Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust

In late 2022, Steve Saka well known cigar maker and blender released the Mi Querida Black SakaKhan from his Dunbarton and Tobacco & Trust company. This is a large imposing dark Churchill with a pigtail cap. The name Sakakhan is said by Steve himself to be a nickname of his. Smoking this blind, I set aside a healthy amount of time to sit and experience this cigar. Read on.

Blend Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed:  Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black SakaKhan
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Mexican San Andres’
• Filler: Dominican, Honduran, Nicaraguan 
• Size: 7” ¼ x 54 (Churchill)

Blind Review Notes: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black SakaKhan

Appearance & Construction 

This is one large dark maduro cigar with a tight pigtail cap. It’s rather veiny and firm to the touch. As I roll the cigar in my palm, I can see how well crafted the smoke is. The foot smells of cocoa, biscuit, and hay. 

Taste & Smoke Characteristics

With my Xikar I make a straight cut just below the pigtail which leaves a clean impression. The dry draw is airy and dusty with little flavor coming from it. Using a single flame, I take a I light and there’s leather and a grittiness to start. Notes of vanilla bean and brioche come forward as the cigar develops. Thus far the smoke is in the medium bodied range with a wavy whitish gray ash. With a retrohale I pick up coffee and earth with a sharpness on the finish.

The second half picks up with pepper on my lips and hitting the back of my throat. There’s more vanilla sweetness mixed with tea and wood with a short finish. Plenty of smoke is produced while taking a slow cool draw off this large Churchill.  I take another retrohale which delivers roasted nuts and oolong tea. There’s a bit more fullness in the body however I still feel it’s on the latter end of medium. The wavy burn line has corrected itself and is looking sharp. 

Reaching the final third there’s a transition in flavor with more earth notes followed by dry cedar. The drying sensation intensifies as I puff away bringing strong leather, wood along with black pepper. I’m finding the retrohale delivers the most strength from this cigar as I pick up spices and forest floor which lingers on my palate. This is one of the longer finishes of this smoke. As I take a final draw there’s a pleasant sweetness that rounds out this Churchill. 

Conclusion

For such a large cigar I was pleased that it was not too strong as to saturate my palate by the end of it. The leather, vanilla and wood notes were pleasing if not just a bit short on the finish. The middle of the smoke offered tea and roasted nuts that added to its complexity. Towards the end the cigar became drying on the sides of my mouth however the sweet finish redeem itself. I’ve enjoyed a few of Steve Saka’s blends and if you enjoy a long smoke and dedicate your time, SakaKhan is worth your time. 

Final Rating: 89

There are few boutique brands on the market today that carry the kind of reputation for craftsmanship and skill as Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust. In just a few short years, Steve Saka has turned this once-unknown brand into something of a household name among boutique cigar smokers. And, as you’ll find out in this review, for good reason.

Blend Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Rosado
• Binder: Mexican
• Filler: Nicaraguan / Pennsylvania Broadleaf ligero
• Size: 5.2″ x 44 Corona Grande

Appearance & Construction

Sobremesa comes wrapped in a beautiful rosado wrapper finished with a golden band resembling a crown. The outer wrapper is smooth to the touch with a slight layer of oil and just one major vein running from the cap to about the second third.

When squeezed, the cigar has a fair amount of give, but it seems packed consistently throughout. The draw is perfect, a 7/10 in terms of restrictiveness, and the cold draw reveals notes of white pepper, spices, earth, and sweet granola.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

Once lit, the Sobremesa Corona Grande produces plumes of thick, mild-bodied, white smoke. The first word that comes to my mind after a few puffs is finesse. The smoke is light, incredibly smooth, but quite flavorful. And a unique flavor profile it is. Lots of almonds, light baking spices, paper, a touch of saltiness, and a slight bitterness on the palate. The retrohale mimics the palate, with an almost imperceptible strength and flavors of almonds, cinnamon, and oats. As the white ash develops past the first half inch, the burn is razor sharp.

The flavors on the Sobremesa Corona Grande begin developing more at about an inch or more in. Strength and body are now solidly at mild, and the profile is moving away from soft bitterness on the palate and more toward sweetness, something akin to snickerdoodle cookies. Some wood sneaks its way in as well, along with some faint vegetal notes that are barely perceptible. Lastly, there’s also a bit of spice that comes in and out on the palate but is felt more consistently on the retrohale, giving a bit more dimension to the smoking experience. It’s an excellent continuation of the story, but I’m ready for a bit more strength and body to this smoke.

While the Sobremesa does indeed continue its slow climb in strength for most of the second third, it only barely makes it above medium by the beginning of the final third. That said, it retains its almost unbelievable amount of smoothness with each puff, which in and of itself is quite a feat.

As the cigar burns into the final third, the strength finally kicks in, moving up to just below medium. The palate gets a bit rougher, but adds more flavors, including charred wood, bitter dark chocolate, and a well-defined black pepper on the tip of the tongue that’s also quite evident on the retrohale. As the strength increases, there are times that a bit of harshness enters the smoke, but by and large it’s a well-integrated conclusion to the cigar.

Conclusion

To me, Sobremesa Corona Grande is the kind of cigar that’s creates such an elegant sensation on the palate that, once experienced, it’s really quite impossible to buy the whole “Cubans are best” party line that I see touted so often on platforms like Instagram. The cigar puts together a well-crafted, compelling flavor story. The only thing holding this cigar back from a higher score is its overall mildness which I wish would have ramped up a bit earlier. Of course, that’s a subjective note, but it’s my honest opinion. I’d be curious to see how other sizes perform with respect to this observation.

Either way, this is a cigar to seek out.

Final Rating; 92