Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust StillWell Star Bayou No. 32 – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

One of the most talked about cigars of 2021 was the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust StillWell Star. The cigar is one of the few new cigars in recent years to use pipe tobacco in the blend of a premium cigar. Earlier this year, we reviewed the Navy No. 1056 and gave it a 92 as well as the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust StillWell Star Aromatic No. 1 also giving it a 92. Now we will be taking a look at the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust StillWell Star Bayou No. 32.

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust founder and master blender Steve Saka has been a pipe smoker for 30 years. Before the announcement StillWell Star, he hadn’t talked about it much publicly, but it is a part of his smoking life. Occasionally when making test blends or personal blends, he would use pipe tobacco just to experiment. He usually leaned toward“English” style pipe tobacco but sometimes would go for Aromatics, Orientals, and some others. Saka mentioned this to Jeremy Reeves, the head blender of the famed pipe tobacco maker Cornell & Diehl, who himself is also a cigar smoker, that he was using pipe tobacco in his personal blends. The two of them collaborated from there and eventually landed on StillWell Star. He says cigars will always be his main focus, but this project allows him to combine two of his passions into completely unique flavor profile.

While this isn’t the first premium cigar to incorporate pipe tobacco, Saka says that he found other cigars to be too sweet or not use high enough quality tobacco or use too much pipe tobacco so that it takes over the flavor profile. StillWell Star is said to be a different approach with the cigar and pipe tobaccos coming from the highest quality available with no expense spared. Each of the pipe tobacco recipes is made in small batches by Reeves (Cornell & Diehl) with the cigar blends being adjusted by Saka to specifically show off and bring out the nuances of that specific pipe tobacco.

StillWell Star comes in 4 different blends : Aromatic No. 1, English No. 27, Bayou No. 32, and Navy No. 1056. All the blends only come in the same size, a 6 x 52 toro and in boxes of 13. They are rolled at Fábrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua, S.A. Each also have the same MSRP of $15.30. All four blends use the same high priming Grade A Ecuador Habano wrapper and San Andres Negro binder. The fillers are different for each as they include different pipe tobacco, and different long filler cigar tobacco to compliment.

The Bayou No. 32 uses a combination of Bright and Red Virginia leaf with the most select St. James Parish Perique pipe tobacco added to create a medium-bodied blend.

The name StillWell Star comes from Saka’s interpretation of his own pipe smoking experiences. “Due to the nature of pipes, they are a contemplative process in which one needs to be ‘still’ in order to be rewarded with the feeling of wellness. ‘Be Still, Be Well’ is the origin of StillWell Star.”

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 52
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Mexican San Andrés
Filler: Nicaragua, Red Virginia, St. James Parish Perique
Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua, S.A.
Blender: Steve Saka, Jeremy Reeves
Number of reviewers: 5 – Mickey T. (irratebass) Alan (Eulogy) Jason H. (Jokey Smurf) John A. (Bostoneo) Doug S. (Unpossible_1)
Price: $15.30
Age: 17 Months
Release Date: December 2021
Contributed by: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust

Initial Impressions – Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust StillWell Star Bayou No. 32

Appearance: 90

“This cigar is presented with a dark brown, almost reddish shade wrapper leaf that feels silky in my hand and looks almost perfectly smooth. The seams and cap are impeccable and invisible.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

Aroma: 88

“Aromas of sweet, tobacco and hot, freshly brewed tea.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

First Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The first puffs on this handsome cigar are spicy with black pepper and peaty earth. Through the nose, the smoke is sharp but just perfectly so and I’m retrohaling every puff.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

“It’s starting out with a lot of baking spice and rich tobacco notes. After a few minutes a dry mineral starts to become the dominant flavor with a creamy finish.” –Alan (Eulogy)

Second Third

Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“There’s a brininess at about the halfway point that counters the pepper without drowning it out. The combination is reminiscent of smoked meat but without that savory meat characteristic. It is just a salty and spicy smoked profile.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

“Moving into the second third, this medium-bodied cigar gains a stronger leather note alongside creamy and cashew-like flavors. I am really digging this cigar since it mellowed out from the initial third, flavors are pronounced and clear as it continues to create ample smoke output and burns like a pro! Nearing the end of this third, the return of those peanut shells sneaks their way back into the fray.” –John A. (Bostoneo)

Final Third

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

“Leather, coffee, and earth notes are still prevalent, but there is a sweetness in the back that is mixing very well and making this cigar much more enjoyable. The sweetness I am getting is like a cherry or an apple flavor.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

“As I enter the final portion of this cigar the earth notes are fading and the leather hinted at in the pre-light aroma is showing itself. This flavor, coupled with the black pepper is really enjoyable for me, and is a wonderful end cap to my holiday weekend.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

Overall Impressions – Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust StillWell Star Bayou No. 32

Draw: 93

“This sample was really stellar in regards to draw… Just a slight hint of resistance and tons of smoke. I was able to keep it cool the entire time and was rewarded with amazingly flavorful smoke.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

Burn: 93

“Razor-sharp burn from the beginning to the end. One of the better-burning cigars I had in a while.” –Alan (Eulogy)

Construction: 94

“This was a beautiful cigar and it performed beautifully as well. The draw was on point and I love the fact that the ash never fell unexpectedly, even though I let it go to two-inch lengths before tapping it off.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

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

“Overall this was a great cigar that gave me plenty of flavor transitions with leather, coffee, peanuts, cocoa, and cream, and even threw in some fruit flavors to round it all together. The cigar started out earthy and medium in strength and then developed into a more creamy sweet smoke with a mild to medium strength. I would happily smoke this again and I encourage you to seek these out. I feel this cigar can be enjoyed in the morning with your coffee… or during your lunch, and even an after-dinner smoke. I am curious to know what this was.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

“This was a really well-made cigar that had a great look to it. I wish the flavor profile was a bit more exciting as it was mostly a mineral-dominant profile with a touch of spice. It was a bit mundane for me personally but if you’re a fan of a mineral profile it would be great.” –Alan (Eulogy)

“This cigar hit on all flavor cylinders for me from the first to the last puff. It is definitely full-flavored but is not overpowering in terms of strength or flavor profile. Coupling this with the performance factors makes this a complete winner and one that I will smoke again and often.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

“I was dubious in the beginning with its strong flavors on launch, but this tiger tamed down and provided a great experience going into the second third. After a nice stint in the middle, this cigar starts to get rather bold and starts to provide a nice buzz. Burn, draw and construction were spot on the entire time, never experiencing any issues. This was an enjoyable smoke and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys a nice medium to full flavored smoke with a bit of a punch in strength.” –John A. (Bostoneo)

“Inoffensive. If I were to pick one word to describe this cigar, I really feel like that best suits this cigar. For almost an hour, it offered up some enjoyment that kept me mostly engaged. At that point, it really felt like it was dragging on. You ever watch a movie and thought to yourself this really could have been an hour shorter and I might have enjoyed it more? That’s what we have here. Satisfactory. Okay, that’s a much better word for it.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 76

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust StillWell Star Bayou No. 32 – Blind Cigar Review