El Triunfador #3

danreeve · 03-04-2010, 12:21 PM

Series Review: El Triunfador #3

I'm not going to go into much detail with the intro section of these reviews because they are all from the same line of cigars. I'll list the specifics, my smoking environment, and then get right to the review. Again, these cigars were provided by New Havana Cigars. Please visit their site to help support this blog.

To kick off this new review series, I decided to start with the vitola that is right in the middle of the line in size: the El Triunfador #3. I figured this stick could be a good base to see how the blend tastes and then move on from here with smaller and larger sizes.

Specifics:
Vitola: Lonsdale
Length: 6 1/2
Ring Gauge: 42
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $6.52 (when bought in boxes of 25)
Smoking Location: House of Cigar, Columbus, Ohio
Beverage: Coke

Pre-Light

The El Triunfador #3 had a beautiful wrapper. The color was an even, dark, milk chocolate brown with minimal veins. The scent of the unlit cigar was of sweet tobacco with some earthy notes. Once clipped, the overall draw was free with slight resistance and had a mild sweet tobacco flavor. I pinched the cigar from head to foot and the stick had a give to it, but no soft spots that I could detect.

First Third

Once evenly torched, the El Triunfador #3 opened up with a blast of strong white pepper flavor. I could feel the spice not only on the front of my palate but also resting in the back of my throat. Anyone that has smoked a Tatuaje cigar knows the flavor I'm talking about. The smoke was thick and creamy when exhaled, but the finish was rather short. Around six or seven puffs into the cigar, the white pepper spice started to fade and a cedar flavor started to make it's way to the forefront. This was a great compliment to the opening spice and seemed to really mellow the cigar out. The ash on the stick was tight and compact and it took a good knock on the ashtray to fall -- which was a pretty nice surprise on a cigar with this ring gauge size. The body was right around medium but dipped somewhat into the mild side.

Second Third

The second third of my El Triunfador #3 started out pretty much the same as the end of the first third with a strong cedar flavor and a creamy smoke texture, but then it changed up. I started to detect some flavors of anise (licorice) and a very mild peppermint. These flavors really woke me up and took me awhile to nail down. The cedar tastes were still there, but the flavor profile had become more complex with these additions. The burn on the cigar had started to be a little crooked, but it corrected itself. The draw was still perfect and the body was now a solid, mellow medium.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

El Triunfador #3, in it's final third, really hit the mark. The complex flavor profile with the cedar, anise, and peppermint, were joined now by the reemergence of the white peppery spice. The only negative I had during the final third of this cigar was the strange burn, with the burn running down one side of the stick and also some odd tunneling in the ash. The burn line was easily corrected with my torch and the tunnels didn't cause any issues in the draw, but I thought it was worth noting. The body kicked up slightly, but I would still put it in the medium category.

Final thoughts: I could smoke the El Triunfador #3 back to back. The different flavors were always mixing up the experience and I never got bored. The body was right around where I like a stick to be when not having a huge dinner beforehand, and the finish on the smoke was far from overpowering. I did have some slight burn issues, but nothing that wasn't easily manageable with little effort. If the rest of the El Triunfador line in the series of reviews mimics the #3, I would say Pete Johnson has another winner.

For more pictures please visit http://crookedburn.blogspot.com/

blugill · 03-04-2010, 12:33 PM

Very nice review!

CigarNut · 03-04-2010, 01:08 PM

Nice review, thanks! I have only had the lancero and did not know they had any others. Now I have something else to look forward to

BryanB · 03-04-2010, 03:14 PM

Nice Review. I plan on burning a #4 tomorrow.

kelmac07 · 03-04-2010, 05:33 PM

Nice review...thanks for sharing.

OHRD · 03-05-2010, 07:35 AM

Well done Dan, looking forward to this series! Thanks for taking it on....great idea!

rizzle · 03-05-2010, 08:03 AM

I have got to get some of these. Cabaiguan maduro....mmmmm mmmmm.

Thanks for the review. When did Pete decide to release other sizes? I thought he had said the only vitola in the ET line would be the lancero?

danreeve · 03-05-2010, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rizzle

I have got to get some of these. Cabaiguan maduro....mmmmm mmmmm.

