but it seems far more relevant here. I have this envelope post marked May 1960 from a Trinidad y Hno, S.A.  As far as I can deduce.  It is located in Ranchuelo Cuba.  Which is a small town.  And I assume "Ave. Ramon Trinidad y Coronel Acebo" is an address vs names?

Anyone have any insight here?

According to the New York Times obituaries the recipient died March 14th 1961. There are texts online of some lawsuits he (or his estate) brought for losses I'm assuming against Cuba.

Edit: Recipient seems to be the company owned by the aforementioned deceased gentleman.

Edit 2: According to the obituary the company was an importer of agricultural chemicals.

[JohnS]

On 1/4/2021 at 12:55 AM, SigmundChurchill said:

I disagree with some of the above opinions.  I would say that Trinidad has had that "exclusive" cache ever since they were made available to the public.  It was "the other" high-end label, along with Cohiba, right from its inception.  The Fundadore was the only size available, but as other vitolas were created, the Fundadore remained the flagship vitola.  The Reyes and Coloniales were good cigars in their own right, but were never as well regarded as the Fundadores.  The Robusto Extra, on the other hand, showed the cigar world that Trinidad was no one-trick pony.  That was one of the finest cigars ever made, not just IMHO, but in the humble opinions of many, many cigar smokers.  I was shocked when it was discontinued.

Part of the reason I collated this information was to put it all in one source. What began this investigation for me was the fact that I wanted to delve deeper into why the 50th anniversary releases were so outstanding and how the whole marca contrasted reputably from a period when it was in the doldrums post-2010. So, what is presented here are the main points from possibly 40 to 50 different sources (you should have seen my browser trying to cope with all that at times!).

Yes, the Fundadores is the flagship cigar. It's very name means 'foundation' in English. I didn't include the effect the 1999-2001 period in Habanos history had on the Trinidad marca here. In an effort to greatly increase export volumes in a very short period of time, the resultant tight draw issues (or frankly 'plugging') with the Trinidad Fundadores had a disastrous effect on sales. This was part of the reason why Habanos S.A brought out other vitolas in 2003/04 to re-vitalise the brand. They've always viewed the brand in light of its relationship with Cohiba as a premium marca and in light of its historical relation to the legal claims to authorship from the Trinidad family post-Revolution. Remember, Cuaba also was intended to re-vitalise premium status for perfecto cigars in the late 90s but it never came close to doing so. But with Trinidad, you've got to give Habanos S.A credit for perseverance and trying new things along the way.

The discontinuation of the Robustos Extra and Robustos T was an indirect admission by Habanos S.A that the premium status of Trinidad as a brand wasn't quite working as it was for Cohiba at that time. Compare the performance of the Trinidad Short Robusto T Limited Edition in 2010 with the Cohiba 1966 Limited Edition in 2011, for example. The Robustos Extra in itself (as a cigar) was not a failure but the performance of Trinidad in comparison to Cohiba in regards to sales was. If the Robustos Extra was a failure as a vitola then we wouldn't see it resurrected in an upcoming Special Release Travel Humidor.

On 1/4/2021 at 12:55 AM, SigmundChurchill said:

Perhaps the Fundadores have had their ups and downs, but even in down years, they never lost their place in the cigar hierarchy.  But after the discontinuation of the Robusto Extra and Robusto T, Trinidad went back to being a one-trick pony again.  That is, until they came out with the La Trova.  But as an LCDH exclusive, I don't find the La Trova to have the classic Trinidad flavors.  I think the recipe has some of the same ingredients, but some different ingredients as well. 

Actually I would agree with this. In putting a spotlight on the Fundadores from 2017 to early 2019 my intention wasn't to downplay how good they were previously; rather it was to emphasise just how outstanding they've been of late.

The La Trova not having classic Trinidad flavours? Yes, I concur with this too. It has that classic buttery texture profile but it's not as savoury as the 50th Anniversary regular production releases, for example.

On 1/4/2021 at 12:55 AM, SigmundChurchill said:

I was very excited to have 3 new sizes come out last year, with the traditional Trinidad blend.  The Esmeralda was reminiscent of the Robusto Extra in size and to a certain degree, in flavor.  it is stronger than I remember the Robusto Extra to be, but the flavors are classic Trinidad.

Yes, this is right. My opinion is that from the very beginning Habanos S.A brought out the Reyes, Coloniales and Robustos Extra to mirror the Cohiba Siglo I, Siglo II and Siglo VI in 2003/04 because these were the biggest sellers for Cohiba in that period, in the Linea 1492 line. (In fact, one could argue that this is still the case). When the 50th Anniversary releases came out in late 2019 the Esmeralda mirrored the Cohiba Siglo VI, the Media Luna mirrored the Medio Siglo (plus it was a petit robusto, the number one favoured size of Habanos S.A at the moment) and the Topes became a regular production cigar because the 2016 Limited Edition was so successful. However, you could say that the Topes is a modern enlarged re-birth of the Robustos T.

