Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust and Cigar Dojo are collaborating on a new Japanese-Themed Sobremesa Cigar. This marks the first time the two companies have collaborated on a cigar. The cigar is the Sobremesa Brûlée “Wagashi” 和菓子, a slightly tweaked version of the original Sobremesa Brûlée blue, Japanese-inspired twist. The name comes from a dessert delicacy of Japan that rose to cultural import during the Edo Period (1603-1857).
I have been tinkering with a larger format of my Sobremesa Brulée Blue liga for a couple of years on and off. My original intent was to craft a ‘Big Blue,’ but when the opportunity arose to create something special for Dojo, it refocused my efforts, as the Brulée blend is one of Sensei’s favorites. Trunk pressing this liga proved to be quite a challenge, not only due to bruising and splitting of the shade wrappers, but how it impacted the flavor and burn. It required so many iterations of the blend, and to perfect the prensado techniques utilized, there were times where I thought about just saying ‘Uncle!.’ But I am really glad I stuck with it, as I am ecstatic with the end result. The bar established by our Blue is extremely high, but I believe the Wagashi rivals it both in flavor and aroma, while also being unique with its own distinct character.
Steve Saka, owner and founder of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
Like the rest of the Sobremesa line, Wagashi is rolled at the Joya de Nicaragua factory in
Nicaragua. The cigar itself comes in just one size, a 6″ x 50 toro. A press release noted that no only does the cigar embody Japanese wagashi in profile, but the box-pressed shape of the toro is reminiscent of yōkan-style wagashi, which is served in rectangular blocks.
The new cigar also gets some new packaging to set itself apart from the rest of the Sobremesa line, using an emerald green palette which is a nod to the green tea pairing commonly served with wagashi pastries.
It’s no secret how much the Dojo loves the Sobremesa Brûlée, so when Steve showed interest in collaborating on a cigar in that lineup, we literally did backflips at Dojo headquarters. The Wagashi is going to be a figurative and literal treat for premium cigar smokers.
Eric Guttormson, owner of Cigar Dojo
The blend for Sobremesa Brûlée “Wagashi” 和菓子 uses an Ecuador Connecticut Shade G2BW wrapper, San Andreas Negro binder, and Nicaraguan (Select Grades Only) fillers. Production is limited, but not disclosed. It comes in boxes of 13 cigars that retail for $233.35 ($17.95/cigar).
Wagashi will be sold through an exclusive pre-order sale through retailer Smoke Inn Cigars. Pre-order sales will start April 20th at 12pm (EDT) on Smoke Inn’s online storefront, where each box of Wagashi can be secured for a $30 non-refundable / non-transferable deposit. There will be no limit on the quantity of boxes that may be purchased, and the pre-order value will be applied to the cost of the final product when Wagashi goes live this November. When the product becomes available for shipment later this fall, purchasers will receive an email and a notification in their Smoke Inn account, allowing for the completion of the sale. Those that pre-order will have 30 days to complete their order once Wagashi goes live, and those that fail to do so will forfeit their order(s) and $30 deposit(s). Additionally, those that pre-order Wagashi cigars will receive a limited-edition,
collectable challenge coin featuring custom artwork that features Cigar Dojo, Dunbarton, Smoke Inn, and Wagashi logos.
