Tag Archives: Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust

by Craig Vanderslice | May 12, 2024 · 10:13 am

Blackbird, Sobremesa, Cohiba and Brickhouse Cigars

First off, I’m really looking forward to going to the Smokonos event at Best Cigar Prices in Drums, PA next Saturday. There’s going to be a lot of the A-list cigar celebrities there, and a bunch of friends I haven’t seen in a long time. Unfortunately it’s sold out, but I hope to see some of you there! It’s a shame that it’s the same day as the Atlantic City Cigar Social, we had a nice time at that event last year. If you happen to be attending that event, say hello to my friend Dan at Bucksco Barrels! Wednesday evening we went to Parings Cigar Bar in Media, PA to visit with Jonas Santana of Blackbird Cigars, and his area broker Mark Weissenburger. We didn’t stay around for it, but he was hosting a tasting session with puritos and rum. I picked up some of my favorite Blackbird cigars, the Crow, and some of the new Superb in toro. I smoked a Supurb there, and had one Thursday night at home. This is a 6″ x 52 toro, where most of their toros are 54 ring gauge. It has a Habano wrapper and undisclosed binder and fillers. Jonas is very tight lipped about the blend, claiming he forgets, which I don’t buy for a minute. I speculated that it had Dominican Olor, and got nothing…I find it has a dryness that I associate with that tobacco. It also has some sweet spice, and was a very nice cigar. I generally don’t smoke the same cigar twice in a row unless it’s really good. It’s always nice to see Jonas and Mark, and the staff at Pairings is top notch. It’s one of the few cigar bars around the area, so if having a drink with your cigar is something you enjoy, check this place out if you’re in the Philadelphia area.

Friday evening came around and I decided it was the right time to smoke the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Brûlée Wagashi that was a generous Secret Santa gift from a fellow Craig. This is from the original CigarDojo release, not the new regular production. If I have to smoke a shade wrapped cigar, there are a short list of ones I’m attracted to, and the Brulee blend is one of them. I’ve had the Brulee and Brulee Blue, and I’d heard this was milder. Maybe so, but it was packed with sweet, nutty tobacco flavor right off the start. This is a box pressed, 6″ x 50 with a bun type pigtail cap. I think I liked this better than the previous two iterations of Brulee, and I like them a lot. Highly recommended.

I noticed that my friends at CigarMojo’s The Grove location (the one close to me) decided to use one of my pictures in an Instagram reel. I don’t mind, but a photo credit would be nice. Remember people, when you use someone’s intellectual property, it’s the right thing to do to give them credit. I left a snarky comment, but I might have to stop in and have a talk with them! Anyway, yesterday afternoon I watched some TV on the porch with a Cohiba Riviera Lancero, which, admittedly, had just arrived the day before. I let it rest overnight, it seemed fine, and I gave it the old Humidimeter test, but the prongs on the meter are ever so slightly narrower than the cigar, so it was really only reading from between the binder and wrapper. This is a box pressed 7″ x 38 with a San Andrés wrapper, Honduran grown Connecticut shade binder, and fillers from Honduras and Nicaragua, made at STG’s factory in Esteli. The box press makes it seems slimmer than 38 ring gauge. I really liked the Robusto size in this line, so I felt compelled to smoke this lancero. I really liked it. It has dark chocolate and espresso, and since I figured out that dark chocolate gives me migraines, I seek it out in cigars. The Lancero is actually the most affordable in the Riviera line at $15, the rest of them are in the $20 range, which means I won’t be smoking them. $15 I can handle and it’s a very nice smoke. It surprises me that it took this long for General to make a Cohiba in the Lancero size, considering how iconic the Cuban Cohiba Lancero. is.

I wanted to include a fourth cigar today, and I was hunting around the humidors for something I hadn’t written about yet, and it occured to me that I hadn’t talked about the Brickhouse Crystal Churchill from J.C.Newman. I’ve had a box in the humidor for a year or so and have smoked half a dozen. This is the 7¼” x 50 Habano wrapped Brickhouse in a glass tube. They come ten per box and run just under $10 each. I quite enjoy the Brickhouse line, they are Nicaraguan cigars that aren’t terribly expensive, but provide a good smoking experience. It’s on the leathery side, but I like it anyway! The tube doesn’t do much for me, although it’s a nice presentation, I worry about carrying glass around in my pocket, so would prefer aluminum tubes for portability. I like Churchills, and this is a good one (although it’s a couple rings oversized!).

