Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black PapaSaka – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

At the PCA tradeshow this past July, Dunbarotn Tobacco & Trust showed off a new size in the Mi Querida Black line, PapaSaka. The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black PapaSaka measures 5 5/8 x 48 in a parejo format. The new cigar comes in boxes of 10 cigars. The blend uses a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, Mexican San Andrés negro binder, and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. Like the rest of the Mi Querida line, the black is rolled at Nicaragua American Cigar S.A. (NACSA) in Estelí, Nicaragua. The PapaSaka is said to be a bit bolder than the rest of the Black line.

Production is limited to 3,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars for a total of 35,000 Total Cigars. Each cigar has an MSRP of $15.95, or $159.50 for the box.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Corona Gorda
Length: 5 5/8″
Ring Gauge: 48
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: USA Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Mexican San Andrés negro
Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua
Factory: Nicaraguan American Cigar S.A. (NACSA)
Blender: Steve Saka
Number of reviewers: 5 – Jason H. (Jokey Smurf) John A. (Bostoneo) Alan (Eulogy) Mickey T. (irratebass) Quinn (quinnpins269)
Price: $15.95
Age: 2 Months
Release Date: August 2023
Contributed by: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust

Initial Impressions – Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black PapaSaka

Appearance: 94

“I'm sold with the man bun twist at the cap. It adds a nice but of flair to the cigar that already looks great. The seams are drum-tight, the triple cap is large and well-applied, and the body is firm to the touch. The wrapper is very dark brown almost black but there is a bit of discoloration in the veins.” –Alan (Eulogy)

Aroma: 91

“The initial aroma had some nice earthiness to it.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)

First Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“I'm finding it sort of mild with notes of tobacco, cedar, mild pepper, and pencil lead. The draw is good and the smoke output is great but there isn't a ton going on so far.” –Alan (Eulogy)

“Let us light this bad boy up! Intense black pepper and char start the show. As this sample settles & begins to normalize, I am left with a leathery profile containing flavors of medium pepper, malt, and a bit of soy sauce. This tasty combination remains steady, with a bit of amplification of flavors while it progresses towards the end of this third.” –John A. (Bostoneo)

Second Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“The black pepper continued to be at the front for me. A sweetness similar to coco also came in, which was nice to take the edge off of the black pepper. I did notice a small split in the wrapper during the second third. Luckily the cigar burned through it with no hiccups or touch-ups needed.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)

“The strength is still at a mild/medium. The flavor profile hasn't really changed, it's still a light smooth creamy smoke which I am finding more enjoyable with each sip.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

Final Third

Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“The final portion of this cigar has completely transitioned away from the herbal black tea and is now much fuller bodied with heavy leather and oak. Through the nose the light chili pepper has remained and serves as a fine pairing with the palate notes.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

“For me, the strength ramped up in the final third and stuck around till the end. I kept getting a honey roasted peanut profile that went nicely with the pepper and some mineral notes. The smoke continued to be in abundance and have a nice texture to it.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)

Overall Impressions – Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black PapaSaka

Draw: 90

“During the first third I felt the draw was on the snugger side. I was able to produce a fair amount of smoke with each puff, but it took a bit more effort than I prefer. As I smoked the remaining thirds it opened up nicely and finished well.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)

Burn: 91

“Razor sharp burn without the need for any further touchups past the light up.” –John A. (Bostoneo)

Construction: 93

“Everything looked great prelight with a well-applied man bun cap, tight seams, and firm body prelight. It is a great looking and well-made cigar.” –Alan (Eulogy)

Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Experience Overall: 92

“This was a really nice experience for me. The cigar eased me into its flavor profile and gently built into its fuller bodied finish with subtlety and grace. I like a full bodied smoke and the finish was just that…Rich and full but not overpowering or off-putting. I would gladly try another and would recommend to another smoker.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

“This was a decent cigar, albeit not one I'd reach for myself given my personal preferences; however I am sure this will wet many folks whistle! The main flavors were medium to full bodied and fairly consistent with big leather, pepper, soy sauce & even earthy notes reared their head on this sample. It was all quite impressive & could have been even better if the draw was a tad looser to fully experience what this cigar had to offer. I'd love to give this one another go.” –John A. (Bostoneo)

“The flavors were consistent from start to finish. It did pick up at the end with richer notes but this is a very relaxing mild cigar to me. If you're a fan of mild cigars this is a real winner.” –Alan (Eulogy)

“Overall this was a very good mild to medium smoke with lots of floral and cream flavors. I did pick up some earthy notes on the tail end. It smoked very smooth and was a pleasure to smoke. I'd recommend picking up a fiver to sample for yourself.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

“Simply put I really enjoyed this cigar. The vitola and profile is the one that I reach for in the humidor. It had some great bold notes to it but still had some sweetness throughout. The strength sneaks up on you towards the end. So make sure you had some food and maybe a Mexican coke nearby.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 83

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black PapaSaka – Blind Cigar Review