A Little Dondurma History
Back, in the middle of the pandemic, in the year 2019, Steve Saka shipped a special, exclusive release cigar to Secreto Cigar Bar in Ferndale, Michigan. That cigar, known as the “Dondurma” was something Steve blended even further back in 2015. According to Steve:
“I decided not to sell it because I felt like it was a difficult cigar to explain to consumers, unless it was done face to face, since the cigar is specifically blended so that most of the flavor is present on the retrohale.”
The name comes from Turkey, where they make a unique type of ice cream that has what many say, a taffy texture and is chewy and does not melt like ice cream we know of’ Steve himself came upon Dondurma when he was in the Navy and the ship was he was on was in port in the city of Antalya, Turkey. When he smoked the first of the blends he said to himself, it reminded him of that Dondurma he had years ago with with its creamy notes yet different than any other cigar he had blended.
In the end, as Steve further explains:
“The Dondurma features, what today has become relatively rare tobacco in handmade cigars, a variation of Wisconsin Comstock. I tabled the liga because IMO while it was solid, it really is only extra special when you retrohale it, and then it is magnificent”
I promised Cigaragua 60 of these for an event they were holding. After that, I just sent a few to Ronnie Haisha of Secreto Cigar Bar to sample, because he is a retrohaling fiend. Turns out he loved them and asked if he could sell the rest to his customers and I figured heck if anyone can represent or explain this cigar to folks it is him. I can make more, but it will always be in tiny batches like this, I simply do not have enough Comstock, nor do I plan on ever having a lot of Comstock.”
Enter the Golden Child
Well that was then, and now 4 years later, Steve once again connected with Ronnie at Secreto and created a second version of Dondurma known as the Golden Child, which has a completely different blend than the original as described by Steve:
- Capa: La Meca Ecuador Habano Double Dark Rosado
- Capote: San Andreas Negro “Cultivo Tonto”
- Tripa:
- US Lancaster Seedleaf Seco
- Nicaraguan Esteliano C98 Viso
- Nicaraguan Gadalupe C99 Viso
- Nicaraguan Aganorsa Ligero
They are still just a small batch production made at Fábrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua, S.A. and features a Habano wrapper and undisclosed binder and filler.
The Dondurma Golden Child is expressed in a single (6 x48) parejo whereas the original was a (6 x 50) soft box press. The Golden child also features a pigtail cap where the original had a twist cap. They come in 10-count boxes with an MSRP of $16.90 but it looks like, for the moment, the only way to get them on the Secreto Cigar Bar website is to buy a box of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust cigars and you get a Golden Child with it.
As for me – my good friend and BOTL, Lou Piscitelli was able to buy a box from Ronnie and he gifted me one. Thanks so much Lou.
Pre-Light Examination
The Dondurma Golden Child exhibits a slightly veiny and marbled, dark brown wrapper with a bit of a reddish tinge. The wrapper has a decent oily sheen and has a fairly silky feel to it. The cigar is firmly packed and expertly rolled. A perfectly applied pigtail cap completes the construction.
A single black and gold band adorns the cigar with the name Dondurma on top and the phrase “Golden Child” underneath. The side of the band simply states “Saka”.
Running the barrel along the nose, I there was no discernable notes I could pick up but the foot did exude a pungent barnyard note.
I sliced the cap straight across the shoulder with my Xikar Xi cutter and gave it some cold draw puffs that I found to be spot on with restriction and offered notes of earth, a hint of pepper, and a touch of cream. A tasty cold draw indeed which had me cold puffing it a little more to enjoy the unlit tobacco tastes.
Using my single flame torch, I warmed the foot to an even orange glow and drew in the first puffs of palate pleasing smoke. Follow along as I burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- The journey starts with notes of cream and chocolate with a growing but not overbearing pepper note
- A touch of leather joins the mix early
- A light grey ash forms on top of a well behaved thin char line
- The smoke volume is full and mouth filling on every puff, making it easy to retrohale which I found myself doing often
- The ash fell in a decent chunk revealing an excellent burn cone
- As the chocolate and cream are front and center there are some savory and herbal notes near the end of the first third
- A mild anise note forms in the background tingling the tongue and adding a welcome dimension to the smoke
- Mild jag in the burn
- Moving deep into the second third, there are espresso notes that begin to blend with a rich caramel sensation deep in the second third
- Things ratchet up in the final as the early peppery spice reemerges to complete the journey
- Medium to Full in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 30 minutes
Final Analysis
I have one thing to say to Steve Saka, WOW! You need to make more of these, but I understand that sourcing some of the special leaf may just not allow it. As for the experience, it had a rich full body of complexity and balanced notes of flavor and yes you need to retro this more than you may normally do. This is a cigar any experienced cigar enthusiast would enjoy and should. Even if you can not get a box of these, if you a fan of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, then buy a box of DTT cigars from Secreto and you get one. Hey you will love the box you buy and this will be an added bonus. I rate this a solid 95. I have to say, if I smoked another, I feel it would just as spectacular and that would garner an added bonus point for a 96.
Point Deductions: (-1) Slight Jag in Burn during second half
Bonus Points: (+1) Box Buy; (+1) Complex and Balanced