That’s all for now, happy Mother’s Day to all who celebrate. Don’t forget the Smokin Tabacco Raffle for The CFCF! Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Blackbird Cigar Co., Brickhouse, Brulee, cigar, cigars, cohiba, Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust, J.C.Newman, lancero, Pairings, Riviera, Sobremesa, Supurb, Wagashi

by Craig Vanderslice | November 19, 2023 · 10:23 am

Aragón, Krakatoa, and Ozgener Cigars

It was another weird week for me at the day job, but that’s another story. I also finally smoked some of the Aganorsa Connoisseur Club Over-runs from 2021 that Trash Panda had that had finally dried out enough to smoke, and they were really quite good, but, sadly, are now sold out, so I’m not even going to mention them. It amazed me that it took three full weeks outside of the humidor for them to dry out. you could almost wring them out when you took them out of the “freshpack” they were so wet. Very good though, and I’m hit or miss on Aganorsa cigars. Anyway, enough about something that doesn’t exist, before I move on to cigars that do, there’s a little Pennsylvania legislative news that I’d like to touch on. Recently the industry groups like PCA and CRA have sent their members emails to contact legislators about a bill regarding indoor smoking that would close certain loopholes. The last bill left exemptions for certain situations. Apparently, in their great wisdom, they have decided to exempt cigar stores, lounges and cigar bars from this round of prohibition, which I suppose is a win. I don’t know that private clubs fares as well, which confuses me, as the are, uh….private? Anyway, keep on your legislators whenever these things come up, they have a responsibility to at least listen to you.

I have a co-worker who enjoys cigars, and I give him a few here and there. I was surprised when he handed me a cigar, because that not usually the way it works! I was even more surprised when it was something I hadn’t heard of, as was he. The cigar was called Aragón, and is a collaboration between three gentlemen (the “about” page is lacking in details), Carlos Abreu, Gregg Zahour (my co-worker’s connection), and Seth Joyner (some sort of football player or something like that). I smoked the Toro San Andrés, a 6″ x 52 cigar with a San Andrés wrapper and what they describe as a Dominican with a Special Blend of exotic tobacco for both the binder and the filler. I believe these are made in the Dominican Republic. This was a nice cigar, although it started out on the sharp side, but mellowed slightly. It retained some spice and earth throughout, whatever that “exotic” tobacco was, it was noticeable, almost reminded me of perique. It was a very interesting cigar, and these aren’t priced outrageously like a lot of small companies almost have to be. $11 a cigar really isn’t out of line for what is probably a pretty small production. Nice work, I need to do some more research on this as there’s a few local connections.

Friday was a physically taxing day, and I just wanted to relax when I got home. I should have dragged my ass a mile down the road to Cigar Mojo to hang out with Micky Pegg again, but my comfy chair and a Muestra de Saka Krakatoa called to me. Parking is a bitch over there on Friday nights and it’s not a great walk, not that I was up to it. Sorry, Micky, I’m a slug. Anyway, I settled in with the Krakatoa, the 6th cigar in the Muestra series. This is a 6″ x 48 with a cool pigtail cap. Saka calls it a “unique “volcano” spiral colita”, kind of pretentious, don’t ya think? It’s too pretty to cut off, though, but it must be done. This cigar was just what I needed after the day I had, it was perfection. It has an Ecuador Habano wrapper, a Sungrown Nicaraguan binder, and a blend of Nicaraguan Grown Broadleaf, Cuban Seed Criollo and a potent Corojo ligero in the filler. It’s great. Expect to see this, whatever your feelings on the matter, place highly on the Halfwheel Consensus, along with the Papa Saka and Red Meat Lovers, for two reasons. They are great cigars, and Saka time his media sample kits to encourage their inclusion. He knows what he’s doing. There’s a sweet spice at work throughout the cigar, with a hint of sugar cane near the end. This cigar made me happy, I’d probably even drop $18 on one. Maybe my favorite MdS to date.

