Vitola: 648 (Corona Gorda)- 6” x 48 ring gauge
- MSRP $11.75
- Purchased from Small Batch Cigar
Background
Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust started off as a veritable rocket ship. In 2015 Steve Saka’s company produced Sobremesa, which was highly acclaimed across the board, but named by me as Cigar of the Year. 2016 saw the release of Mi Querida, another blend that gathered copious accolades…and which won my Cigar of the Year, making the first (and only) time that the same company won my top pick two years in a row. I haven’t stopped loving those blends, but I have to admit to be less enthusiastic about some of the subsequent releases.
This year Steve Saka unveiled line extensions to his two inaugural blends. Sobremesa Brûlée is supposed to be a marvelous milder cigar…and when I get my hands on them, I’ll definitely do a review. Mi Querida Triqui Traca (tree-kee trah-ka) is a more full-bodied version of what was already a dynamite fuller-bodied blend. Saka maintains that the core blend of Nicaraguan fillers and binder has been maintained, although a “unique, high octane ligero grown in the Dominican Republic has also been introduced.” Also, they switched out the wrapper from a Connecticut Broadleaf Mediums to a “rarer No. 1 Dark Corona” Broadleaf Maduro.
I’ve smoked one of this blend prior to this review sample. I bought my review samples from Small Batch Cigar, a Leaf Enthusiast sponsor. Some information above was taken from Cigar-Coop’s news story on this release.
Prelight
The Triqui Traca is differentiated from the regular Mi Querida release with a different band color. Same artwork, same gold foil, embossing and die cutting…red background instead of blue this time. I’ve always been a fan of the subtle-yet-crucial change that a simple color swap can make.
The wrapper didn’t seem really much, if at all, darker than the original release Mi Querida, although I have to admit to viewing it in isolation and just trying to remember what the other looked like. It was about the color dark chocolate, which is exactly how I described that original Mi Querida when I reviewed it. Maybe “mediums” and “darks” don’t have as much to do with color in Broadleaf as they do with other aspects? If someone knows, please chime in below. The wrapper had a rich aroma that was earthy and leathery, with a touch of sweetness to it. The foot was earthy and cedary.
Once clipped, I got a good draw that had flavors of earth and wood.
Flavor
The Mi Querida Triqui Traca took some time to get fired up. Although it sat in my review humidor for over a month, it was like it was overly humidified or something. Maybe the leaf used in the filler is just naturally oily and moist. Once going, though, I got a very leathery and earthy flavor up front, with some espresso bean and semi-sweet chocolate coming up behind that. The finish had a mix of vegetal, cinnamon and red pepper notes. The retrohale had leather and pepper heat.
As I got into the second third, I noted that the Triqui Traca is definitely more full-bodied than the regular Mi Querida. Whatever the Dominican ligero brings to the table in flavor, it definitely amps up the body. I continued to get leather at the front, with an increasing sweetness in the mix and a decent amount of pepper spice. There was also some cinnamon, which is something I didn’t get so much in the original.
The final third saw more sweetness come into the blend, along with a dramatic increase in espresso bean flavor. Pepper spice was a mild, but persistent, heat. Leathery notes fell off almost completely.
Construction
The draw was slightly tight, but nothing showstopping. The ash held on for up to an inch and the burn line was very even for a Broadleaf wrapper.
Value
Like the original, I like this blend a lot and find it justifies the seemingly rapidly rising price point.
Conclusions
What do you do when all your fans ask for a strong cigar like the ones you made at your previous company? Steve Saka put out Todos Las Dias. And while it’s a good cigar, it didn’t really hit the mark some of us were looking for. But this second attempt at a full-bodied, strong stick really does. It has more complexity than the original Mi Querida along with body that is truly full, while not giving up the spicy sweetness that made the original Mi Querida such a hit. Do I like it as much as the original, though? No…but it is really good for the target audience.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
