Cigar Review: El Triunfador

October 14, 2008 5 Comments
El Triunfador

El Triunfador

I found out about this Pete Johnson creation on one of the cigar forums I visit. Nicknamed the Ghost Stick, it is of limited production and with me being the Pete Johnson whore that I am, I had to track these down and finding them was not easy. I located them eventually at Silo Cigars where I obtained a 5 pack.

The El Triunfador is a Cuban brand that features a similar label to the original. It is available in 1 size right now, and when other sizes are made they will have their own blends when they become available.

Cigar: El Triunfador
Origin: Nicaragua
Size: 7.5 x 38 (Lancero)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium / Full

Pre-Smoke: The cigar is not the type of vitola I like to smoke. In fact this is only the 2nd Lancero I have smoked all year despite it becoming trendy in the cigar world as of late. Many companies are jumping on the bandwagon like Oliva and Carlos Torano in producing this vitola.  Off of today’s cigar the wrapper offered notes of chocolate and the foot was very woody. While the pre-light draw was a nice combination of the two. The cigar was firm to the touch, with a lot of oils and veins. It featured a pigtail triple cap to complete the Cubanesque look.

Smoke: Upon lighting the cigar I was hit with sensory overload. The notes were popping off this stick all over the place. It took a while for me to break them down but the first third offered notes of vanilla, nuts and leather. As we approached the 2nd third the cigar has an exquisite burn line. The notes of vanilla and nuts remained and were joined by cinnamon. As we reached the final third of the cigar notes of chocolate, wood and leather finished the smoke.

Overall: I will admit this was a difficult cigar to break down. The onslaught of flavor at the beginning was insane. I can’t wait to revisit this cigar in a year and see how it has aged because I expect the cigar to be even better with age. It is yet another Pete Johnson masterpiece that continues to keep him the hottest in the business. The finish of the cigar was a nice leathery spice that lasted for quite some time.

Rating: 91
Price: $9.00