Vitola: Paladin de Saka (Churchill)- 7” x 52 ring gauge
- MSRP $29.75
- Samples provided by Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
Background
I first looked at Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust’s Sin Compromiso about 3 years ago, shortly after it came out. It was billed as Steve Saka’s richest and most refined blend to date and was the result of over 3 years of “crafting and tweaking.” Steve calls it “my best liga ever.”
In 2021 he produced a “more robust variation” of the blend with Paladin de Saka. Paladin de Saka features the same San Andres Negro “Cultivo Tonto” wrapper, “thin ligero” Ecuadorian Habano binder, and Nicaraguan fillers, but adds some Pennsylvania Broadleaf filler as well and is aged for 1 full year before shipping.
Dunbarton sent me a couple samples of this new release along with a few other things to review recently.
Notes
I elected to make Sin Compromiso Paladin de Saka the very first cigar I smoked in 2022, as a symbol of my desire to live this year “without compromise” in my own life.
The Paladin de Saka had a wonderfully smooth and oily wrapper that was earthy with a touch of cocoa powder. The foot had a richer earthiness with some cedar mixed in. The cap had a tight pigtail wrapped in a coil. The cold draw had notes of coffee and tea, overlaying some cedar, earth, and chocolate.
The sample I smoked this day was a little tighter than I would prefer and without constant puffing I found it going almost completely out a couple times, with the attendant relights. It also burned a little crooked at times, causing some touchups, which were no big deal really.
The Paladin de Saka did evolve into a much earthier profile with a lot more pepper as I burned along.
Last night a friend told me that one thing I might want to work on in the coming year was “not taking quite so much crap from others.” That goes along with the theme of “Sin Compromiso…No Compromise!” While there are definitely times to have sensible compromise with others, I realize the need to stand up for myself earlier and more often. I can care about others without being a doormat…be assertive without being aggressive.
2022 is the second year in a row that I don’t have to make the typical resolution of that I will “lose weight and get in shape.” I did that back in 2020 and have kept it up…so being mentally stronger will be the resolution for this year. What about you? Did you make any resolutions to begin the new year?
