A nacatamale is a conventional dish found in Nicaragua and Honduras like the tamale. The nacatamale often made in conventional Nicaraguan cooking and it is an occasion regularly saved for Sundays at mid-morning. It is normally eaten together with bread and coffee. It is usual to appreciate nacatamales for special occasions and to welcome more distant family and neighbors to share. Today we are reviewing the Dunbarton T&T | Muestra de Saka Nacatamale
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
In 2017 Steve Saka released the second cigar in his Muestra de Saka line, a 6 x 48 toro, the Nacatamale. The idea behind the Nacatamale was to try to incorporate all filler tobacco coming from the same farm, in this case, an undisclosed one in Jalapa.
“For over a century most cigars’ entire filler recipes were comprised of just one farm’s tobacco and any complexity was introduced by extremely careful leaf processing, selection and positioning within the bunch,” said Saka in a press release. “Whereas these days as we have hundreds of ingredients to work and blend with to create interesting and satisfying ligas. So, the challenge was to see if I could make an ‘old farm’ style liga that could hold its own with the modern blends created today. ”
Besides the filler, the wrapper is an Ecuadorian habano, and the binder comes from Nicaragua. Pricing it set at $15.95 per cigar, or $111.65 for a box of seven, each coming in slide-lid coffins. Explaining the theme of the Muestra de Saka line, Saka says “muestras are hoarded and coveted by not only their makers, but by the cigar smokers who seek to catch a glimpse into the cigarmaker’s soul within their smoke. Muestra de Saka is just that. A line of unique blends and vitolas made in extremely limited quantities that reflect the blending machinations of myself. To smoke a Muestra de Saka is to embark upon a journey with me in which I greatly welcome your companionship.”
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 48
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Fabrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua S.A.
Blender: Steve Saka
Number of reviewers: 4 – John I. (John I.) Alan(Eulogy) Dave W. (mdwest) Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)
Price: $15.95
Age: 2 Months
Release Date: November 2017
Contributed by: Dunbarton Tobaco and Trust
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 93
“Really sexy, deep dark toro with a twist of tobacco at the head. ” –John I. (John I.)
Aroma: 88
Blind Cigar Review: Dunbarton T&T | Muestra de Saka Nacatamale
“The wrapper itself has a dry hay and tobacco aroma. The predraw has a nice white pepper, rich tobacco, and oily mouth feel. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
“Off to a great start upon lighting. Seems pretty potent right out of the gate. Lots of bright pepper and rich earthy flavor. Leave a nice tingly burn on the retrohale. Once things warm up some, there are some slightly sweet notes of dried fruit but the power isn’t diminished. The only downside is that the draw seems slightly compromised. It’s taking a little work to keep it going. I’m keeping hope alive that we burn through the issue. Toward the end of the third the draw continues to be problematic, and it’s canoeing pretty significantly. Construction seemed really nice initially, but things are falling apart pretty quickly. ” –John I. (John I.)
Blind Cigar Review: Dunbarton T&T | Muestra de Saka Nacatamale
“There’s an extreme level of oily pepper on the draw. It’s not enough to overpower the rest of the flavors but it’s aggressive and keeps your attention. The notes of rich tobacco are pleasant after the pepper settles on the back of the tongue. There’s not a lot of flavors that are being produced but the strength and richness of flavors keep it exciting. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
“The construction and smoke output is topnotch. The pepper has backed off a little from the first third but still has a strong upfront presence that backs off and allows the rich tobacco and leather flavors balance out the finish. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
Blind Cigar Review: Dunbarton T&T | Muestra de Saka Nacatamale
“The middle of the cigar starts to balance out. Some bright notes of citrus and hints of a leather aroma join with that dark espresso in the background. That nice combination plays out through the rest of this middle third. ” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)
“The final third is far more mellow than the first two thirds. Pepper still coats the back of the tongue. The forward notes of leather, pepper, and wood are much more pronounced since the almost extreme level of pepper has tapered off a bit. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
Blind Cigar Review: Dunbarton T&T | Muestra de Saka Nacatamale
“Other than continuing to mellow and smooth out to an almost silky textured smoke, there are no detectable changes from the second to the final third, with the strength and flavor profile remaining the same. ” –Dave W. (mdwest)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 89
“There’s an excellent level of smoke produced and the draw is near perfect with just the right amount of resistance. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
Burn: 87
Blind Cigar Review: Dunbarton T&T | Muestra de Saka Nacatamale
“This stick provided consistent combustion from beginning to end and required zero maintenance. The cigar produced a surprisingly dark and flaky appearing ash, but the ash had no problem holding on for lengths up to 2″ despite being constantly shook around while I took this smoke on an afternoon walk. ” –Dave W. (mdwest)
Construction: 90
“Aesthetically pleasing and solid performance tell me this was a well constructed cigar. No complaints here at all. ” –Dave W. (mdwest)
“I wish “disappointing” were an option here. I think there were some potentially good things going on here that weren’t accessible due to really significant issues with construction. It’s a shame. ” –John I. (John I.)
“One of the best cigars that I have smoked in awhile. The flavors were rich, but nothing exotic, it did meld into a very pleasant overall experience and I would certainly ” –Alan (Eulogy)
Blind Cigar Review: Dunbarton T&T | Muestra de Saka Nacatamale
“Overall a very pleasant stick. Once it started mellowing out a little bit the cigar became a very nice smoke. This is one I’ll be looking at more closely after the reveal, and would consider a box purchase on if the price is right. ” –Dave W. (mdwest)
“This cigar had some good nuance later on, albeit the beginning was almost pure pepper. As it mellowed, it had some nice combinations in the overall profile. I would reach for one of these again. ” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
Blind Cigar Review: Dunbarton T&T | Muestra de Saka Nacatamale
Overall Score – 90 – Very Good
Blind Cigar Review: Dunbarton T&T | Muestra de Saka Nacatamale
Summary
"Overall a very pleasant stick. Once it started mellowing out a little bit the cigar became a very nice smoke. This is one I'll be looking at more closely after the reveal, and would consider a box purchase on if the price is right. " -Dave W. (mdwest)
