In the 1992 interview, Lara claimed that Trinidad was an exclusive brand that only Fidel Castro was authorized to hand out as diplomatic gifts.

Lara also claimed the Trinidad cigars were of a higher quality than the much-famous Cohibas that had formerly been diplomatic exclusives before their mass-market release in 1982.

In February 1998, the Trinidad brand was released for public consumption at an opening ceremony in the Habana Libre Hotel in Havana.

Though Martínez and others maintain that the blend did not change in the transition from a diplomatic gift to a mass-marketed cigar, the size did.

In November 2003, at a black-tie dinner hosted by British importer Hunters & Frankau at the Hilton Park Lane in London, England, three new sizes were debuted for the Trinidad line: the Coloniale, the Reyes, and the Robusto Extra.