Thanks for the review. When did Pete decide to release other sizes? I thought he had said the only vitola in the ET line would be the lancero?

This is 100% new blend from the old ET line. You can still get the old ET (only in lancero like you said) but there are 6 sizes of the new blend.

thanks for all the props guys.

srduggins · 03-05-2010, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danreeve

This is 100% new blend from the old ET line. You can still get the old ET (only in lancero like you said) but there are 6 sizes of the new blend.

thanks for all the props guys.

Including a new lancero, but the band is different from the old lancero on all the new blend.

Great review, I've resisted so far, but might not be able to now.

rizzle · 03-05-2010, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danreeve

This is 100% new blend from the old ET line. You can still get the old ET (only in lancero like you said) but there are 6 sizes of the new blend.

thanks for all the props guys.

Ah ha. How does the blend differ? Becuase it was my understanding the lancero was nothing more than the Cabaiguan blend with a maduro wrapper. What's up with the new blend and is the "original" blend going away?

alpha8a · 03-05-2010, 02:49 PM

I tried the #4 the other day and really enjoyed it. Great burn and great flavors. The draw was on the light side though.

danreeve · 03-05-2010, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rizzle

Ah ha. How does the blend differ? Becuase it was my understanding the lancero was nothing more than the Cabaiguan blend with a maduro wrapper. What's up with the new blend and is the "original" blend going away?

You are right, the old one was/is a cabaiguan with a maduro wrapper. The new one is a new blend with a Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.

Pete has said he will continue to make the "original" blend also.

pinotguy · 03-05-2010, 08:02 PM

Apologies for splitting hairs here, but did you smoke the #3 Corona Gorda (5 5/8" x 46) or the #1 Lonsdale (6 1/2" x 42)?

danreeve · 03-05-2010, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinotguy

Apologies for splitting hairs here, but did you smoke the #3 Corona Gorda (5 5/8" x 46) or the #1 Lonsdale (6 1/2" x 42)?

That is a great catch. I've smoked a bunch of these and I got the review details wrong. This was the review for the number 3 Corona Gorda (5 5/8" x 46).

fixed on my page. Thanks for the heads up.

03-04-2010, 12:33 PM	#2
blugill Feeling at Home Join Date: Dec 2008 First Name: Andy Location: Enid, Oklahoma Posts: 867 Trading: (10)	Re: El Triunfador #3 Very nice review! __________________ My Blog

03-04-2010, 05:33 PM	#5
kelmac07 Resident Maduro Whore!! Join Date: Apr 2009 First Name: Mac Location: Newport News, VA Posts: 27,322 Trading: (218)	Re: El Triunfador #3 Nice review...thanks for sharing. __________________ Dom in the MLB thread "I could probably get you to wear a Yankee hat for a Maduro!"

03-05-2010, 07:35 AM	#6
OHRD Garage w/ couch & ashtray Join Date: Sep 2009 First Name: Matt Posts: 1,377 Trading: (39)	Re: El Triunfador #3 Well done Dan, looking forward to this series! Thanks for taking it on....great idea! __________________ Did I tell you my garage has a couch and an ashtray? My wife doesn't let me sleep or smoke inside.

03-05-2010, 08:03 AM	#7
rizzle Order Restored Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: st pete, fl Posts: 2,679 Trading: (23)	Re: El Triunfador #3 I have got to get some of these. Cabaiguan maduro....mmmmm mmmmm. Thanks for the review. When did Pete decide to release other sizes? I thought he had said the only vitola in the ET line would be the lancero?

03-05-2010, 02:49 PM	#11
alpha8a New To It All Join Date: Oct 2009 First Name: Andrew N. Location: Royal Oak Posts: 197 Trading: (11)	Re: El Triunfador #3 I tried the #4 the other day and really enjoyed it. Great burn and great flavors. The draw was on the light side though.

