Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Tapa Negra

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut-Seed G2BW (with Nicaraguan Sun-Grown cap)

Binder: Mexican Matacapan Negro de Temporal

Filler: Nicaraguan (Condega C-SG, Pueblo Nuevo Criollo, La Joya Estelí C-98, ASP Estelí Hybrid Ligero)

Profile: Medium +

Steve Saka's Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust has built a reputation as one of the most intellectually driven and technically adventurous operations in the premium cigar world. Saka, a veteran of the industry with decades of experience spanning General Cigar and his own formative years working alongside Lew Rothman, applies an almost obsessive precision to every blend he creates. The Sobremesa line, named for the Spanish tradition of lingering at the table after a meal in conversation, is his flagship and remains one of the most complex and layered blends in its category.

The Tapa Negra is a new expression within the Sobremesa family that will look familiar to fans of Joya de Nicaragua's Cabinetta line. It shares the same core blend as the regular Sobremesa Brülée, an Ecuadorian Connecticut Seed G2BW wrapper over a Mexican Matacapan Negro de Temporal binder and a four leaf Nicaraguan filler, but with a distinctive twist. The cap and approximately one inch of the top of each cigar is finished with a Nicaraguan Sun Grown wrapper, creating a dramatic two tone visual effect and a concentrated burst of different flavors on the initial draws.

The technique dates back to Saka's work in the late 1990s with a brand called La Especion, making the Tapa Negra as much a personal statement as a technical achievement. Produced at Fábrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua S.A. in Estelí, each cigar is packaged in 13 count boxes. Expect the hallmarks of the Sobremesa line throughout, refined complexity, excellent construction, and a long, evolving finish, with the added intrigue of the Nicaraguan cap delivering a bold, peppery opening that gradually gives way to the creamier Connecticut character beneath.

A technically fascinating cigar from one of the most thoughtful blenders in the business.