Todos Las Dias Double Wide Belicoso and an Umbagog Cigar

A couple of weeks ago I smoked a Todos Las Dias from Steve Saka’s Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust in the Robusto size that Steve gave me at the IPCPR show after testing the internal humidity (video here), ironically the cigar smoked wetter than I’d like. I saw the promise, and was anxious to revisit the cigar. While I was at 2 Guys in New Hampshire last weekend I picked up a couple of the Double Wide Belicoso, the 4.75″x 60 figurado which is identical in size to the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Gran Consul and the Rosalones 460, using the same molds and made in the same factory. The Todos Las Dias (Steve’s Spanglish for “All the Days”) is a Nicaraguan puro, with a sungrown Nicaraguan wrapper, and fillers from Esteli and Jalapa. I’m sure I’m oversimplifying as I don’t have the farms and primings that Steve usually supplies. So, I did something I don’t usually do this week and smoked the two Double Wide Belicosos I brought back from New Hampshire.

Let me preface what I’m about to say with this: Saka has been telling me for years that his cigars aren’t for everyone and he’d rather make cigars that some people love than something everyone likes, or something like that. I found that I wasn’t getting this cigar, which is why I’m smoked two. It’s got some strength, that’s for sure, but I found it more on the savory side, lacking the sweetness I like in a cigar. I missed the dark chocolate and chili pepper that I should’ve  gotten, per the info from Dunbarton. The burn was great, and I smoked it to a nub, and didn’t feel any effects of the strength. I still have a couple more in the humidor that I look forward to smoking in a few months. Perhaps I’ve finally found one of Steve’s cigars I don’t love. I’ve loved his other offerings, perhaps my expectations were too high? Just because I didn’t love it doesn’t mean others won’t

Tonight I went for a cigar I do love, the Umbagog Corona Gorda, the 6″x48, which is the ugly sibling of the Mi Querida Fino Larga. The Umbagog uses the same Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper as the Mi Querida that Steve deems too unattractive to use on that line. I don’t know what he’s looking at, there was not a damn thing wrong with it. Certainly it’s a hearty leaf, and the fillers may not be exactly the same as the Mi Querida, which I smoked and enjoyed last week. The Umbagog smoked great, it was exactly what I like in a cigar, rich, sweet and well-behaved. Since these are fairly limited due to production being predicated on wrapper being the rejects of the more expensive line, and costing the same, if Steve lowered his standards they would be even more scarce. He won’t lower his standards though. The Umbagog, like the Mi Querida, is one of my favorite cigars.

Here’s a couple of links to check out when you get a chance:

https://cigarsforbeginners.famous-smoke.com/

https://www.holts.com/clubhouse/

There’s only a few days left to get in on the CigarCraig.com Secret Santa exchange. We need an even number so I can jump in! Email me your name and address!

That’s all for tonight, until the next time,

CigarCraig