03-04-2010, 12:21 PM	#1
danreeve Feeling at Home Join Date: Jan 2010 First Name: Dan Location: Columbus Ohio Posts: 733 Trading: (2)	El Triunfador #3 Series Review: El Triunfador #3 I'm not going to go into much detail with the intro section of these reviews because they are all from the same line of cigars. I'll list the specifics, my smoking environment, and then get right to the review. Again, these cigars were provided by New Havana Cigars. Please visit their site to help support this blog. To kick off this new review series, I decided to start with the vitola that is right in the middle of the line in size: the El Triunfador #3. I figured this stick could be a good base to see how the blend tastes and then move on from here with smaller and larger sizes. Specifics: Vitola: Lonsdale Length: 6 1/2 Ring Gauge: 42 Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Binder: Nicaragua Filler: Nicaragua Price: $6.52 (when bought in boxes of 25) Smoking Location: House of Cigar, Columbus, Ohio Beverage: Coke Pre-Light The El Triunfador #3 had a beautiful wrapper. The color was an even, dark, milk chocolate brown with minimal veins. The scent of the unlit cigar was of sweet tobacco with some earthy notes. Once clipped, the overall draw was free with slight resistance and had a mild sweet tobacco flavor. I pinched the cigar from head to foot and the stick had a give to it, but no soft spots that I could detect. First Third Once evenly torched, the El Triunfador #3 opened up with a blast of strong white pepper flavor. I could feel the spice not only on the front of my palate but also resting in the back of my throat. Anyone that has smoked a Tatuaje cigar knows the flavor I'm talking about. The smoke was thick and creamy when exhaled, but the finish was rather short. Around six or seven puffs into the cigar, the white pepper spice started to fade and a cedar flavor started to make it's way to the forefront. This was a great compliment to the opening spice and seemed to really mellow the cigar out. The ash on the stick was tight and compact and it took a good knock on the ashtray to fall -- which was a pretty nice surprise on a cigar with this ring gauge size. The body was right around medium but dipped somewhat into the mild side. Second Third The second third of my El Triunfador #3 started out pretty much the same as the end of the first third with a strong cedar flavor and a creamy smoke texture, but then it changed up. I started to detect some flavors of anise (licorice) and a very mild peppermint. These flavors really woke me up and took me awhile to nail down. The cedar tastes were still there, but the flavor profile had become more complex with these additions. The burn on the cigar had started to be a little crooked, but it corrected itself. The draw was still perfect and the body was now a solid, mellow medium. Final Third and Final Thoughts El Triunfador #3, in it's final third, really hit the mark. The complex flavor profile with the cedar, anise, and peppermint, were joined now by the reemergence of the white peppery spice. The only negative I had during the final third of this cigar was the strange burn, with the burn running down one side of the stick and also some odd tunneling in the ash. The burn line was easily corrected with my torch and the tunnels didn't cause any issues in the draw, but I thought it was worth noting. The body kicked up slightly, but I would still put it in the medium category. Final thoughts: I could smoke the El Triunfador #3 back to back. The different flavors were always mixing up the experience and I never got bored. The body was right around where I like a stick to be when not having a huge dinner beforehand, and the finish on the smoke was far from overpowering. I did have some slight burn issues, but nothing that wasn't easily manageable with little effort. If the rest of the El Triunfador line in the series of reviews mimics the #3, I would say Pete Johnson has another winner. For more pictures please visit http://crookedburn.blogspot.com/ __________________ http://cigarpress.com/

03-04-2010, 01:08 PM	#3
CigarNut Fck Cancer! Join Date: Jan 2009 First Name: Michael Location: Clermont, Florida Posts: 18,038 Trading: (111*)	Re: El Triunfador #3 Nice review, thanks! I have only had the lancero and did not know they had any others. Now I have something else to look forward to __________________ Need Beads? Need Five Finger Bags? 2 of 3 Requirements for use of the CA Rolodex: 100 posts/ 60 day membership/ participation in trade (trader rating). New members can be added at any time.

03-04-2010, 03:14 PM	#4
BryanB Have My Own Room Join Date: Nov 2008 First Name: Bryan Location: Benson, NC Posts: 1,177 Trading: (58)	Re: El Triunfador #3 Nice Review. I plan on burning a #4 tomorrow. __________________ "Cheap cigars come in handy; they stifle the odor of cheap politicians." Ulysses S. Grant

03-05-2010, 08:02 PM	#13
pinotguy Still Watching My Back Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 200 Trading: (13)	Re: El Triunfador #3 Apologies for splitting hairs here, but did you smoke the #3 Corona Gorda (5 5/8" x 46) or the #1 Lonsdale (6 1/2" x 42)?