After being captivated by the Habanos World Days event in London earlier this year and enjoying the Trinidad Tasting Time event at Sautter’s Knightsbridge, where we sampled the Trinidad Fundadores cigar, I’ve developed a bit of an obsession with the new Trinidad Cabildos Limited Edition 2024 cigar.
Source: Habanos S.A.
However, with a steep price of around £160 per cigar and £850 for a box of five, I never expected to have the opportunity to smoke one. This cigar is even more expensive than the Cohiba Behike 52 I reviewed a few years ago, which I was fortunate to purchase at a much lower price than its current retail value. Today, a Cohiba Behike 52 costs between £380-£400 per cigar in the UK, so by comparison, the new Trinidad almost seems like a bargain 🙈😬.
On a recent visit to Soho Whisky Club, London – a place I’ve had my eyes on visiting for quite some time – I had the privilege of sampling the Trinidad Cabildos Limited Edition 2024 cigar 😍.
Before I share my experience of this cigar with you, here’s some background on the Trinidad cigar brand.
A quick history of Trinidad as a cigar brand
Trinidad cigars were first introduced to the public in early 1998. However, the brand’s origins trace back to 1969. Initially, Trinidad cigars were shrouded in secrecy, being produced at the El Laguito factory, which also made Cohiba cigars. These were manufactured in limited quantities exclusively for the Cuban Council of State and distributed as gifts to foreign diplomats and visiting dignitaries.
Known informally as Trinidad, these cigars were essentially Laguito No.1s—similar to Cohiba Lanceros—but featured a distinctive, full-flavored tobacco blend. They remained largely unknown outside diplomatic circles until September 1992, when Cigar Aficionado magazine published an article titled “Trinidad: The Best Kept Secret in Cuba.” The piece disclosed that the brand was so obscure that even high-level officials at the government-run Cubatabaco were unaware of its existence until the article’s publication. This revelation brought Trinidad into the spotlight, transforming it from a mysterious cigar into a prestigious name in the cigar industry.
You can listen to David Savona, the executive editor of Cigar Aficionado magazine, discuss this story with Kirby Allison.
They reference a meeting where Marvin Shanken interviewed Fidel Castro about the topic.
Source: Kirby Allison & Cigar Aficionado
Source: Kirby Allison & Cigar Aficionado
Trinidad became highly sought after by cigar collectors due to their rarity, often fetching high prices at auctions. Recognising this demand, the Cuban cigar industry decided it was time to launch the brand commercially.
Under the supervision of Habanos S.A., a team at El Laguito began preparing Trinidad cigars for the market, initially offering them in just one size the Fundadores. As the demand for these cigars grew, production expanded from El Laguito to the Francisco Donatien factory, where Trinidad cigars are now made. Over time, new sizes were introduced, including Robusto Extra, Coloniales, Reyes, Robusto, Vigia, Media Luna, Esmeralda, and Topes, reflecting the growing popularity and variety of the Trinidad line.
Limited Edition & Vintage
Since 2000, Habanos S.A. has introduced a series of outstanding cigars known as Ediciones Limitadas, or Limited Editions. These cigars are distinguished by their rare or unique sizes, darker wrapper leaves, and extra-aged tobaccos, with all leaves being aged for at least two years before crafting. Each Limited Edition cigar is released within a specific year, adding an element of exclusivity and prestige to the Habanos brand selected for this special designation.
Notable Limited Editions include the Ingenious from 2007, the Short Robusto T released in 2010, the Topes from 2016, and the Cabildos introduced in 2024. Trinidad also offers a range of vintage cigars, such as the Trinidad Fundadores Vintage 10.
Details about the Trinidad Cabildos Limited Edition 2024 cigar
This cigar was initially introduced to distributors in 2022 but was delayed and only revealed to the public at the Habanos Festival 2024 in Cuba.
In June 2024, 10,000 leather-wrapped luxury boxes, each containing five cigars and branded as Premier Edition, were released exclusively in the UK.
It is expected that boxes of 12 Cabildos will go on general worldwide sale in around six months’ time. These cigars have all been made totally by hand using long filler leaves, all sourced from the Vuelta Abajo region of Cuba and aged for a minimum of two years.
Trinidad Cabildos Limited Edition 2024
Ring gauge: 46″
Length: 6 3/8″
Vitola: Ilustres
Strength: Medium
Country: Cuba
The launch
As documented on this blog – see articles –
The launch of this cigar was a lavish affair—a three-day event in June 2024 featuring a cocktail party, seminar, and gala dinner at the V&A Museum.
Source: cigars.co.uk
Habanos S.A. are clearly pulling out all the stops to elevate Trinidad to the same luxury status as Cohiba on the global stage. Out of 27 major Cuban cigar brands, Trinidad is being positioned to stand alongside Cohiba as a premier option in this distinguished collection. In the coming months, it will be fascinating to see if this strategic push makes a substantial impact. Many cigar enthusiasts are closely watching to see whether the new marketing campaign for Trinidad will succeed, though some might be concerned that this could lead to Trinidad cigars becoming too expensive for the average enthusiast.