Finally, a few weeks back while visiting the aforementioned Cigar Mojo location, I picked up an Ozgener Family Cigars Aramas A52. I had planned to smoke this earlier, but stuff came up and it got back-burnered. Last night I got to it. For those unaware, Ozgener is Tim Ozgener, son of Cano A. Ozgener, who founded CAO. Tim was running CAO when it sold, and took a decade off to pursue some other entrepreneurial interests. This Aramas is his second line in the Oz family series, after the Bosphorus, and is made at the Alianza factory under the supervision of Ernesto Carillo. I’ve always liked Ernesto’s stuff. This is another San Andrés wrapped cigar, with a Ecuador Sumatra binder and Dominican, Nicaraguan and Connecticut Broadleaf fillers. Hat tip to Developing Palates for the details, the Ozgener website is under construction. Minor criticism: it’s been over a year since Oz family launched and a functional website can be put together in a few hours? Remind me what year it is? Anyway, The cigar was great, lots of chocolaty, coffee flavors as one might expect. There was a hint of a licorice sort of flavor near the end that amused me. The draw was a bit snug, I might have liked it to have been a little more free with the smoke, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable smoke.

That’s all for today. I hope everyone who celebrates has a good Thanksgiving. Enjoy some great smokes after the gluttony, I know I will. Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Aragón, Aramas, cigar, cigars, Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust, Krakatoa, Muestra De Saka, Ozgener

by Craig Vanderslice | July 2, 2023 · 9:30 am

Some New Dunbarton Cigars and Some More Rebellion Cigars

I’m still working my way through the Rebellion line, but I figured I’d better smoke a couple cigars that I got at the Battleship Beef event that are going to be featured (along with a bunch of other stuff) at the Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust booth at the PCA show this coming week. If I waited another week others would have had a chance to smoke them and I wouldn’t be special any more, would I? :-). Yesterday afternoon, between chores, errands and a nap, I smoked the Mi Querida Black “PapaSaka”. This is a Corona Gorda shape in the Black line, which had previously only been available in the SakaKahn size, which was 7¼” x 54. It’s not a coincidence that this is the same size as the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur No. 1, as the SakaKahn started life as one of the JR anniversary cigars, and that cigar has a history there. The Black has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, San Andrés negro binder, and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. The 5 5/8 x 48 (2 rings larger than a corona gorda, I mis-stated earlier), seems quite a bit stronger to me, as I suspect it should. I smoked a few of the SakaKahns and while they were very good, I felt like they weren’t as focused in flavor as even the Blue band Mi Querida (admittedly my favorite, Ancho Larga especially). The PapaSaka has the espresso, spiciness that one would expect, with a bunch of strength. I definitely needed a nap after this cigar! Two thumbs up, look forward to getting my hands on more!

After dinner I had a Ribeye, a Red Meat Lovers Club Ribeye, that is. If I’m not mistaken, this cigar started life as the Meat Box, a Smoke Inn Micro Blend. This cigar is a 6″ x 52 Box Press with a pigtail cap. It has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and a San Andrés negro binder, like the Mi Querida Black, with fillers from Nicaragua and Pennsylvania. Oddly enough, this is the first Red Meat Lovers Club Cigar I’ve had. You’d think having known Saka for as long as I have, I’d have smoked all of his stuff, but I don’t go chasing his limited stuff down, actually most of the store exclusives he’s made have not made it my way. My general frugality may play into this as well. Clearly this shares DNA with the Mi Querida line, but there’s a, dare I say, meatiness, to it. Must be the Pennsylvania fillers that give it a hearty, savory flavor that offsets, and compliments the sweetness of the wrapper/binder combo. This was a really delicious cigar and I’ll be very interested to see how this does as a national release. I know Evan Darnel, who owns the Red Meat Lover’s Club brand, is beyond excited to have this cigar, as well has his brand, widely distributed.

