Dunbarton Muestra de Saka Nacatamale

Dunbarton Muestra de Saka Nacatamale is made with a Nicaraguan binder and filler and covered in smooth chocolate brown Ecuador Habano wrapper with a slight oily sheen and unnoticeable seams and veins. Ugh, Charlie Brown! It has pigtail. Off with its head! Out comes the V cutter.

The cigar comes in a coffin - for Halloween or is it standard operating procedure? The stick itself has only a ribbon footer proclaiming it a “Nacatamale.” I was curious. I looked it up. Nacatamale is a traditional Central American dish eaten with a knife and fork, which explains the tiny knife and fork at the bottom part of the coffin which exclaims the cigar is a “Muestra de Saka.” A lot of work before you even get to light this stick. Whew!

Cedar with notes of hickory, mild spice/pepper, peanuts & hazelnuts, creaminess, chocolate, a taste like 3 Musketeers, a sort of licorice twist candy note, and a floral hint. A lot going on in the first few minutes. Hey! It’s a Dunbarton. Usually the case. Increased pepper and citrus show up in the background during the second third. I liked the flavors through the second third, but they didn’t really Wow me. Then it blossomed into the Dunbarton I expected.

Heading into the final third, notes of coffee or espresso – like something exotic a barista would concoct – show up. Now the nuts and citrus recede to the background only to reappear before the end of the smoke. The wood now hints of freshly sawed lumber. Some dried fruit, a different array of spices, mint, molasses and vanilla bean sneak in adding to a slow building, long transitioning, subtle complexity. Medium bodied, medium strength is consistent throughout this cigar. The retrohale kicks your butt with a blast of pepper and wood.

Construction: superb draw, a generous smoke output, a round even burn line throughout. The only flaw was the ash which fell off twice and quite unexpectedly both times. Hey, give me some notice so it doesn’t fall off into my drink. At least, it didn’t disturb the burn line – still even.

You have to give the Dunbarton Muestra de Saka Nacatamale time and patience to fully appreciate the experience. This cigar starts out intriguing, builds and finishes strong. The flavors meld together admirably – smooth and subtle. They take their time developing, transitioning and gradually adding complexity. If I had written this review after smoking only the first third, I would have likely rated it a 4. You can’t judge the finale of this cigar by the first or second third. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Join The Lounge