Dunbarton Mi Querida Black Prelight
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust was formed in 2015 by industry veteran Steve Saka. Saka served as the President, then CEO of Drew Estate from 2005 to 2013. Steve Saka stepped away in 2015 to start Dunbarton, and has been at the helm ever since.
The Mi Querida Black was originally blended as a limited edition cigar to commemorate JR Cigar’s 50th Anniversary, but in a different vitola. The Mi Querida Black in the PapaSaka vitola was released after the 2023 PCA show, and is what I’ll be smoking today. Its dimensions are 5.63″ x 48. The blend is composed of Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over a San Andres Negro binder, and filler leaves from Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. The cigars are rolled in Nicaragua at Nicaragua American Cigars S.A.
This specific example has an exceptionally oily wrapper, with great tooth, and a dark chocolate color. The cap is not quite a pigtail but is actually a very neatly tied knot. There’s a lot of sweet bready notes from the foot, and wrapper. A punch cut shows a perfectly snug draw, with notes of deep earthy cocoa. I carefully lit this one with a torch lighter.
Dunbarton Mi Querida Black First Third
This cigar hits you in the face with Connecticut Broadleaf flavors right off the bat. Cocoa nibs, and black bread are at the forefront. Smoke output is also fantastic out the gate. I’m picking up notes of cocoa nibs, and deeply toasted bread on the palate. The retrohale is showing rich dark chocolate, some meatiness, and a tickle of black pepper. The profile is deep, and sweet but it still feels like it’s warming up a bit. Construction is top notch. The wrapper has some excellent toothiness. Finish is medium, smoke texture is thick, and output is very strong.
Dunbarton Mi Querida Black Second Third
The deep satiating chocolate note is front and center here. The blend is masterfully mixing that chocolate note with some toasty and savory flavors. The profile manages to be deeply chocolatey, but isn’t dessert like at all. Cocoa nibs, hard pretzels, and a touch of leather on the palate. Rich dark chocolate, smoked meat, and a tickle of black pepper on the retrohale. This is the pinnacle of Connecticut Broadleaf flavors. Ash, and construction are at the top of the heap. There’s a medium finish that tastes a lot like a bittersweet chocolate morsel. The smoke texture is thick, and output is still fantastic.
Dunbarton Mi Querida Black Final Third
The black pepper has almost entirely dissipated here in the final third. What we’re left with now is deep earthy chocolate sweetness, and meaty umami notes. Cocoa nibs, sweet earth, and pretzels on the palate. Rich dark chocolate, some stout, an the tiniest hint of black pepper on the retro. The finish here is very impressive. Past the band the notes are slowly falling off, but there is an impressive lack of harshness. I don’t believe I’ve ever said this before, but I actually miss the balance the pepper was offering. The main tones are now dry cocoa and some meatiness. I happily rode this one down all the way to the nub.
Dunbarton Mi Querida Black Conclusions
The Mi Querida Black PapaSaka was at the top of many “Best of 2023” lists. I tend to take those with a pretty massive grain of salt, as the hype train can push a lot of middling blends to the top, even when they don’t deserve it. The Mi Querida Black has earned every bit of hype. This blend has Steve Saka’s fingerprints all over it. The deep earthy chocolate notes, and the smoky, satiating meatiness are something I pick up in a lot of his blends. Dunbarton has a stellar reputation when it comes to construction, and this is no exception. If you’re a fan of Connecticut Broadleaf you’d be very hard pressed to find a better example of the style. The interplay of the chocolatey Broadleaf notes, and the San Andres smoky flavors are really what put this blend over the top for me. At ~$14 USD this cigar punches well above its weight. If you’ve had this one, you already know how good it is, but if you haven’t… What are you waiting for?