Back to the Rebellion Cigars. Wednesday I posted my interview with Shaun Wilkinson, who owns the brand. I thought it was a good interview, and, since I’m not going to the PCA show, I figured I’d try to get a few remote interviews in where I can. I’ll include it again at the bottom of this post. I’ve been working my way through the selection of cigars Shaun sent, and smoked the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Toro from the Country Range. This 6″ x 50 toro has a Habano wrapper, Connecticut binder and fillers from Trojes and Copan in Honduras and Esteli in Nicaragua. Like the rest of the range, it’s made in a small factory in Honduras. Amongst all the samples I’ve smoked so far, the construction has been excellent, the 5 O’Clock Somewhere (named for an Alan Jackson song) was no different. It had a nice sugar cane sweetness, which I like, and a subtle spice. it was a very nice cigar. Funny enough, I’m not a country music fan at all, however, I found all three of the cigars in Rebellion’s Country Range to be really good.

As I’ve been typing this, I’ve been smoking the Rebellion Paradise City Robusto (5″ x 52) with my morning coffee. Obviously, Shaun is a Guns and Roses fan, he also has a limited edition cigar called the Sweet Child O’ Mine in the collection. I gave Shaun a bit of trademark advice in the video, now that I think of it, Mr. Brownstone is off the table for him (Esteban Carreras has it tied up). This Paradise City is the Connecticut Shade wrapped cigar in the Rockstar Range, with an Indonesian binder and fillers from Condega and Jalapa in Nicaraguan and Jamastran in Honduras. Most of my favorite shade wrapped cigars are Honduran in origin, and this one is very enjoyable. It’s got a lot of flavor, kind of a milk chocolate with some spice. It’s certainly not just a morning cigar, it could be enjoyed any time of the day. I’ve been quite pleasantly surprised with the Rebellion Cigars, still to come are the Ace of Spades and You Shook Me All Night Long, which I have sampled in the Gordo, but want to give the Toros a shot before presenting them here.

That’s all for today. Tuesday is the 4th of July. I have a few good cigars lined up to celebrate my wedding anniversary (36) and Independence Day. Try not to blow your fingers off with fireworks. Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as 5 O'Clock Somewhere, cigar, cigars, Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust, Mi Querida, Mi Querida Black, PapaSaka, Paradise City, Rebellion Cigars, Red Meat Lovers, Red Meat Lovers Club, Ribeye, RMLC

by Craig Vanderslice | November 20, 2022 · 9:00 am

Mi Querida Black and Muestra de Saka The Bewitched Cigars

At the PCA show I smoked both of these with Steve, but one really can’t get a good sense of a cigar in that environment. Neither was the first cigar of the day, and both were smoked while chatting. Of course, both cigar left me intrigued, and wanting to smoke them again under better circumstances. When Steve sent me the Liga Privada Pequeńos for the recent giveaway, he included a couple of each for me to sample. So, a few nights ago I sat down with another Mi Querida Black SakaKhan. This cigar is 7¼” x 54, which, if I’m not mistaken, is the same size as the classic Excalibur No.1. I could go look it up to verify, but I’m fairly confident. Like the Firecracker spawned the Mi Querida Triqui Traca, this cigar is based off the Dunbarton JR Cigars 50th Anniversary cigar. The SakaKhan moniker is one Steve got in the Navy, ironic in that his middle name is Genghis Khan’s birth name. The cigar has a beautiful Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, San Andrés binder and Nicaraguan, Honduran and Dominican fillers. I smoked a couple, and had similar experiences. I’m not sure if it’s the blend, or the size, but I found this milder than I probably should, or at least it takes a while to build. It was most certainly a Mi Querida, with the great Cocoa/Espresso flavors I love, with some spice. It just seemed a little dialed back, I think I’m more in the camp of the Blue and Red. I actually bought a few more the other night (I went to the Wooden Indian to hang out with Pedro Gomez from Drew Estate, where I smoked an Undercrown Dogma). I’ll smoke them, don’t worry.

