Category Archives: News

I’ve smoked the Brulee, the Brulee is spectacular. It’s a must try when these become available, whether you like Connecticut shade cigars or not. Saka put his spin on the classic mild(er) cigar and it’s a good one.  Check out what he has to say about it:  

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust® will be debuting the Sobremesa Brûlée® blend of fine handmade cigars at this year’s 87th Annual Convention of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association in Las Vegas, Nevada, June 28th through July 2nd, 2019.

“Sobremesa Brûlée is a recreation of the milder, shade wrapped ligas of my early years. Somewhere over the last three decades many of the classic shade cigars have become wispy, uninspiring and rather dull to my palate. I wanted to share with others the way I remember these blonde cigars being,” states Master Blender Steve Saka. “Also as ligador and tobacco man, I do not understand the recent trend of making strong Connecticut Shade cigars aka “not your grandfather’s cigar”. To me this seems like an oxymoron and a fundamental lack of appreciation of the enchanting characteristics and nuances of shade grown Connecticut Seed tobaccos. In Brûlée, I embraced this shade capa and dedicated myself to showcasing its mild, sweet and nutty nature.”

He continues to add, “The Brûlée is a variation of the core Sobremesa® liga in which the Pennsylvania Seedleaf ligero has been removed, the Condega Seco has been increased and the wrapper is replaced with a top shelf grade of BW Ecuador Connecticut Shade leaf. The result is a milder, even smoother adaptation of the Sobremesa blend that does not sacrifice its wonderfully complex flavors or aromas. This is not a cigar to be smoked casually, but rather a relaxing smoking experience meant to be savored slowly.”

Sobremesa Brûlée will be offered to Select Purveyors and it will be available in three vitolas: Brûlée Robusto – 5.25 x 52, Brûlée Toro – 6.00 x 52 and the Brûlée Gordo 6.25 x 60. Packed in 13 count dress boxes, the MSRP ranges from $12.45 to $13.95 per cigar. Initial availability will be very limited.
The anticipated ship date to those Select Purveyors who order at this year’s tradeshow is July 2019.

Sobremesa Brûlée
Crafted by Joya de Nicaragua, S.A.
Master Blender: Sr. Steve Saka
Esteli, Nicaragua

Sobremesa, “over the table”, has no precise English translation, perhaps because there is no cultural equivalent in the US. It is an idiom used among the Latin culture to describe the leisurely time spent tableside after you have finished dining, but before you rise. It is the experience of lingering casually with family and friends in conversation, relaxing, drinking, smoking, and enjoying each other’s company. Sobremesa is one of life’s simplest, yet greatest pleasures.

The Brûlée is a variation of the core Sobremesa liga in which the Pennsylvania Seedleaf ligero has been removed, the Condega Seco has been increased and the Capa is now a top shelf grade of Ecuador Connecticut Shade. The result is a milder, even smoother adaptation of the Sobremesa blend that continues to retain its wonderfully complex flavors and aromas.

Frontmarks:
Brûlée Robusto – 5.25 x 52, Brûlée Toro – 6.00 x 52, Brûlée Gordo –  6.25 x 60 all in a 13ct Semi-Dressed FBN Box.

Liga Details:
Capa:Ecuador Connecticut Shade G2BW

Capote: San Andreas Negro

Tripa: Nicaraguan
Forteleza: Mild-Medium

Flavor Profile:A creamy liga with softer flavors of cedar, caramel and café, which are complimented by its inherent sweetness being allowed to blossom on the palate and nose – a nuttiness is also apparent within this blend.

Puro Style:Milder, yet flavorful and satisfying. Good for both the inexperienced
and experienced palate.

Maker’s Notes:

• My recreation of the mild shade ligas of my youth. Somewhere over the last three decades most Shade cigars have become wispy and uninspiring, dull and flat. I wanted to share with others the way I remember these blonde cigars to be.
• As a blender, I do not understand the recent trend to make biting CT Shade cigars aka “not your grandfather’s shade cigar”. I view these as a novelty at best, in Brûlée I embraced the shade wrapper and worked to showcase its mild, sweet and nutty nature.
• This cigar is a departure from the robust, full bodied blends I am best known for.
• Not a cigar to be rushed through, it deserves relaxed focus to best be enjoyed.

About Steve Saka

Regarded as a cigar expert throughout the industry, he is credited as being an experienced cigar blender and maker, a prolific author regarding cigars and black tobaccos, a forefather within the online media segment and a dynamic tobacco industry executive. In 2000, he worked directly for Lew Rothman, the former owner of JR Cigar, as an executive consultant for four years and he subsequently served as the President, then CEO of Drew Estate from 2005 through 2013. In 2015, he established the family held Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust to craft and distribute traditional handmade puros. For more information, please visit: www.dunbartoncigars.com.
®Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, Sobremesa Brûlée and Sobremesa are registered trademarks of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust and/or affiliated companies.