My experience
During a recent visit to the Soho Whisky Club,
located on the rooftop at 42 Old Compton St, London W1D 4LR, accessible via The Vintage House Whisky Shop—I received a generous gift from a fellow member.
They presented me with a Trinidad Cabildos Limited Edition 2024 cigar, which was an incredibly thoughtful gesture! 🙏
Despite the lively Friday night atmosphere, buzzing with conversation and activity, it was only polite to try this special cigar that had been so kindly given to me.
The first thing that caught my attention was that the wrapper appeared darker than I expected. It was much darker than I remembered the Trinidad Topes being when I sampled that at The Wellesley a couple of years back. Additionally, it had a much smaller ring gauge than I had expected – 46, inches. I tend to prefer cigars with a ring gauge of 52 to 60.
The cigar has three bands. The first band is the Trinidad band, which I am already familiar with.
The second band indicates that it is a limited edition (aka. Edición Limitada 2024), cigar for the year 2024. It also has the word ‘Premier’ on it, signaling its exclusivity as part of the 50,000 cigars set aside by Habanos for the 10,000 travel humidors distributed at the HWD event. These 50,000 cigars are the finest from the limited range and will initially be sold in sets of five. Once these are sold out, they will only be available in boxes of 12, but without the ‘Premier’ designation.
The third band, found on the foot of the cigar, includes an NFC chip.
By scanning this chip with your mobile device, you will be directed to the Habanos website at https://habanos.hgtag.io/, where you can verify the cigar’s authenticity. This is a new approach, moving away from relying solely on serial numbers on cigar boxes. It is unclear if this NFC feature will be standard for all future releases, such as the Ramón Allones Absolutos Limited Edition 2024 or the H. Upmann Magnum Finite Limited Edition 2024, but it is certainly a promising innovation.
If you’ve smoked a Trinidad cigar before, you’ll recognise the ‘pigtail’ at the top of the cigar. Instead of twisting and ripping it off, I used a straight cut for this particular cigar because I didn’t want to do anything to ruin the experience of trying it!
The cigar felt quite dry—perhaps because it came straight from the HWD event. I prefer a cigar with a bit more softness to it. I suspect many folk will age this cigar before smoking to ensure it reaches optimal conditions. Aging allows the flavors to develop and mature, and the humidity to balance, making the cigar less dry and enhancing the overall smoking experience. From what I’m learning, a properly aged cigar, with the right softness, provides a smoother draw and richer flavor profile.
At that point I cut and lit my cigar.
The first third of the cigar started off well, with very subtle floral notes emerging, accompanied by delicate nutty and oaky undertones, and just a hint of spiciness.
As I moved into the second third of the cigar, I began to detect a subtle hint of caramel sweetness. Then, quite unexpectedly, the cigar transitioned from what seemed like a medium-bodied to a fuller-bodied experience. I had never experienced such a dramatic shift in a cigar before, and I’m not sure if this is typical in the Cabildos.
In the final third, I didn’t notice much difference from the second third.
Overall, it was an okay smoke but not exceptional. It wasn’t the most memorable cigar I’ve had. Recently, I enjoyed the superb Ramon Allones No. 3; by comparison, this cigar falls short.
My rating: 7.5 out of 10
In my honest opinion, I find the Trinidad Cabildos to be overpriced, and I would choose the Trinidad Topes over it any day. It’s possible that the Cabildos may improve with more aging, similar to other new UK releases like the Por Larranaga 47 and Bolivar Regentes. This might explain why there aren’t many online reviews from UK cigar smokers yet – who knows? Have you smoked one? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this cigar – leave a comment if you have!
Looking around, it seems that many cigar retailers still offer single Trinidad Cabildos cigars at various prices, though most boxes are sold out.
| Shop | Single cigar | Box of 5 |
| Davidoff of London | £196.00 | £888.00 (Sold Out) |
| CGars Ltd | – | £888.00 (Sold Out) |
| My Smoking Shop | £162.49 | £774.99 (Sold Out) |
| Havana House | £195.00 | £875.00 (Sold Out) |
| GQ Tobacco | £160.99 (Sold Out) | – |
| Smoke King | – | £799.00 |
As for the venue, The Soho Whisky Club is in a great central location, but it might be better to visit during the daytime when there’s a more relaxed vibe. Being a part whisky club, the building is quite lively. It’s a great place to sample a cigar and socialise with friends before heading out for a night on the town – but if you’re looking for a more relaxing atmosphere, you might want to try somewhere else.
You can find more information about Soho Whisky Club at https://www.sohowhisky.club/
Also, a special thanks to the club member for giving me the chance to sample such a cigar. Honestly, I never thought I’d get the chance to sample one. It was very kind. 🙏
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