I kinda wish I had gotten some more of this cigar instead of (or in addition to) the SakaKhan. The Muestra de Saka The Bewitched was originally an exclusive for the Owl Shop in Massachusetts. It’s 6 5/8″ x 48, which is a wonderful size. It is box pressed with a pigtail. Like the five Muestra de Sakas before it, it’s presented in a coffin with a yellow ribbon on the foot. It has a Habano wrapper, San Andrés binder (which is the same leaf that’s used as a wrapper on the Sin Compromiso), and Nicaraguan and USA fillers. US grown fillers, is it PA or Connecticut broadleaf? They grow some tobacco in Massachusetts, perhaps it’s something grown there? So, here’s the thing: I’ve smoked most of the cigars in Dunbarton‘s regular production range, I haven’t smoked any of the shop exclusive stuff, including the Red Meat Lovers Club stuff (Oh yeah, I have some of the Famous 80th cigars, but that’s it). You might think that knowing Steve for 25+ years I would hunt down every cigar he makes, but I don’t chase cigars. This cigar was simply amazing tasting. It started with a gentle spice which was more apparent on the retrohale. About an inch in I got some cinnamon, which I’ve tasted hints of a few times in cigars, but this one was quite obvious. This cinnamon, or canela, if you prefer, came and went throughout the smoke, which was a good two hours. Actually, it was a great two hours!) The burn strayed a couple times and I touched it up, but otherwise the experience was perfect. The only thing that would have made it better was if it was 75 degrees instead of 50 (porch temp). At least I’m not in Buffalo. So, I’m going to grab a few more of these next time I visit the Wooden Indian, they aren’t a cheap date, but well worth it!

That’s all for today, if I don’t get another post out before, Happy Thanksgiving to my USA based readers, smoked some great cigars after your feast, let me know if you want to stop by for one! Also, in two weeks time I’ll be going to the Cigar Heritage Festival in Tampa, so if you’re there, look for me! Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Black, cigar, cigars, Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust, Mi Querida, Muestra De Saka, SakaKhan, The Bewitched

by Craig Vanderslice | June 19, 2022 · 9:10 am

Red Meat Lovers Battleship New Jersey Meat and Cigars Event

Happy Father’s Day to everyone! Later today I will smoke an Esperanza Para Los Niños torpedo, a cigar which was my traditional Father’s Day cigar for the better part of 20 years, until I smoked the last cigar out of the box I bought in June of 2000. An old friend sent me the better part of a box earlier this year so I could continue the tradition, after taking last year off. For those unfamiliar, this cigar was made by Christian Eiroa with the help of some members of the alt.smokers.cigars Usenet group back in 1999 and sold to benefit children orphaned by hurricane Mitch. It’s a maduro cigar, and the last one’s I smoked had held up well over the 20 years, we’ll see how they’ve continued to mature later today! Thanks Roger Farnsworth!

Thursday evening we had the great fortune of attending the Red Meat Lover’s Club “meating” on the Battleship New Jersey, which is docked right across the river from Philadelphia in Camden, NJ. I’ve seen it, but never been aboard, one day I would love to go back and take the tour. It’s a big ship, and we dined on the fantail. The event was a benefit for the ship, and it’s my hope that a substantial sum was raised, I know that we contributed through the silent auction (my wife purchased a Beatles piece). We arrived early and hung out with Steve Saka (my wife now refers to him as “SquishySquatch”), who was also early, so that was nice. The food was amazing and abundant. Guys were walking around sucking on tomahawk bones, we had cheese steaks, smashburgers, delicious ribeye, and “macaroni and cheese” from an outfit from my wife’s ancestral home of Abruzzo, Italy. I was trying to steer (😉) clear of carbs and stick to proteins at this event, but the pasta was outrageously good. I also got sucked into some rolls, as the cheesesteak and smashburgers seemed to be a bad idea without them. I consumed a satisfying amount, and they had cookies too! I skipped the pig, and there was something salad-like I saw (that’s what food eats!) Evan Darnell, the secretary of steak, the head cheese, the ringleader of this whole thing, put on an amazing event. We even got to hang out with some old and new friends! Kevin and Jessica from CigarProp were there, and I finally got to meat and hang out with Lee McClain, LeeMack912 on Youtube. Lee was one of those guys who, even though you’ve never met, you feel like you know, and you’re instant friends, great dude. We also met some other great folks there, and saw other old friends, it was a good time. I highly recommend attending a Red Meat Lovers Club event if one comes to your area. Since Saka was the cigar sponsor, of course the cigars were outstanding, everyone got a bag with a Sobremesa Brulee, a Mi Querida and a Sin Compromiso, all top notch smokes. Casa de Montecristo was there selling Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust cigars as well. Let me tell you, there’s not many things better than a Sin Compromiso after a smorgasbord of meat! Thanks Evan!