In the world of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, one of the most interesting cigars in the portfolio is the Umbagog. It gets a lot of social media attention and is known as a value priced cigar that offers more than what you might expect for the price.
Steve Saka, owner of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, notes:
“Umbagog is the name of one of the most pristine wilderness lakes in all of the United States. It is located on the border between Coös County, New Hampshire, and Oxford County, Maine. The origin of the word is from the Abenaki Indians meaning “shallow water” and I have been told the proper pronunciation is to the stress the second syllable as in “um-BAY-gog”, however I prefer to say it incorrectly as I always have as: “oom-BA-gog”. Just saying this word wrongly instantly makes me happy of heart. It is one of my favorite places in the entire world. The sky is marked with eagles and osprey, moose graze along her marshy shores and otters play friskily in wake. I love being on its quiet waters casting my line for the copious and voracious monster smallmouth bass it holds.“
The Umbagog is blended by Steve Saka and is handcrafted by Nicaraguan American Cigar, S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua
This year, the company released a new “Bronzeback” vitola that features a mid-cut 2LS Connecticut Broadleaf capa which delivers a spicier, more peppery smoking experience.
Steve describes the blend of the Umbagog Bronzeback as:
- Capa: Connecticut Broadleaf
- Capote: Nicaraguan
- Tripa: Nicaraguan
The Umbagog is now available in 5 different vitolas:
- Corona Gorda (6 x 48)
- Robusto Plus (5 x 52)
- Toro Toro (6 x 52)
- Gordo Gordo (6 x 56)
- Bronzeback (5 x 48)
The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback comes packaged in 10-count bundles with an MSRP of $9.75/cigar or $97.50/bundle.
Saka further notes:
“Oom-BA-gog” is a perfect cigar for my time upon her waters. It is robust and durable, designed to endure the rigors of outside activity with its thick broadleaf capa and easy burning liga. This is a cigar that doesn’t pretend to be special or seek to elicit the “oohs or aahs” of the cigar snobs. It is an honest, hardworking cigar that is meant to be smoked, chewed upon and lit however many times you wish. For me, it is the perfect cigar for mowing the yard, hiking, four wheelin’ and of course, fishing!“
For this review I sampled one of the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzebacks that I received from the company for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.
Pre-light Examination
The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback is cloaked in a toothy, medium to dark brown wrapper that has some marbling running through the leaf and a slight oily sheen. There are just a few veins in the wrapper and the cigar is firmly packed with no discernable soft spots. A double cap finishes the construction.
A single, forest green and gold band adorns the cigar that boldly presents the name UMBAGOG in a distressed golden font.
Running the Bronzeback across the nose, I picked up a mild spice note along the barrel whereas the foot offered a barnyard earthy aroma.
I used my Guillotina De Saka cutter from Cigar Medics to slice the cap straight across the shoulder of the cigar and proceeded to give it some cold draw puffs. I found the draw to be just fine in restriction while it offered a rich peppery spice note with a hint of earthiness in the background.
I warmed the foot to an even orange glow using my Xikar Fan Flame torch and drew in the first puffs of pepper and gritty earth note. Follow along as I burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Pepper and gritty earth start the journey
- White ash forms on medium thick even char line
- Caramel nuances join the mix after a half inch of burn
- Ash dropped in a perfect chunk revealing an excellent burn cone
- Hint of dark chocolate moving into second third
- Toasty nuances join the mix midway through the burn
- Dark Chocolate intensifies
- Gritty earth enters in the final
- Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 20 Minutes
Final Analysis
The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback journey begins with a bold introduction of pepper and a robust, gritty earthiness. After about half an inch, subtle caramel notes begin to weave into the flavor, adding a smooth complexity to the profile. As the smoke enters the second third, a faint hint of dark chocolate emerges, deepening the experience. Midway through the burn, toasty undertones gently mingle with the flavors, as the dark chocolate notes intensify enhancing the overall richness. As the cigar progresses into the final third, the gritty earthiness reasserts itself. Though not overly complex, it is balanced through the burn. This is worth grabbing a bundle and I rate this a 96.
Point Deductions: NONE
Bonus Points: (+1) Pristine Burn; (+1) Box Buy