Daymi Difurniao Rodríguez, Director of Marketing for Habanos S.A in 2012, did state that the discontinuation of the Robustos Extra and Robustos T was due to its relation to Cohiba as a premium marca and would lead to a re-branding down the track as well as the release of new vitolas. Her words below...

Trinidad currently has five vitolas (sizes) in its portfolio: Fundadores (7 ½" x 40 ring gauge), Robusto Extra (6 1/8" x 50 ring gauge), Robusto 'T' (4 7/8" x 50 ring gauge), Coloniales (5 ¼" x 44 ring gauge) and Reyes (4 3/8" x 40 ring gauge). While it is true that Habanos SA has announced that the Robusto Extra and Robusto 'T' have been discontinued, both are to be replaced by new vitolas in the near future. The exact date of these two new releases, and the format they will take, are yet to be confirmed. What is clear is that, far from downgrading the brand, these decisions have been made in order to continue the development of the, relatively young, Trinidad brand and to increase its standing among cigar smokers the world over.

Within the Habanos S.A brand structure Trinidad will continue to be positioned as one of the most prestigious brands, ranked just behind Cohiba, the standard bearer for Cuban cigars.

[SigmundChurchill]

11 minutes ago, JohnS said:

 

Trinidad currently has five vitolas (sizes) in its portfolio: Fundadores (7 ½" x 40 ring gauge), Robusto Extra (6 1/8" x 50 ring gauge), Robusto 'T' (4 7/8" x 50 ring gauge), Coloniales (5 ¼" x 44 ring gauge) and Reyes (4 3/8" x 40 ring gauge). While it is true that Habanos SA has announced that the Robusto Extra and Robusto 'T' have been discontinued, both are to be replaced by new vitolas in the near future. The exact date of these two new releases, and the format they will take, are yet to be confirmed. What is clear is that, far from downgrading the brand, these decisions have been made in order to continue the development of the, relatively young, Trinidad brand and to increase its standing among cigar smokers the world over.

Within the Habanos S.A brand structure Trinidad will continue to be positioned as one of the most prestigious brands, ranked just behind Cohiba, the standard bearer for Cuban cigars.

Near future?  8 years later?

....Meh, Cuba time.   ?

[rascalmonkey]

On 1/2/2021 at 10:19 PM, deadpair71 said:

great info!  trinidad is currently my fave marca, I hope the quality keeps on the upward trend.

me too + thanks for the info johnS

[Sir Diggamus]

Thanks for putting this together John! I always wondered why they changed the band right after public release, the lawsuit makes sense but I never heard that part before. 

[La_Tigre]

Nice read!

[Toast & Taste]

Yes, many thanks John. As a fan of the Marca it is good to have an understanding of the history. I'm only 10 years into my CC odyssey, and when introducing new followers I am often asked about the history of certain Marcas. Information like you have provided gives me confidence that I'm passing along accurate info as opposed to merely parroting understood generalities. 

Now if I could just find more LaTrova...

 

Big Al 

[heyhaych]

TKs John - a hugely insightful post. Am looking forward to trying the travel humidor Robusto Extra when they become available - hopefully on 24:24.

[dshot]

Awesome insight John! I got the privilege to smoke an early 1990's Fundadores (Old Band) and it was the creamiest cigar I've ever smoked. From there I could understand why this marca was so celebrated by cigar smokers worldwide.  I can say the Esmeralda is a good step in the right direction for Trinidad. The one I've smoked was amazing and in my opinion better than La Trova.

[JohnS]

3 hours ago, dshot said:

Awesome insight John! I got the privilege to smoke an early 1990's Fundadores (Old Band) and it was the creamiest cigar I've ever smoked. From there I could understand why this marca was so celebrated by cigar smokers worldwide.  I can say the Esmeralda is a good step in the right direction for Trinidad. The one I've smoked was amazing and in my opinion better than La Trova.

Fantastic...that is quite something, judging by the huge interest in those cigars prior to public release in the late 90s. I agree, the three new releases are a step in the right direction for Trinidad, blend-wise.

[JC67]

Nice read John!!

[The Duke]

John this was a great story to follow and here I am hoping to find some more answers as google brought me to actually sign up and get more into this.

I have inherited a few boxes of cigars from an older fellow who quit smoking.. Mostly bought around 2003... All easy to find information and enjoy. my favorite so far are the Allones 898 and the Series A

But I happen to have a box of Trinidad now as well.. looking like the usual aged Cubans.. the 24 Box and the old original Band A... BUT the boxing code is from March 1995 made in FR.

Do you have any idea how this can happen?.. everything is appreciated to learn more about this history.

Thnx